# Is "Farmer Giles of Ham" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1949) is identified by: First impression published 20 October 1949, about 4,500 copies in the trade binding; illustrated by Pauline Baynes with two inserted color plates and drawings in the text. UK Allen & Unwin is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1950.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First impression published 20 October 1949, about 4,500 copies in the trade binding; illustrated by Pauline Baynes with two inserted color plates and drawings in the text
- Orange decorated paper boards with an embossed dragon design, stamped in light blue on front and spine, top edge stained gray, decorated endpapers; no later-impression statement
- First-impression dust jacket by Baynes with its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads George Allen & Unwin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First impression published 20 October 1949, about 4,500 copies in the trade binding; illustrated by Pauline Baynes with two inserted color… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First impression published 20 October 1949, about 4,500 copies in the trade binding; illustrated by Pauline Baynes with two inserted color plates and drawings in the text. Orange decorated paper boards with an embossed dragon design, stamped in light blue on front and spine, top edge stained gray, decorated endpapers; no later-impression statement. First-impression dust jacket by Baynes with its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
UK Allen & Unwin is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1950.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints and combined volumes containing the tale alongside other works are not firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Farmer Giles of Ham* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/farmer-giles-of-ham
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.