# Is "Sauron Defeated (HoME vol. 9)" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sauron Defeated (HoME vol. 9) by J.R.R. Tolkien (HarperCollins, 1992) is identified by: Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK HarperCollins edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Edited by Christopher Tolkien
- UK first impression (the first volume in the series under HarperCollins): copyright page shows only the 1992 date with no later impressions listed
- First impression was 5,000 copies, of which about 2,000 were sold through Book Club Associates, so genuine first impressions exist with both priced and unpriced jackets
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 1992 |
| 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 first impression (the first volume in the series under HarperCollins): copyright page shows only the 1992 date with no later impressions listed. First impression was 5,000 copies, of which about 2,000 were sold through Book Club Associates, so genuine first impressions exist with both priced and unpriced jackets.

## Is this the true first?
UK HarperCollins edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Associates distributed part of the actual first impression; an unpriced jacket alone does not indicate a later printing. Two impressions were issued.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sauron Defeated (HoME vol. 9)* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sauron-defeated-home-vol-9
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.