There's a tonne of extras including some maps of Middle Earth and Mordor, a fantastic "Kings Letter" from the rejected epilogue for the book and some pages from the Book of Mazarbul. I guess, for many it might not be the most exciting part of the book, but for me, reading it felt like I’ve made that impossible climb myself. Despite this collection being packed to the brim with a huge amount of pages, it still feels like a reasonably quick read. The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them.

Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81. Although I found some other parts of the journey fascinating, the most exhausting and gut-wrenching leg of it is my favourite.With the epic trilogy now an acclaimed, award-winning and billion-dollar success, images of the characters and landscapes have become iconic to a whole new generation of readers. I have mentioned the nice font size, which is complemented by matching colour text (to the binding) – green for The Hobbit and red for LOTR – for chapter headings (including the first capital letter of the chapter text), header titles and page numbering. This beautiful illustrated edition was just another excuse to re-read what is in my opinion, the greatest story told in our time. To be clear, I have many different copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), including the Folio Society editions from the eighties.

Since they were first published, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been two books people have treasured. Mary Shelley's darkly disturbing tale is illustrated by Angela Barrett and newly introduced by Richard Holmes. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike. Looking back on it after growing more familiar with the series, it's a little barebones in terms of characterisation and has been written with a lot of restraint. There is something about the alluring world of elves, dwarves and old magic which has proved exceptionally popular, working on the imagination both as an enthralling adventure story and, at a deeper level, as ’a comprehensive counter-myth to the story of the 20th century’ (Independent).

The unjacketed book features illustrated boards and includes a silk ribbon marker, and is housed in a special transparent slipcase; together with Alan's beautiful paintings, this new presentation of this landmark work provides the reader with the ultimate edition with which to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first publication.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The Hobbit is a nice deeper shade of green, and the 3 volumes of LOTR are a red maroon – very nice and all combined with good quality gold printing on the spine. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Tolkien's mastery of language and world-building is evident throughout, making this trilogy a must-read for anyone seeking a truly immersive and enchanting literary experience. Leaving his comfortable hobbit hole Bilbo Baggins goes on a reluctant adventure to defeat a dragon, and along the way he encounters the vile, but pathetic Gollum, and his ‘Precious’ – a ring to rule them all.

Including brand-new paintings, this is a fully illustrated new edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings. printing of this ALAN LEE ILLUSTRATED Edition ) ---hardcover, a Near Fine/Fine example in a Near Fine/Fine dustjacket, a wee bit of light rubbing, jacket is now in a hi-quality mylar protector, Alan Lee illustrations and cover art, a very nice copy that looks new, , any image directly beside this listing is the actual book and not a generic photo. However, when it comes to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, there is just something there that has me coming back for more. Lee's classic illustrations were first published in Harper Collins' 'New' [single-volume] edition of 1991.