The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (2004 50th Anniversary)

  
The Lord of the Rings by J. The Fellowship of the Ring, part one of J. Tolkien's epic masterpiece, first reached these shores on October 21, 1954, arriving, as C. Lewis proclaimed, like lightning from a clear sky. Fifty years and nearly one hundred million American readers later comes a beautiful new one-volume collector's edition befitting the stature of this crown jewel of our list. With a text fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the author's exacting wishes, two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, gilded page edges, a color insert depicting Tolkien's own paintings of the Book of Mazarbul and exceptionally elegant and sturdy overall packaging housed within an attractive slipcase, this edition is the finest we've ever produced. A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning. THE LORD OF THE RINGS. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be. Celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special. Magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the. Wonder of the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable. The riches he had brought back.

From his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly. Believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End.

Was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough. For fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at.

On, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him. Well-preserved; but unchanged would have been nearer the mark. Were some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a.

Good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently). Perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth. "It will have to be paid for, " they said. And trouble will come of it! But so far trouble had not come; and as Mr. Oddities and his good fortune. He remained on visiting terms with his. Relatives (except, of course, the Sackville-Bagginses), and he had. Many devoted admirers among the hobbits of poor and unimportant. But he had no close friends, until some of his younger. Cousins began to grow up. The eldest of these, and Bilbos favourite, was young Frodo. When Bilbo was ninety-nine he adopted Frodo as his heir, and. Brought him to live at Bag End; and the hopes of the Sackville. Bilbo and Frodo happened to have the. You had better come and live here.

Frodo my lad, " said Bilbo one day; "and then we can celebrate our. At that time Frodo was still. In his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties.

Between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three. Each year the Bagginses had given. Very lively combined birthday-parties at Bag End; but now it was. Understood that something quite exceptional was being planned for.

Bilbo was going to be eleventy-one, 111, a rather. Curious number, and a very respectable age for a hobbit the Old Took.

Himself had only reached 130; and Frodo was going to be thirty. Three, 33, an important number: the date of his "coming of age". Tongues began to wag in Hobbiton and Bywater; and rumour of. The coming event travelled all over the Shire. Bilbo Baggins became once again the chief topic of.

Conversation; and the older folk suddenly found their reminiscences. No one had a more attentive audience than old Ham Gamgee. Commonly known as the Gaffer. He held forth at The Ivy Bush, a small.

Inn on the Bywater road; and he spoke with some authority, for he had. Tended the garden at Bag End for forty years, and had helped old.

Holman in the same job before that. Now that he was himself growing. Old and stiff in the joints, the job was mainly carried on by his. Both father and son were on very friendly. Terms with Bilbo and Frodo.

They lived on the Hill itself, in Number. 3 Bagshot Row just below Bag End. A very nice well-spoken gentlehobbit is Mr. Always said, the Gaffer declared.

With perfect truth: for Bilbo was. Very polite to him, calling him "Master Hamfast", and consulting him. Constantly upon the growing of vegetables - in the matter of "roots".

Especially potatoes, the Gaffer was recognized as the leading. Authority by all in the neighbourhood (including himself).

But what about this Frodo that lives with him? "Baggins is his name, but he"s more than half a.

It beats me why any Baggins of Hobbiton should. Go looking for a wife away there in Buckland, where folks are so. "And no wonder they"re queer, put in Daddy Twofoot the. Gaffer"s next-door neighbour, "if they live on the wrong side of the. Brandywine River, and right agin the Old Forest.

Place, if half the tales be true. Brandybucks of Buckland live in the Old Forest; but theyre a queer. They fool about with boats on that big river - and.

Small wonder that trouble came of it, I say. Be that as it may, Mr. Frodo is as nice a young hobbit as you could.

Bilbo, and in more than looks. All his father was a Baggins. A decent respectable hobbit was Mr.

Drogo Baggins; there was never much to tell of him, till he was. They had heard this and. Other darker rumours before, of course; but hobbits have a passion. For family history, and they were ready to hear it again. "Well, so they say, " said the Gaffer.

Married poor Miss Primula Brandybuck. Cousin on the mothers side her mother being the youngest of the Old. Drogo was his second cousin.

Is his first and second cousin, once removed either way, as the. Saying is, if you follow me. Drogo was staying at Brandy Hall.

With his father-in-law, old Master Gorbadoc, as he often did after. His marriage him being partial to his vittles, and old Gorbadoc. Keeping a mighty generous table; and he went out boating on the. Brandywine River; and he and his wife were drownded, and poor Mr. Frodo only a child and all.

"I"ve heard they went on the water after dinner in the. Moonlight, " said Old Noakes; "and it was Drogos weight as sunk the. And I heard she pushed him in, and he pulled her in after. Him, said Sandyman, the Hobbiton miller.

"You shouldn"t listen to all you hear, Sandyman, said the. Gaffer, who did not much like the miller. "There isn"t no call to go.

Talking of pushing and pulling. Boats are quite tricky enough for. Those that sit still without looking further for the cause of. Anyway: there was this Mr. Frodo left an orphan and. Stranded, as you might say, among those queer Bucklanders, being. Brought up anyhow in Brandy Hall. A regular warren, by all accounts. Old Master Gorbadoc never had fewer than a couple of hundred. Bilbo never did a kinder deed than when. He brought the lad back to live among decent folk.

But I reckon it was a nasty shock for those Sackville. They thought they were going to get Bag End, that time. When he went off and was thought to be dead. And then he comes back. And orders them off; and he goes on living and living, and never.

Looking a day older, bless him! And suddenly he produces an heir, and. Has all the papers made out proper. Never see the inside of Bag End now, or it is to be hoped not. Tell, said a stranger, a visitor on business from Michel Delving in. All the top of your hill is full of tunnels packed. With chests of gold and silver, and jools, by what Ive heard. "Then you"ve heard more than I can speak to, answered the. I know nothing about jools. And there seems no lack of it; but I know of no tunnel-making. Bilbo when he came back, a matter of sixty years ago, when I was. I"d not long come prentice to old Holman him being my dad"s. Cousin, but he had me up at Bag End helping him to keep folks from.

Trampling and trapessing all over the garden while the sale was on. And in the middle of it all Mr. Bilbo comes up the Hill with a pony. And some mighty big bags and a couple of chests.

Were mostly full of treasure he had picked up in foreign parts, where. There be mountains of gold, they say; but there wasnt enough to fill.

But my lad Sam will know more about that. Hes in and out of. Crazy about stories of the old days he is, and he listens to.

Bilbo has learned him his letters. Meaning no harm, mark you, and I hope no harm will come of it. Better for me and you.

Dont go getting mixed up in the business of. Your betters, or you"ll land in trouble too big for you, " I says to. And I might say it to others, he added with a look at the.

But the Gaffer did not convince his audience. Bilbos wealth was now too firmly fixed in the minds of the younger.

Ah, but he has likely enough been adding to what he brought. At first, argued the miller, voicing common opinion. And look at the outlandish folk that visit him. Dwarves coming at night, and that old wandering conjuror, Gandalf. You can say what you like, Gaffer, but Bag Ends a queer.

Place, and its folk are queerer. And you can say what you like, about what you know no more. Of than you do of boating, Mr. Disliking the miller even more than usual. "If that"s being queer.

Then we could do with a bit more queerness in these parts. Some not far away that wouldnt offer a pint of beer to a friend, if. They lived in a hole with golden walls. But they do things proper at.

Our Sam says that everyones going to be invited to the. Party, and theres going to be presents, mark you, presents for all. This very month as is. That very month was September, and as fine as you could ask. A day or two later a rumour probably started by the knowledgeable. Sam was spread about that there were going to be fireworks. Fireworks, what is more, such as had not been seen in the Shire for. Nigh on a century, not indeed since the Old Took died. Days passed and The Day drew nearer.

Laden with odd-looking packages rolled into Hobbiton one evening and. Toiled up the Hill to Bag End. The startled hobbits peered out of. Lamplit doors to gape at it. It was driven by outlandish folk.

Singing strange songs: dwarves with long beards and deep hoods. Of them remained at Bag End.

At the end of the second week in. September a cart came in through Bywater from the direction of the. Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it all.

He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck. Out beyond the brim of his hat. Small hobbit-children ran after the.

Cart all through Hobbiton and right up the hill. It had a cargo of. Fireworks, as they rightly guessed. At Bilbos front door the old man.

Began to unload: there were great bundles of fireworks of all sorts. And shapes, each labelled with a large red G and the elf-rune. That was Gandalfs mark, of course, and the old man was. Gandalf the Wizard, whose fame in the Shire was due mainly to his.

Skill with fires, smokes, and lights. His real business was far more. Difficult and dangerous, but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it. Them he was just one of the "attractions" at the Party. They knew him by sight, though he only appeared.

In Hobbiton occasionally and never stopped long; but neither they nor. Any but the oldest of their elders had seen one of his firework. Displays - they now belonged to the legendary past. When the old man, helped by Bilbo and some dwarves, had. Bilbo gave a few pennies away; but not a single.

Squib or cracker was forthcoming, to the disappointment of the. You will get plenty when the. Then he disappeared inside with Bilbo, and the door was.

The young hobbits stared at the door in vain for a while, and. Then made off, feeling that the day of the party would never come. Inside Bag End, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the open. Window of a small room looking out west on to the garden.

Afternoon was bright and peaceful. The flowers glowed red and golden.

Snap-dragons and sun-flowers, and nasturtiums trailing all over the. Turf walls and peeping in at the round windows. How bright your garden looks!

The dear old Shire; but I think I need a holiday. You mean to go on with your plan then?

I made up my mind months ago, and I havent changed. It is no good saying any more. Plan - your whole plan, mind - and I hope it will turn out for the. Best, for you, and for all of us.

Anyway I mean to enjoy myself on Thursday, and. Who will laugh, I wonder?

Said Gandalf, shaking his head. "We shall see, " said Bilbo. The next day more carts rolled up the Hill, and still more. There might have been some grumbling about "dealing locally". But that very week orders began to pour out of Bag End for every kind.

Of provision, commodity, or luxury that could be obtained in Hobbiton. Or Bywater or anywhere in the neighbourhood. Enthusiastic; and they began to tick off the days on the calendar.

And they watched eagerly for the postman, hoping for invitations. The Lord of the Rings. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. Solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. Items may deliver in box, envelope, or packaging sleeve. Please know that after package is received, if for any reason you feel item was mis-represented, damaged, etc. Direct message me and I? Will work with you directly in an attempt to remedy any problems.

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This item is in the category "Books & Magazines\Antiquarian & Collectible". The seller is "swanson03" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Republic of Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macau, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Vietnam.

• Binding: Two Color Foil Stamping
• Character Family: Lord Of The Rings
• Year Printed: 2004
• ISBN: 9780618517657
• Book Title: Lord of the Rings : 50th Anniversary Edition
• Item Length: 9.2in.
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication Year: 2004
• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Item Height: 3in. Tolkien
• Genre: Fiction
• Topic: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Fantasy / Epic, Media Tie-In
• Item Width: 6.1in.
• Item Weight: 73.9 Oz
• Number of Pages: 1184 Pages