J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings - 1965 First Ballantine Books Slipcase Edition.

A Rare 1965 First Ballantine Books Slipcase Edition of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

The Fellowship of the Ring (1965) – 2nd printing with original orange-painted text block, in fine condition.
The Two Towers (1965) – 1st printing, includes original fold-out map, in excellent condition.
The Return of the King (1965) – 1st printing with original map, minimal wear.

This rare set, housed in its original green slipcase, is an exceptional find for Tolkien fans and collectors. It includes first and second printings from 1965, complete with fold-out maps and the original slipcase, all in impressive condition.

This rare and highly collectible 1965 Ballantine Books The Lord of the Rings trilogy set includes three volumes—The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King—all housed in the original green slipcase. This is the first Ballantine Books slipcase edition, issued in response to the unauthorized Ace Books edition, and bears the words “The Authorized Edition of the Famous Fantasy Trilogy” on the covers.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the 3rd printing (November 1965), while The Two Towers (November 1965) and The Return of the King (December 1965) are both first printings.

The iconic set was Ballantine’s first authorized paperback release, featuring a special foreword by Tolkien encouraging readers to purchase this edition out of courtesy to living authors, in response to the “pirated” Ace Books version.

• The Fellowship of the Ring (1965) – 3rd printing with original orange-painted text block, fold-out map intact.
• The Two Towers (1965) – 1st printing, fine condition with minimal wear, fold-out map intact.
• The Return of the King (1965) – 1st printing, excellent condition, fold-out map included.

This set is housed in the original green slipcase, which predates later versions with Barbara Remington’s illustrations. The slipcase shows minor wear with rubbing and bumps on the corners but is in overall very good condition. The books themselves show some spine wear and light edge rubbing but appear largely unread, with the text blocks retaining their original orange coloring.

This set represents an excellent opportunity for Tolkien collectors to own a piece of literary history, as it marked the beginning of the official paperback availability of Tolkien’s works in the United States.

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Interested: Please send email to info@tolkienlibrary.com.