The Sunday Salon: Out-of-Print and Current US Editions of The Lord of the Rings
Over the last year or so, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to piece together the American publication history of The Lord of the Rings in the name of my collection. (Why not the British publication history? It’s covered here and, while I may someday have a cool grand to blow on the American first edition, even I balk at forking out fifteen grand for a British first edition. Ainsi, je suis americaine.) While I relied on Mike’s Tolkien Resources to get started, he doesn’t cover everything. There doesn’t seem to be a comprehensive list of all the American editions available online at the moment. But where I come from on the Internet, if it doesn’t exist, you write it yourself. (Yes, this usually means fanfiction, but I think it’s a valuable life lesson.) Therefore, I present the Comprehensive (To the Best of My Knowledge) List of Out-of-Print and Current US Editions of The Lord of the Rings (and Selected Editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion). (Because of the length, there are no round-ups or anything else at the bottom—if you’re not interested, skip this post.)
Houghton Mifflin First Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
Ace Books Pirated Editions
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
Ballantine Books First Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Special Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Second Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 1978 Trade Paperback
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin Silver Anniversary Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, 1981, Hardcover
The Two Towers, 1981, Hardcover
The Return of the King, 1981, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Third Edition:
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Silmarillion, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Easton Press Tolkien Classics Collection
The Hobbit, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Fellowship of the Ring, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Silmarillion, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
Ballantine Fourth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 1987 Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin One Volume Deluxe Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
Notes: Originally published in 1974, this edition was revised in 1987 as a 50th Anniversary edition. There’s also apparently a green collectors’ edition version kicking around, according to one commentator. If you have any information, let me know!
Houghton Mifflin 1988 Edition
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Fifth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Sixth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin One Volume Centenary Edition
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, Hardcover
Science Fiction Book Club Special Edition
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1998, Hardcover
Notes: There’s allegedly another Science Fiction Book Club version of The Lord of the Rings kicking around, this one a 50th Anniversary edition (which would make the year of publication 1987, 2004, or 2005). Let me know if you know anything about it.
Ballantine/Del Rey Seventh Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Notes: An impressive amount of Tolkien’s other works were released in a similar (though not identical) style, making this, I think, an ideal paperback edition for the novels and the other works. My favorite paperback style, hands down.
Houghton Mifflin 1999 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin Millennium Edition Boxed Set
The Ring Sets Out, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Ring Goes South, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Treason at Isengard, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Ring Goes East, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The War of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The End of the Third Age, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
Notes: Looks great, right? And Tolkien preferred this method of publication. But the quality of this edition is known to be poor, especially considering the price. The British version of this set is still currently published.
Houghton Mifflin Trade Paperback 1999 Edition
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Silmarillion, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Eighth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2001 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2001 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2001 Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 2001, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 2001, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Ninth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2002 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2002 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2002 Alan Lee Centenary Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Tenth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Gift Set Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2003 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin Deluxe 2004 50th Anniversary One Volume Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2004, Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin 2005 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2005 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Eleventh Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Notice anything missing or incorrectly labeled? Let me know in the comments.
I like those 1981 hardcovers! The first editions are really beautiful too, and if I ever feel financially comfortable splashing out a grand on first editions of Tolkien, I will know I have Arrived. :p My copies are reissues, I guess, of the 1987 or 1988 editions, the illustrations by Alan whatshisface. I’m fond of them.
Aren’t they gorgeous? And yeah, it’s definitely a dream.
Alan Lee! His work is so lovely. The early British editions are lovely, although I think the US movie tie-in versions are much better; I just got the 2001 Houghton Mifflin one volume trade paperback off eBay and I can’t wait—the logo is gorgeous. (Not to mention it’s the very edition I first read The Lord of the Rings on.)
I loved this post–thanks for all your hardwork. I’ve book marked it!
Thanks!
Oh, these are lovely! What a useful list, not to mention a great way to compare the covers! I use the 1999 trade paperbacks as reading copies, and I have the 1974 red boxed single volume for “good.” I also have a similar green boxed book of The Hobbit, which I don’t see here.
Too bad the 1999 boxed set is poor quality. I really like that one!
I’m so glad you find it useful! I only list The Hobbit when included in a box set with The Lord of the Rings.
It is lovely, isn’t it? Luckily, the UK has two different seven volume collections in paperback—one mimicking the one above and the other a film tie-in. So they’re certainly available!
In addition to the 1991 Houghton Mifflin One Volume Centenary Edition, HM also put out a three volume centenary set with some great Alan Lee covers. TFOTR has his Rivendell painting, TTT has his Shelob painting and TROTK has the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. They also have silver, not gold trim.
nice list, howeve you’re missing a copy I have as my “display” copy. it’s the science fiction book club 50th anniversary leather-bound hardcover with gold writing, could provide you with a picture if need be
A picture would be great! I found a list of titles published under that particular label—The Science Fiction Book Club 50th Anniversary—but I haven’t seen anything that lists The Lord of the Rings among them, so I’d love to see it!
I realize I’m chiming in a year late here, but I also have this SFBC 50th anniversary leatherbound edition, and am trying to value it. I can’t seem to find it for sale anywhere, so I have not basis for assigning a value (not that I’m going to sell it, I’m just inventorying my collection). Did you ever get your photo of it? I’d be happy to send one, and I’d love to hear from anyone who can help me come up with a dollar amount for the volume.
That’s okay! The Internet is timeless.
If you could send me a photo, that would be fantastic! And I’ll see if I can’t poke around and see what I can find…
i have the Ballantine 1965 ones => haha
I have the all the 1973 Lord Of the Rings editions; except for The Hobbit. I love the cover art.
They are lovely; they’re also art done by Tolkien himself, which makes it all the better. I’ve got them in a box set.
The red hardcover one above (1987) was deemed a “collectors’ edition” (50th year anniversary I think) and had a very nice red/black foldout map with lots of detail (I think his son CT did this one). The hardcover and the “housing” had the same red, leatherlike surface. Also released at the same time was a “green” collectors’ edition that was the same height. Just looked on ebay and there was only one of the red cover, but it did not have the book housing.
That would be a The Hobbit anniversary, then; I’ll keep an eye out for any information on a green version, which sounds lovely. Thanks for letting me know—I love hearing about this.
I love the first edition! My set is the HM 1999, inc The Silmarillion. I really love the feel & covers!
That’s a beautiful edition; I especially like how The Silmarillion fits in so nicely, probably because my first edition was a film hardcover tie-in, so there was no pretty or matching The Hobbit or The Silmarillion for me!
We have the Ballantine Second Edition 1973, with all 4 book is terrific shape. I’d like to know what the value might be on these? Anyone have a clue? Thanks.
I did a little research for you; that set, with or without the gold box it comes in, goes for about ten to twenty dollars on eBay in that condition. The older American paperbacks aren’t wildly valuable, unfortunately—even the Ballantine Special Edition tops out around twenty to thirty dollars, and that’s with the box set. If you’re interested in selling, talk to your local used bookstore about it; you’ll probably get better money online. I hope that helps!
Hey, I appreciate it a ton. You’re the best. I looked all over and couldn’t find anything on it, which meant to me that it would be more rare. Of course, quite the contrary. It’s really too bad, because we do have the complete set, gold box in perfect condition and all three books of the trilogy have not even been touched (ie: read), only the hobiit with a slight crinkle from bend. It’s a nice set and when I saw 1973 I thought (40 year old books…wow!)
Here’s my reason why I went wow! my 11 year old son wanted to read the books. He is ENAMORED with the movies and they are the soundtrack of his life. When he discovered we had these, of course he wanted to read right away. I paused because they’re very old.
Telling me they are worth 20 bucks is GREAT news because I can let him read with reckless abandon, and if something happens…by chance…who cares. Books are meant to be read. Masterpiece collectors items are meant to be admired.
Hello Peter,
I had the original set back in 1973 but they became damaged over the years and I got rid of them.
I just purchased a complete set including the Hobbit for $76 on ebay. Bidding was intense to the final second!
Regards,
Mark
Thanks so much, Mark! eBay seems to be the way to go.
I found this page while looking for recommendations for a sturdy paperbook editions of the books, ideally with the 50th anniversary edition corrections. Thanks for putting this together!
My own experience with different editions: I grew up with the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks. As that was the period of my life I read them the most, I can definitely say they are hardy. I really like the cover artwork too.
I got the Houghton Mifflin 1988 paperback boxed set as a gift later, and the binding is terrible quality. The Fellowship started to come apart during the first reading, and had split in two by the second; the others are following suit. I should note that the boxed set books have the same borders and titles as shown here, but without the artwork: in the center, there’s just a pattern of diagonal white lines with black shading.
I’m a little suspicious of HM’s edition quality in general as a result, though I do have the 1999 trade paper of the Silmarillion, and it is a nice, solid edition. I just bought the HM 2005 trade paperback of Return of the King, and am hoping it turns out the same.
Thanks so much for letting us know! I’ve noticed that the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks are particularly hardy as well—I see a lot of them in thrift stores and on eBay in a variety of conditions, but all readable.
Huh! I’ll have to go researching for a photo of those box set covers, unless you would be so kind as to provide one.
I think it will—the new trades look well put together, although you never know.
A wonderful illustrative presentation of ‘all’ of the American published editions of the Lord of the Rings.
A wonderful illustrative presentation of ‘all’ of the American published editions of the Lord of the Rings. But, I’m confused. The red one volume Deluxe Hardcover edition Houghton Mifflin, was originally published in 1974 and then I gather re-released in 1987 as a 50th edition? How could this be? 1987 – 1954 = 33 years? The year 2004 would be 50 years since its first publication.
Then 1954 + 100 = 2054, a volume published in that year would be a centenary edition, the two editions calling themselves ‘centenary’ seem a bit premature, or am I not understanding the meaning of the words?
That 50th edition is going off the release of The Hobbit in 1937, and the centenary editions are going off J. R. R. Tolkien’s birth year of 1892. Hope that helps!