{"product_id":"lord-of-the-rings-3","title":"Lord of the Rings","description":"\u003cp\u003e6b J. R. R. Tolkien. New York: Ace Books, Inc. 1965.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBxAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003eIn 1965, \u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eAce Books\u003c\/span\u003e exploited a loophole in U.S. copyright law to publish the first-ever paperback edition of the \u003cem\u003eLord of the Rings \u003c\/em\u003etrilogy without the J. R. R. Tolkiens permission. At the time, American law required foreign-printed books to be manufactured domestically to maintain full copyright protection; because the original U.S. hardcovers used pages printed in the UK, Ace's editor argued the work had fallen into the public domain. Despite Tolkien's initial distaste for the \"degenerate\" paperback format, this unauthorized release sparked a fierce \"War over Middle-earth.\" Tolkien personally mobilized his growing American fanbase to boycott the \"pirated\" editions, famously informing readers that Ace was \"not so much a publisher as a pirate.\"\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"Fsg96\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"otQkpb\" aria-level=\"3\" role=\"heading\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTo reclaim legal control, Tolkien overhauled the text into a definitive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eSecond Edition\u003c\/span\u003e for the \u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eBallantine Books\u003c\/span\u003e\"Authorized Edition.\" This version is iconic for its surrealist, three-part \"triptych\" cover art by Jack Gaughan. Interestingly, Gaughan was forced to paint the covers before even reading the books; her work featured whimsical, psychedelic elements like emus, lizards, and strange bulbous trees that had no basis in Tolkien’s lore. While Tolkien famously asked, \"What has it to do with the story? Where is this? [and] Why of the emus?\", the art perfectly captured the 1960s counter-culture aesthetic. Every Ballantine copy bore a prominent \"Statement of Authorization\" and a note from Tolkien urging fans to support only this version, ultimately cementing the series as a global phenomenon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"otQkpb\" aria-level=\"3\" role=\"heading\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"otQkpb\" aria-level=\"3\" role=\"heading\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"otQkpb\" aria-level=\"3\" role=\"heading\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"otQkpb\" aria-level=\"3\" role=\"heading\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", \"Helvetica Neue\", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);'\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThree volume paperbacks in red, yellow, and blue. Sun fading to spines of books one and two. Extremely minimal wear to extremities. Sharp points and very clean set overall. Fine condition. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Moons Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56454190661798,"sku":null,"price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0173\/6563\/1040\/files\/08E2312A-7396-49A4-8531-1BDE80552C50.jpg?v=1778358953","url":"https:\/\/moons-rare-books.myshopify.com\/products\/lord-of-the-rings-3","provider":"Moons Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}