First edition. Octavo. Publisher’s orange cloth, lettered and decorated blue, in the original dustwrapper. Top edge black.
 
A near fine copy, light spotting to page edges and prelims, in a bright, near fine dustwrapper, a little wear to the spine ends, shallow chip to upper panel, a few closed tears, front flap price-clipped.
 
The first edition of Tolkien’s second published novel, a fairy story set in an England before King Arthur, featuring an unlikely hero called Farmer Giles. One of 4,500 copies.
 
“Here is a new tale by the author of The Hobbit, a fairy story which was acclaimed by discerning critics as possesing an imaginative vitality as rare as genius”.