The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King Published by George Allen and Unwin, London; 1954, 1954, 1955. 8vo. All three books are First editions, first impressions. Overall Condition: Near Fine/Near Fine. A beautiful set of Tolkien's epic, one of the most loved trilogy's of the twentieth century, and one of the rarest to find in smart condition. This is a truly lovely set, all three books are beautifully bound in their original red cloth boards with the title in gilt to the spine. The bindings are square and tight and in excellent condition. The only points to note are some bumping to the spine ends and corners and a few faint marks/rubbing to book three. Inside, the books are clean and bright with no marks or damage, save a little toning. There is some darkening to the ffps of book 1, and a neat ownership inscription, but the books are overall in exceptional condition and are complete with their original maps. The books are all houses in their original, first issue dust jackets, which are all unrestored and unclipped, showing the original price of 21s net to the front flaps. Jackets as smart as these are a particularly rare find these days, unrestored and in such smart condition. There is darkening to the spines and wear to the spine ends and corners, with a little loss to the spines of two and three, but apart from the occasional rub or a touch of sunning, the jackets are otherwise in very smart, Near Fine condition. This is where the true value of these books lies. In all, this is an exceptional example of one of the most sought after trilogies to collect. They are eternally popular and a true investment, with only 3000 copies of book one, 3250 of book two, and 7000 of the last published in the first print runs. Tolkien began writing the trilogy at 45, and took 12 years to complete it. They were inspired by his personal interests in a range of areas, from mythology to philology. They were an instant sensation, with more than 150 million copies sold, and translations into 30 different languages. They were later adapted into the much-loved, Oscar award winning, film trilogy starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, alongside many other popular actors, and directed by Peter Jackson. This set is the star of any collection it graces and is the aspiration of many a collector. It is truly a worthwhile investment, as it will only become harder to come by and a increasingly more worthy addition, making this the perfect opportunity to add this special set to your collection