The Hobbit + The History of The Hobbit — HarperCollins UK Boxed Set (2007) — Sealed Example

A highly desirable HarperCollins UK boxed set, issued in 2007, combining Tolkien’s celebrated 70th Anniversary Edition of The Hobbit with John D. Rateliff’s definitive two-volume study The History of The Hobbit. All three volumes are housed in the original illustrated slipcase and remain in the publisher’s original shrink-wrap.

This is the UK issue (ISBN 978-0-261-10291-0), distinct from the US Houghton Mifflin counterpart, and generally encountered far less frequently in sealed condition.

Contents of the Set:
– The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien (70th Anniversary Edition)
– The History of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins — John D. Rateliff
– The History of The Hobbit: Return to Bag-End — John D. Rateliff

The Hobbit (70th Anniversary Edition)
A finely produced edition of Tolkien’s classic, featuring Thror’s Map and the Map of Wilderland on the endpapers, together with five colour plates by Tolkien and the familiar black-and-white illustrations. The volume includes a prefatory note derived from Christopher Tolkien’s foreword, along with an excerpt from The Lord of the Rings, situating the work within the wider legendarium.

The History of The Hobbit
Rateliff’s monumental two-volume study presents the complete early manuscript of The Hobbit, accompanied by extensive commentary tracing its evolution from fireside tale to cornerstone of Middle-earth. It remains the definitive scholarly work on the composition and development of Tolkien’s first major work of fantasy.

Condition:
The set remains factory sealed in the original publisher’s shrink-wrap. The shrink-wrap shows a visible split along the lower edge and some compression at the corners from storage, as shown in the photographs. The slipcase beneath remains structurally sound, and the books inside are untouched and unread.

Publication Details:
Publisher: HarperCollins (UK)
Year: 2007
Format: Three hardbacks in illustrated slipcase (boxed set)
ISBN: 978-0-261-10291-0

Sealed examples of this set are increasingly scarce, as many copies were opened for reading or display; surviving unopened sets are notably harder to source.

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