# Is "The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6)" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6) by J.R.R. Tolkien (Unwin Hyman, 1988) is identified by: Edited by Christopher Tolkien. UK Unwin Hyman edition is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in October 1988.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- First impression was a small printing of about 5,000 copies
- Publisher imprint reads Unwin Hyman
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | Unwin Hyman |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Edited by Christopher Tolkien |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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. 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6)* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-return-of-the-shadow-home-vol-6
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.