The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien – First Ballantine Paperback Edition, First Printing (August 1965) – Original Barbara Remington “Lion Cover”.

The true first printing of the first authorized American paperback edition of The Hobbit, in the original state of Barbara Remington’s celebrated cover artwork with the lion still present.

This is the first Ballantine Books paperback edition, first printing of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, published in the United States in August 1965.

The copyright page clearly states:
“First Printing: August, 1965.”
Ballantine publication number U7039, with the original 95¢ cover price.

The book carries Barbara Remington’s remarkable 1965 cover design, immediately recognizable by its surreal interpretation of Middle-earth: an oval landscape populated by strange birds, fantastical vegetation and, most famously, a lion in the foreground.
Tolkien strongly disliked elements of Remington’s design, which had little connection with the world he had created. Nevertheless, the artwork became one of the most recognizable images associated with the extraordinary growth of Tolkien’s popularity in America during the 1960s.
The original artwork, including the lion, remained in use through the early Ballantine printings. From the sixth printing onward, the lion was airbrushed out of the cover illustration. This first printing therefore preserves the artwork in its original, unaltered state.

The Authorized American Paperback
This edition also belongs directly to one of the most important episodes in Tolkien’s American publishing history.

In 1965 Ace Books issued its controversial unauthorized paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings. Ballantine subsequently published the authorized paperback editions with Tolkien’s cooperation.

The rear wrapper of this copy prominently carries Tolkien’s famous statement:
“This paperback edition, and no other, has been published with my consent and co-operation. Those who approve of courtesy (at least) to living authors will purchase it, and no other.”
The statement appears together with Tolkien’s facsimile signature and is one of the defining features of these early authorized Ballantine editions.


Edition Details

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Title: The Hobbit
Publisher: Ballantine Books, New York
Publication date: August 1965
Edition: First Ballantine paperback edition
Printing: First printing
Ballantine number: U7039
Original cover price: 95¢
Format: Mass-market paperback
Pages: 287
Cover artwork: Barbara Remington
Printed in the United States of America


Original Barbara Remington “Lion Cover”

An especially attractive feature of this first printing is the original state of Barbara Remington’s cover illustration.

The famous lion remains clearly visible in the foreground of the oval landscape. The lion continued to appear on the first five Ballantine printings, but was airbrushed out beginning with the sixth printing.

This copy is not merely an early example of the lion cover: it is the very first printing of August 1965, representing the earliest appearance of this celebrated artwork on an American edition of The Hobbit.


Condition

Good condition.

The original wrappers remain complete and retain good colour, including the complete first-state Barbara Remington artwork. There is general rubbing and shelf wear to the extremities, creasing to the wrappers, corner wear and age-related surface wear consistent with a paperback of this period.
The spine is complete and clearly lettered, retaining the Ballantine U7039 number at the head.
The text block shows the expected age toning associated with these early Ballantine paperbacks. The binding remains intact and the book is complete.
A previous owner’s name is written in ink at the head of the opening page.
Please study the photographs carefully for the exact condition of this copy.

Collector’s Note

The August 1965 Ballantine Hobbit is an important piece of Tolkien publishing history. It combines several highly collectible features: the first authorized American paperback edition, the first printing of August 1965, Barbara Remington’s original unaltered “lion cover”, the 95¢ price and U7039 Ballantine number, and Tolkien’s famous authorization statement on the rear wrapper.

Later printings retained the lion for a time, before it was finally removed from the artwork beginning with the sixth printing. The present copy stands at the beginning of that publication history: the genuine first printing in which this now-iconic American Tolkien cover first appeared.

A desirable and immediately recognizable early American Tolkien paperback, and an excellent example of the publishing history surrounding Tolkien’s dramatic rise in popularity in the United States during the 1960s.

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