J.R.R. Tolkien, THE SILMARILLION, Frst UK Issue, Export Edition

Published in London by Allen & Unwin, 1977. First Edition, First Printing, Hardcover.

An attractive copy of the exported first printing, considered to have priority over other editions. Printed by William Clowes and Sons and lacking a printed price at the dustjacket flap as called for.

365 pp. and with folded map tipped in at the rear of the book. Blue cloth with gilt titles at the backstrip and a rich blue-coloured top edge. The book is in great shape with lovely, clean white edges, free from foxing, owner names and bookplates etc. Minor shelf bumping at the foot of the spine, the map remains tightly folded without nicks or tears and is spotlessly clean. An excellent copy.

The dustjacket bears minor laminate chipping/creasing at the spine tips and corners and  is marred somewhat by a tear from the top corner down the fore-edge of the rear panel. This has been sellotape-repaired on the inside by a previous owner with some resulting handling creases along the upper area of that rear panel. While less than perfect the overall impression of the dustjacket is Very Good indeed - with no sign of the usual fading to the spine, for example. '

A very nice copy overall.