As any fervent Tolkien-fan knows, or as lay-readers will discover, there have been multiple editions of The Hobbit. Douglas Anderson's annotated version provides notes and quotes from the original text & later editions, linguistic information, and the 'back-story' of 'The Hobbit' through Tolkien's letters, notes, and interviews. Conveniently numbered within the text, annotations have been placed within wide margins. The center features a collection of full-color plates that show Tolkien's full-color illustrations, maps from his early manuscripts, sketches, and illustrations by other artists; reduced-size black and white illustrations by Tolkien and others are also integrated throughout the text, along with explanatory notes on their origin. Previously published for the fiftieth anniversary in 1988, this completely revised and expanded edition has every section revised, updated, and re-written, but with slight adjustments in content and arrangement (e.g. moving appendix notes into primary annotations). 399 pages, hardcover with dust jacket. 9.75' x 7.75'.