The Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of The King by Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel)

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954-1955 [1961-1962] First editions, twelfth printing of The Fellowship of the Ring, ninth printing of The Two Towers, ninth printing of The Return of the King, with the terminal fold-out maps tipped in to each volume. Publisher's red cloth, spines lettered in gilt, red topstains; in the original pictorial dust jackets, with illustrations of the Eye of Sauron, the One Ring and its Elvish inscription to the front panels. About fine with only light soiling to top edges and a few small spots; unclipped dust jackets, with some light soiling, light wear and a few nicks to the extremities, spines lightly, Return of the King with a small stain and a tear to the spine. A very attractive and completely unsophisticated set. The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy trilogy, written as the sequel to Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit. It tells the story of the second attempt of the men, elves, and dwarves of Middle Earth to destroy the Dark Lord Sauron, the "Lord of the Rings." In The Hobbit, set almost 2,000 years after Sauron was initially vanquished, Hobbit Bilbo Baggins discovers Sauron's lost ring, which he used to control the inhabitants of Middle Earth vis-à-vis corrupt leaders whom he gave lesser rings to in order to gain power over them. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo leaves the ring to his nephew Frodo, who joins with a group of men, hobbits, dwarves, and elves on a quest to destroy it. In The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam continue alone on their increasingly perilous journey to destroy the ring while the remaining members of the Fellowship try to protect the realms of Middle Earth from the troops of Sauron, who continues to gain strength as Frodo brings the Ring closer. The Return of the King concludes the trilogy with the final destruction of Sauron and the reestablishment of proper order in the worlds of men and hobbits. Each volume is divided into two books and contains chapters narrated by different characters.. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Dust Jacket Included.