The Return of the King
First published in the United Kingdom on 20 October 1955.
Tolkien Gateway • publication history
- Descriptive Bibliography
- A5
- Abbreviated
- RK Hammond & Anderson
no ISBN
1955 Hardback Edition (First Edition)
George Allen & Unwin
Cover illustration based on a design by J.R.R. Tolkien
1
(1955)
2
(1955)
3
(1957)
4
(1958)
5
(1959)
6
(1960)
7
(1961)
8
(1961)
9
(1962)
10
(1963)
11
(1965)
0-04-823047-2
1966 Hardback Edition (Second Edition)
multiple
Cover illustration based on a design by J.R.R. Tolkien
George Allen & Unwin
1
(1966)
2
(1967)
3
(1968)
4
(1969)
5
(1970)
6
(1971)
Cover illustration based on a design by J.R.R. Tolkien
George Allen & Unwin
7
(1973)
8
(1974)
9
(1974)
9
(1978)
10
(1978)
11
(1980)
12
(1984)
13
(1985)
Cover illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien
Unwin Hyman
14
(1987)
15
(1987)
16
(1988)
17
(1988)
18
(1990)
no ISBN
1964 De Luxe Edition
George Allen & Unwin
Slipcase illustrated by Pauline Baynes
First year: 1964
First: 1
Last: 1
no ISBN
1960 Readers Union Edition
George Allen & Unwin for Readers Union
updated
1
(1960)
no ISBN
1977 Folio Society Edition
The Folio Society
First: 1
Last: 3
no ISBN
1987 Guild Edition
Guild Publishing
First: 1
Last: 3
no ISBN
1990 Folio Society Edition
The Folio Society
First: 1
Last: 5
1-85089-429-9
1990 Large Print Edition
Isis/Clio Press
First: 1
Last: 1
0-261-10233-8
1991 Hardback Edition (1998)
HarperCollins
0-261-10294-X
1992 Illustrated Hardback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Alan Lee
no ISBN
1992 De Luxe Illustrated Edition (Alan Lee)
HarperCollins
First year: 1992
First: 1
Last: 1
no ISBN
1997 Folio Society Edition
The Folio Society
First: 1
Last known: 12
0-00-713657-9
2002 Illustrated Hardback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Alan Lee
First: 1
0-00-713661-7
2002 Large Print Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
Last: 2
0-00-720356-X
2005 Hardback Edition (50th Anniversary Edition)
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien
First: 1
3
8
9
12
13
14
19
20
Last known: 20
978-0-00-752292-7
978-0-00-826422-2
2017 Pocket Edition
HarperCollins
updated
First year: 2017
1
6
Last known: 6
0-00-837614-X
2020 Illustrated Edition (Alan Lee)
HarperCollins
0-00-856714-X
no ISBN
2024 De Luxe Illustrated Edition
HarperCollins
0-04-823114-2
1974 Paperback Edition
multiple
Cover illustration based on a design by J.R.R. Tolkien
Unwin Paperbacks
4
(1976)
5
(1977)
6
(1978)
0-04-823157-6
1979 Paperback Edition (Third Edition)
Unwin Paperbacks
Fourth Edition Unwin Paperbacks
0-04-823187-8
1981 Paperback Edition (Fourth Edition)
Unwin Paperbacks
Cover illustration by Pauline Baynes
1
(1981)
2
(1982)
3
(1982)
4
(1983)
5
(1983)
6
(1983)
7
(1984)
8
(1984)
9
(1985)
10
(1985)
1986 Paperback Edition
multiple
Cover illustration by Roger Garland
Unicorn / Unwin Paperbacks
1
(1986)
2
(1986)
3
(1987)
Cover illustration by Roger Garland
Unwin Paperbacks
4
(1987)
5
(1987)
6
(1988)
7
(1989)
Cover illustration by Ted Nasmith
Unwin Paperbacks
8
(1990)
0-261-10237-0
1993 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
1999 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Geoff Taylor
First year: 1999
First: 1
Last: 4
Cover design based on artwork by J.R.R. Tolkien
First year: 1999
First: 17
23
25
Last known: 63
2007 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
1999 Book People Edition
HarperCollins for The Book People
First known: 7
Last known: 7
HarperCollins B-Format Paperback Main Sequence
0-261-10359-8
1997 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien
First: 1
Last known: 8
2011 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover design based on artwork by J.R.R. Tolkien
First year: 2011
First: 1
13
15
19
24
26
27
Last known: 27
0-261-10340-7
1996 Illustrated Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Alan Lee
First: 1
no ISBN
1991 Book Club Associates Edition
HarperCollins for Book Club Associates
First: 1
0-00-763768-3
1997 Book People Edition
HarperCollins for The Book People
First: 1
0-00-711956-9
2001 Voyager Classics Edition
Voyager
First: 1
0-00-712380-9
2001 Film Tie-In Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-712972-6
0-00-714923-9
2002 Film Tie-In Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-717199-4
2003 Film Tie-In Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-768083-X
2001 Book People Modern Classics Edition
Collins for The Book People
First: 1
0-00-720360-8
2005 Paperback Edition (50th Anniversary Edition)
HarperCollins
Cover illustration based on a design by J.R.R. Tolkien
First: 1
0-00-726972-2
2008 Illustrated Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Alan Lee
1
3
4
5
Last known: 5
978-0-00-748834-6
2012 Film Tie-In Edition (A-Format)
HarperCollins
First: 1
978-0-00-748835-3
2012 Film Tie-In Edition (B-Format)
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-810831-5
2014 Large Print Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-837608-5
2020 Paperback Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1
0-00-853774-7
2022 TV Tie-In Edition
HarperCollins
First: 1