The Hobbit: 60th Illustrated Anniversary Edition » (Illustrated)

It seems an unlikely formula for success: an Oxford professor of Anglo-Saxon, and a book that begins with a little man who lives in a hole in the ground. But The Hobbit, followed by The Lord of the Rings, created the modern genre of heroic fantasy and made J.R.R. Tolkien one of the most widely-read authors in the world.

"In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." So begins one of the most beloved and delightful tales in the English language. Set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth, at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale, The Hobbit is one of literature's most enduring and well-loved novels. This gift edition, with new watercolor paintings by the artist Alan Lee, celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the first publication in 1937.

Times of London

A flawless masterpiece.