The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien Second impression (George Allen & Unwin, 1937). The second impression of The Hobbit was the first to contain coloured illustrations. It appeared three months after the first in December 1937, and was first published in January 1938. The print run consisted of 2,300 copies, but 423 of these were destroyed during the Blitz in 1940. Original green cloth with lettering and decoration to boards and spine in dark blue. Map endpapers and paste-downs. Top edge green. Some spotting to edges and very light and occasional foxing to opening and closing leaves, else near fine. Housed in a custom-made clamshell box, and accompanied by the correct and original second impression dust jacket, all sections of which are detached with a small portion of the spine remaining and considerable losses to upper and lower panels.