I was looking for an alternate edition of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit as my much prized and loved old paperback copy published by Unwin in 1972 is showing signs of age now. So eventually I decided on this; the 2023 50th anniversary edition complete with maps and original artwork by the great man himself.

Published by Harper/Collins, it is a beautiful book based on the 2020 reset edition and contains all of the original artwork associated with The Hobbit but not previously published within the book itself.

The self-penned maps by the author are a complete joy and give the reader a real sense of the world Tolkien was creating with Thror’s Map above and especially the rune text beside the pointing hand which reads: Fang the secret passage of the Dwarves.

The book is worth it for the 1987 forward by Tolkien’s son Christopher, alone. Full of information about the origins of the story and most essential the artwork, this book feels like the most concise edition we are ever likely to get.

To see these maps and illustrations in their totality makes the price of the book worthwhile, it’s a beautiful edition for any Tolkien reader but also an important addition to the literary history of the 20th century. Tolkien’s books have sold in vast numbers and this anniversary edition lays testament to their popularity and importance.