The points of issue
First impression, published 22 November 1962. Pictorial boards with full-colour wraparound design by Pauline Baynes; dust jacket repeats the cover design. First-impression text point: the full-page illustration of cats falls in the middle of the poem Fastitocalon; the poems were reordered in the second impression (also 1962) to fix this. No later-impression notice on verso.
Is this the true first?
UK Allen & Unwin true first; US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1963.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions carry an impression notice and have the reordered poem sequence.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First impression, published 22 November 1962. Pictorial boards with full-colour wraparound design by Pauline Baynes; dust jacket repeats the cover design. First-impression text point: the full-page illustration of cats falls in the middle of the poem Fastitocalon; the poems were reordered in the second impression (also 1962) to fix this. No later-impression notice on verso.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Allen & Unwin true first; US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1963.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions carry an impression notice and have the reordered poem sequence.
I have a first edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.