The points of issue
Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK first impression: copyright page states first publication by Unwin Hyman, 1988, with no reprint or later-impression notice. Jacket flap printed price of seventeen pounds ninety-five. First impression was a small printing of about 5,000 copies.
Is this the true first?
UK Unwin Hyman edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in October 1988.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add reprint notices to the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK first impression: copyright page states first publication by Unwin Hyman, 1988, with no reprint or later-impression notice. Jacket flap printed price of seventeen pounds ninety-five. First impression was a small printing of about 5,000 copies.
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 Unwin Hyman edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in October 1988.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions add reprint notices to the copyright page.
I have a first edition of The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6) — 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.