THE HOBBIT, Or There and Back Again.

Second edition, first printing (fifth impression overall). Publisher's original green cloth with wraparound illustration and dark blue titles to the spine and upper board, in dustwrapper. Map endpapers, four colour plates and eight black and white illustrations after drawings by the author. Top edge green. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with tiny bumps to the extremities, the cloth with just one small mark to the upper board is bright and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The green top edge of the closed text block a little faded. Complete with the very good, correct original dustwrapper that has small nicks and chips to the spine tips and fold corners and a few foxing spots to the upper cover very minor rubbing to the extremities and a couple of foxing spots to the spine. Not price-clipped (8s 6d net to the lower front flap). Very scarce

Published 19th July 1951 in an edition of just 3,500 copies. This highly important printing of The Hobbit contains Tolkien's most significant revisions to the first edition text, including a reworking of the pivotal fifth chapter 'Riddles of the Dark', that brings the story of the ring and Gollum in line with the narrative of the forthcoming The Lord of the Rings. [Hammond and Anderson A3c; J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Douglas A. Anderson: The Annotated Hobbit, Revised and Expanded Edition (2002)]