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This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit- the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937- with a print run of 1-500 copies. With a beautiful cover design- nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself- the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made. The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices- way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition- subsequent changes to the text - particularly those to chapter 5- when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its sequel- The Lord of the Rings - mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult. This special printing reprints the first edition- so that readers of all ages - not just children between the ages of 5 and 9- as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission - can finally enjoy Tolkiens story as it originally appeared....