THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien, a finely bound First American Edition (first printing, with bowing hobbit on title page) in a full leather binding, with correct first issue points.

Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1938.

First American Edition / first printing dated 1938 on copyright page and title page. Has the bowing hobbit on title page. And the header for chapter VI mistakenly appears twice, correctly for chapter 6, then incorrectly at the head of chapter 7 (see photos).  There are 9 black-and-white and 4 color illustrations by Tolkien, and no half-title, as required. (The endpaper maps in this case were replaced by the binder, and this copy has marbleized endleaves instead.) This is the correct set of points for the first edition and first printing of this book. One of an estimated 1,500 copies of the first issue.

Finely bound in full forest green leather, beautifully rendered spine in five compartments with four raised bands decorated in gilt: title, author name, and date of 1938 in second, fourth and fifth compartments, elaborate gilt decorative device of the dragon, Smaug, on front panel beneath gilt author name, boards highly polished and sharp cornered, clean page ends, beautiful hand marbled endleaves on thick hand-made paper. This is a recent binding of full Nigerian goat leather by H&H Bookbinders of Los Angeles.

The interior is in VERY GOOD PLUS condition with no previous owner's names, but with an institutional blind stamp on title page (San Mateo Public Library) and on last page of text (see photos), not inked but raised letters as in braille. Additionally, there is an ink-stamped number on the copyright page, an ink-stamped "Sch. Coll" just above the number, and the date of "Oct.16 '39" stamped in tiny letters in the gutter of the Contents page (see photo).  A piece of the original front flap of the dust jacket containing the publisher's description of The Hobbit has been affixed to the fourth free endpage (see photo).  There are no other library nor institutional markings. The page-ends and page-edge have no markings. We found a tiny tear to the foot of page 221, a few pages that were once slightly dog-eared, and a few stray spots in the text here and there. The text is in Very Good Plus or better condition. In sum, a very nice copy of the first American edition, first issue, of The Hobbit in a fine binding that is wonderfully evocative of the subject matter. A unique item. 

We are offering fully-insured FREE Priority Mail shipping within U.S. with this item. WORLDWIDE shipping available at $59.95 via Priority International in a cardboard box.

All books may be returned if not as described within 14 days of receipt, with prior notification.