{"product_id":"the-hobbit-first-edition","title":"The Hobbit First Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e6WS J. R. R. Tolkien. London: George Allen \u0026amp; Unwin Ltd., 1937. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTemple Bindery Rebinding.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eTrue First Edition First Impression.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNotes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003eThis historic first printing is illustrated with a beautiful black-and-white frontispiece showing \u003cem class=\"eujQNb\"\u003e\"The Hill: Hobbiton across the Water.\"\u003c\/em\u003e It also includes 8 full-page uncolored plates. Every single piece of art was drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The author originally wrote this story just to entertain his own young children. The manuscript was later read by Susan Dagnall, an employee at the publishing house George Allen \u0026amp; Unwin. She loved the tale and encouraged Tolkien to finish it for publication. The publisher, Stanley Unwin, then gave the manuscript to his 10-year-old son, Rayner Unwin. Rayner read the book, loved it, and wrote a glowing review. He earned one shilling for his report, which convinced his father to officially publish the book.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTolkien’s writing process for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e was gradual and largely unplanned. He began the story in the early 1930s, allegedly scribbling the opening line—“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”—on a blank exam paper he was grading. Initially conceived as a children’s story, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e was deeply influenced by Tolkien’s background in philology (the study of languages), mythology, and his love for Norse and Anglo-Saxon literature. He often wrote in bursts, revising heavily and drawing from a vast body of his own invented languages and histories. The novel’s tone reflects his academic mind and storytelling instincts—light and humorous on the surface, yet layered with ancient echoes and moral complexity. Encouraged by the book’s unexpected success, Tolkien was later urged to write a sequel, which eventually became the much darker and more expansive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eBecause of the high costs of printing during the 1930s, the publisher was very cautious. They only ordered a mere 1,500 copies for the initial release on September 21, 1937. Tolkien's unique vision and magical world took the public by storm. The small print run sold out completely within three months. This rapid success forced the publisher to rush a second impression into production by December of that same year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eBased in the historic bookbinding landscape of Oxford, England, \u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eThe Temple Bindery\u003c\/span\u003e is globally revered by antiquarian book dealers and literary collectors for its museum-grade restorations and luxury bespoke leather bindings. Specializing in high-value modern first editions and classic works of literature, their master craftsmen are known for a meticulous approach that honors a book's heritage while securing its physical longevity. For this specific copy of \u003cem class=\"eujQNb\"\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, the bindery employed time-honored 16th-century style techniques, using finest-grade morocco leather and authentic 23-karat gold leaf finishing. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescription\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of 1500 true first editions with the black and white Hobbiton illustrated frontispiece. Special rebinding by Temple Bindery. Spotless green leather\u003cspan\u003e bearing Tolkien’s iconic Smaug dragon motif stamped in gold\u003c\/span\u003e to lower corner of upper cover. Black labels to spine with gilt lettering. Endpapers added in rebinding. Clean interior. Very fine condition. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Moons Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56961143734438,"sku":null,"price":49500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0173\/6563\/1040\/files\/3B86537C-6F47-4E11-83A6-83F154D99D02.jpg?v=1786748323","url":"https:\/\/moons-rare-books.myshopify.com\/products\/the-hobbit-first-edition","provider":"Moons Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}