Facsimile reprint of the first edition The Hobbit (1937) with the original dust jacket design, as drawn by Tolkien. This replica of Tolkien's masterpiece is a living time capsule, of sorts—a token to the legacy of his stories and his life.
On September 21, 1937, The Hobbit was first published in England as a children's novel. Its author was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a WWI veteran and 45-year-old Oxford professor. Little did he realize that his story would be the beginning of a legacy that would define the fantasy genre as we know it today, inspire countless artists, authors, and other creators, and give rise to a shared passion for a fantastical world and characters that has endured for decades. The Hobbit is a simple but beautiful story of the ultimate victory of light over darkness, of good over evil. Tolkien's work is a treasure of Western literature and culture that has shaped the imagination of scholars and children alike since its publication.
Give to: Your brother that has read all six appendices after The Return of the King and knows the name of Frodo's third cousin twice removed, your friend who wants to visit New Zealand just so he can ski "Mount Doom", or your uncle, the English professor and Tolkien collector.
Give with: A set of Shire coins or a set of coins from across Middle-earth.
Give as: Memorabilia for parents or grandparents, a collector's item, or a way to welcome a child to the magic of Middle-earth.