The Return of the Shadow

1989, 1st/2nd, the history of The Lord of the Rings, part one

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition, second impression. Hardback in dustwrapper. 22.5 × 14.5cm, 497pp.

The Return of the Shadow is the story of the first part of the history of the creation of The Lord of the Rings, a fascinating study of Tolkien’s great masterpiece, from its inception to the end of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring. In The Return of the Shadow (the abandoned title of the first volume of The Lord of the Rings) we see how Bilbo’s magic ring evolved into the supremely dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord; and the precise, and astonishingly unforeseen, moment when a Black Rider first rode in to the Shire. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed, and Frodo’s companions undergo many changes of name and personality. The book comes complete with reproductions of the first maps and facsimile pages from the earliest manuscripts.

Condition

This copy is in good solid condition. There is spotted foxing to the pages' top edge, and less so to the fore-edge, and some light wear to the wrapper at the head of the spine. There is no price to the wrapper, but no indication to the copyright page that this is a book club edition and was probably meant for the export market with price-sticker to be added later (see Tolkienbooks, the excellent online bibliography).