# Is "The Two Towers" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1954) is identified by: First impression published 11 November 1954, 3,250 copies, George Allen & Unwin. UK Allen & Unwin is the true first and precedes the US Houghton Mifflin issue (1955).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First impression published 11 November 1954, 3,250 copies, George Allen & Unwin
- The copyright-page verso reads 'First published in 1954' with no later-impression notice; the title page is UNDATED. The key gathering point is the signature '4' at the foot of the final page (p
- The two-colour folding general map ('The West of Middle-earth') is present at the rear
- The first-issue dust jacket is price-present (unclipped, printed the printed price) and shows the small nick in the right side of the 'r' of 'Towers' on the front panel
- Publisher imprint reads George Allen & Unwin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First impression published 11 November 1954, 3,250 copies, George Allen & Unwin |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First impression published 11 November 1954, 3,250 copies, George Allen & Unwin. The copyright-page verso reads 'First published in 1954' with no later-impression notice; the title page is UNDATED. The key gathering point is the signature '4' at the foot of the final page (p. 352). The two-colour folding general map ('The West of Middle-earth') is present at the rear. The first-issue dust jacket is price-present (unclipped, printed the printed price) and shows the small nick in the right side of the 'r' of 'Towers' on the front panel.

## Is this the true first?
UK Allen & Unwin is the true first and precedes the US Houghton Mifflin issue (1955). Every volume in a set must be a first impression, and mixed-impression sets are common.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Do NOT treat a year on the title page as a first-impression point: the first impression's title page is undated, and it is the true SECOND impression that adds '1955' to the title page (and states 'Second impression 1955' on the verso). A third impression exists that labels itself 'Second Impression' but carries no year on the title page — the dated title page is what separates the genuine second from the mislabelled third. The revised second edition (1965 onward) and book-club copies are distinct.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Two Towers* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-two-towers
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.