THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings by TOLKIEN, J. R. R - 1955

Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, no date (1955), 1955. US issue of the 3rd UK printing (there was no US issue from the 2nd UK printing). Blue cloth gilt lettered. pp (424), colour folding map tipped to rear pastedown, made from UK sheets, Auckland address is Haddon Hall at rear. Crease along upper margin of p. 7 (manufacturing flaw) has left a soft impression to the first 11 pages, and the title leaf has another soft diagonal crease; light damp stain along bottom of rear cover; this is otherwise a fine, bright and unworn copy, no owner names. The dust jacket has very light sunning to yellow spine; rear panel has tiny nicks along top edge, and a dark damp stain to the bottom margin; the jacket is mainly fine otherwise, no chips, clips (no printed flap price), or tears, the spine and front panel showing well. The third UK printing contained 11 corrections to the 2nd UK printing, which also had JRRT's corrections to the first printing as well as a number of errors introduced by the printers, some of which remained in the text for years. The American dust jacket (art by Walter Lorraine) is entirely different from the familiar UK jacket design. The first US "edition", actually the US issue, from UK sheets, was published 21 Oct., 1954 (only 1500 copies). The present issue is the second earliest for US publication.. Hardcover. Octavo.