# Is "Morgoth's Ring (HoME vol. 10)" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Morgoth's Ring (HoME vol. 10) by J.R.R. Tolkien (HarperCollins, 1993) is identified by: Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK HarperCollins edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition (ISBN 0-395-68092-1) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Edited by Christopher Tolkien
- UK HarperCollins first impression, bound in the publisher's purple boards lettered in gilt to the spine; the copyright page shows only the 1993 date with no later impressions indicated
- ISBN 0-261-10304-0
- A first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Edited by Christopher Tolkien |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK HarperCollins first impression, bound in the publisher's purple boards lettered in gilt to the spine; the copyright page shows only the 1993 date with no later impressions indicated. ISBN 0-261-10304-0. A first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK HarperCollins edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition (ISBN 0-395-68092-1) followed. Per figures from HarperCollins, 5,978 copies of the first impression were printed, a portion of them taken by Book Club Associates for their own issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club Associates (BCA) issue was produced from the first impression; the trade first is identified by the HarperCollins imprint and the purple boards, with only the 1993 date and no later impression numbers on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Morgoth's Ring (HoME vol. 10)* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/morgoths-ring-home-vol-10
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.