The Return of the Shadow (The History of Middle Earth vol 6) by Tolkien, J. R. R. (ed. Christopher Tolkien) - 1993

London: HarperCollins, 1993. 1st (2nd imp). hardback. Very good, 1st edition with unclipped d/j, black clothbound boards clean with gilt titling on spine bright; pages unmarked and bright. Very slight signs of wear.. 8vo (230 x 150 / 9"" x 6""). The first part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety. The Return of the Shadow is the story of the first part of the history of the creation of The Lord of the Rings, a fascinating study of TolkienÕs great masterpiece, from its inception to the end of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring. In The Return of the Shadow (the abandoned title of the first volume of The Lord of the Rings) we see how BilboÕs magic ring evolved into the supremely dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord; and the precise, and astonishingly unforeseen, moment when a Black Rider first rode in to the Shire. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed, and FrodoÕs companions undergo many changes of name and personality.