Best editions of LOTR books?

[ringbearer]

I own these copies;
Hardbound Hobbit (green w\green case-illustrated).
Hardbound Lotr (red w\red case-had to have this one when it first came out because it reminded me of "The Red Book of Westmarch").
1st Edition of The Silmarillion (missing dust jacket)
1st edition of Unfinished Tales (with slightley damaged dust jacket).

I have heard there are some leather bound versions of LOTR...are these still available?
Also want to get the new boxed set!!!

Are there any scanned pictures of what the original hardbound 1st editions of LOTR look like, somewhere on the net...how much are they worth, ETC?

[Ben]

I have several versions of the books, but the most useful by far is the e-book I downloaded! Now I can cut and paste and easily look up quotes . (Makes the quotes game a bit too easy, hehehe)

A very nice new set of LotR books with all-new covers can be won in the Tolkien Trail's poetry contest .

[ringbearer]

E-book? Can it still be downloaded? Is it free?

[Ben]

I downloaded it off a Napster-like service called Kazaa (kazaa.com). Yes it's free, but it's not exactly legal .

[ringbearer]

Legal-Smeagol---pun intended!

[ringbearer]

Anyone know about the leather bound copies? Do they exist?

[Shanamir Duntak]

Could we get the e-book from YOU?

[juntel]

be carefull.

this is a very popular board, and any hint of trading illegal etexts could have dramatic repercusions!

(you wouldn't want Harlan Ellison to knock on your door!!! )

[ringbearer]

I guess the leather bound editions don't exist, or someone here would have known .

[hiku747]

I have two versions of the del-rey editions, one version is the 50th anniversary edition and the other one i have is the new edition iwth new artwork for the new movies. AND then i also have one beautiful red hardbound book published by houghtlon mifflin company, tis a collector's edition and it is soooooooo beautiful. my boyfriend got it from me for my birthday from borders. i would looooooooooove to get my hands on a leather bound copy!!

[Idril Celebrindal]

oh, I would love a leather bound LotR... however, even a hardback one is somewhat beyond my budget right now. Whatever happens, I need a new copy... my FotR has given up the ghost (I swear, it's literally about to fall in half. never lend books to brothers), and the others won't be long in following it I think... ah well. there are some fairly nice paperback ones in my local bookshop. And some evil looking ones, which I intend to avoid like the plague. I want the illustrated hardback edition, but... not gonna happen.

I have only seen one of Tolkien's books leather bound, and that was, for some reason, HoME 1. it looked pretty cool, but I would have been more tempted it if had been lotR.

[Ñólendil]

They exist ringbearer. I don't own any (and I try to stay away from buying anything leather anyway), but I think I've seen red leather bound editions at Barnes&Nobles.

[ringbearer]

Hey hiku747! That Red one is the one I have (mentioned in the first thread of this post). It IS beautiful! Be carefull with it though. The bookbinding is not strong enough for all those pages. I've had mine for twenty years...the binding is starting to split. I wonder if it can be repaired?

Inoldonil...I searched Barnes and Noble...could not find leather bound...any other places you think I might find them?

[ringbearer]

Just looked at Amazon and it says the big Red collectors edition
that me and hiku747 are talking about IS LEATHER BOUND! I got mine out and yes, it is leather bound, but I was thinking of a soft
book(like a Bible).

[Ñólendil]

Don't know what you have out in St. Louis. In Oregon there's a Powells books, I don't know if it's a national thing but it's pretty cool and has a good selection of Tolkien books.

There's a website out there somewhere called A Consise Listing of Tolkien Books, it has all the editions, maybe it could narrow it down for you.

Edited: I almost commented on that ringbearer. I was going to tell you the leatherbound one I was thinking of was red, so maybe you have it. I guess you do, or at least the one I was thinking of

[ringbearer]

Thanks for your help, Inoldonil!!!

[ringbearer]

Easton Press
1-800-211-1308 24 Hr service
1-203-831-9365 FAX

47 Richards Ave
PO Box 5706
Norwalk CT 06860-0218

The description of these books are amazing;
5 books red leather binding
including(!) The Silmarillion and the Hobbit
gilded edges
permanent(sp) inbound ribbons
soft leather bindings (like Bibles)!

Now the bad news....$275.00! the guy said they let you pay in installments $48.00 per month
I WANT 'EM! I WANT 'EM! I WANT 'EM! I WANT 'EM!

[hiku747]

ooooooooh beautiful book of mine! ringbearer and i are awesome, we own beautiful books. i'd like to look at the other expesinve ones to see what they look like before i order them!! but i have a leatherbound one and i didnt even know, silly girl am i!

[bryter]

"Yes it's free, but it's not exactly legal ."

As far as I know, copyright laws end 25 years after an author's death. After the 25 years have ended, the author's work essentially becomes free to the public to do whatever they want with it. Tolkien passed away in 1973. Now if you take 25 and add it to 1973 you get almost exactly when production began on the movie LOTR. So it should be legal to make the LOTR available to anyone from anyone for free, though this is just speculation on my part.

However, there is a UN sponsored thing called the Berne Convention which makes copyright protections last 50 years after an author's death. But I dont know if the US has signed it or if it did sign it, when it goes into effect.

I have e-mailed Explainer at Slate.com in the hope that they will clarify this issue. But since they probably wont, anyone who knows what gives in regard to copyright laws, feel free to correct/inform me.


For your information, there are web sites that exist for the sole purpose of putting every book they legally can online for free. Just do a search for "online books." According to them every book published before 1923 is available for download legally or soon will be. Again though, these sites shy away from giving a clear answer as to which books published after 1923 can be put online and which cant.

[Ñólendil]

The copyright laws have certainly not ended. They are now owned by the Tolkien Estate, who's co-owner is Christopher Tolkien.