Very impressive! I always appreciate seeing photos / ‘in the flesh’ (even though I’m seeing it via scree but you get the idea!) of new Tolkien items.

Looks like it’ll pair very well with The Hobbit + Lord of the Rings set from 2020.

Looking forward to seeing sets 2-4, in due time. And whatever else HC will release, as per their Facebook post a few months ago, hinting at other publications.

I’ve honestly got my fingers crossed for some more Facsimiles. At least a First US edition of The Hobbit. That blue dust jacket is breathtaking, and I don’t have $15k+ for a real one :P

Hi, super curious, any topstains? Colored endpapers? Color plates? Fold-out maps? Sewn binding?

I wonder which text is used, earliest or corrected. E.g., "Twenty-third King" or "Twenty-fourth King" on S p350 l5, "unwearingly" or "unwearyingly" on UT p391 l9, "Valwë Father of Vairë wife of Lindo" or "Valwë Father of Lindo" on LT1 p296 l4.

Ulmo wrote:

Hi, super curious, any topstains? Colored endpapers? Color plates? Fold-out maps? Sewn binding?

No Topstains
No color plates
No Fold out maps
Glued binding not sewn
Plain color endpapers to Lost Tales 1 & 2
Map endpapers to SIL and UT

zionius wrote:

I wonder which text is used, earliest or corrected. E.g., "Twenty-third King" or "Twenty-fourth King" on S p350 l5, "unwearingly" or "unwearyingly" on UT p391 l9, "Valwë Father of Vairë wife of Lindo" or "Valwë Father of Lindo" on LT1 p296 l4.

Twenty-third King
Unwearyingly
Valwë Father of Lindo

Added some information on the UK Box-set #2 which is being released in March next year.

The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 2): The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth & The Lost Road (The History of Middle-earth)

RRP £75
Release Date 28th March 2024
Available for Pre-Order 29th December 2023
ISBN 978-0008669232

This site uses affiliate links for which we may be compensated

The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 2): LoB, SoMe, LR&OW (U.K. H.B.)

HarperCollins (2024/03/28)

£75.00 HarperCollins (Other Format) - Availability: Click to check

$69.69 Blackwell's (hardback) - Availability: Usually dispatched within 7 days

$85.02 Amazon.com (Paperback) - Availability: Now

£52.20 Amazon.co.uk (Paperback) - Availability: Now

€66.14 Amazon.de (Taschenbuch) - Availability: Now

£67.15 AbeBooks - Availability: Click to check

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmi ... Fvariant%3D40443534639182

Thank you remy! It is interesting that S appear to be treated differently. Perhaps they corrected typos but leaved editorial changes unaltered? Or they just randomly picked an early printing?
Could you further check these two? S p190 l17, "Noldor of Hithlum were asssembled" or "assembled"; UT p192 l32, "bleating of sheep" or "bleating of sleep".

A comparison with some of the earlier edition, no obvious matching Silmarillion, so used the Book Club edition from 1994.

Very impressed with the set, and I think all four boxed sets will be a great addition to anyone's Tolkien collection.

Trotter wrote:

A comparison with some of the earlier edition, no obvious matching Silmarillion, so used the Book Club edition from 1994.

Very impressed with the set, and I think all four boxed sets will be a great addition to anyone's Tolkien collection.

What’s your take on the quality of the binding and paper? There are some concerns with some who have received theirs already that it’s cheaper than they expected, and maybe not good to read.