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Holy crap, dude, I don't think you have a grasp at how large of a book you are asking for.

First off, there is no book that combines the Hobbit and the LOTR. The reason there is a single copy LOTR book is because it was originally written as one book, but was only broken into smaller books at the request of the editor. The reason they don't sell one book containing both The Hobbit and LOTR is because they are very much separate books in every sense of the word. They have a few similar characters, but almost everything from the story to the intended audience is different.

Second, you want the history and the untold stories?

There is literally a 12 book series called The History of Middle Earth that is well over 3500 pages. And that isn't even including the book Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth that is another 300 pages.

On top of that, you have the summarized history, the Silmarillion, that is a couple hundred pages itself. That's the actual "Bible" of Middle Earth that adds lore and expands on things in LOTR and the Hobbit. And then there's the Children of Hurin, which expands on a small part of the Silmarillion.

So, in order for what you are asking, you'd need a book that would be approximately 6000 pages long.

It doesn't exist. What you currently have is the closest to what you are asking for. After the Return of the King, there should be a pretty good sized Appendix that has a ton of extra material relevant to LOTR, but if you want the Middle Earth creation story, the history of Morgoth and his effects on ME, the legends of the first great Men of ME like Hurin and kin, and stories of Gondolin... You're going to need to buy additional books.

Good news is a lot of them are cheap! You can get the Silmarillion and Children of Hurin for a good price, and there are some beautiful hardcover editions (illustrated by Alan Lee). That should cover a good deal of what you're asking for. From there, for additional history and info, there's that massive 12 volume collection, which I believe can be purchased in a 3 book set.

I'd say the best you could do if you want to cover all the necessary Middle Earth history and Lore is the Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion, and Children of Hurin. That should suffice.

My fellow redditor, you have come to right place. Welcome to this dwelling of the Tolkien true collectors.

I write in haste so forgive the lack of details in this humble and sincere post.

The LOTR Hardcover on the link posted and provided in your above post is a perfectly and flawlessly wonderful match for the following:

The Silmarillion: https://www.amazon.com/Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618391118/ref=pd_rhf_se_s_cp_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51J5PMHHYFL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR104%2C135_&psc=1&refRID=KHZ53FT8HB5DRKEAQKT1

The Hobbit: https://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Hobbit-114th-20/dp/B00HTK1YPE/ref=sr_1_17_twi_har_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469223882&sr=1-17&keywords=the+hobbit+houghton+mifflin+harcourt

Beware! The Hobbit version has been reprinted several times and only some of the printings are a full and perfect and flawless match for the aforementioned beautiful LOTR set.

Unfinished Tales: There is, sadly and unfortunately, no matching Unfinished Tales version.

If you obtain the correct and perfect versions of each, your collection would look exactly similar to the following picture / image, with the sole difference that they are all HM or HMH books: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjPg83viIjOAhUNBh4KHTweDQEQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamefaqs.com%2Fboards%2F211-lord-of-the-rings%2F62025619&psig=AFQjCNF1C7dEPIF962Vt5SJRcBXvANsDJg&ust=1469311187738414

Vital and relevant Note: all from publisher HMH.

----------------------------

If what you wish my friend is to have a full and complete collection of matching books, it would be highly beneficial if you were to take a look at the Tolkien Official website: http://www.tolkien.co.uk/index.html

OPTION 1: You can have a collection like the following, with original dust jacket designs by The Professor (look for the first picture on the left): https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiUpOn8hojOAhWFHh4KHXH4B7YQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F130322982936701780%2F&bvm=bv.127984354,bs.2,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNEuzNQpGhoqkf9TvQH_RnSbhYk2rQ&ust=1469310665507171

OPTION 2: Another alternative is to purchase the Deluxe editions: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjOw5XEh4jOAhXGHB4KHSy6DFQQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fatolkienistperspective.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F09%2F07%2Fmy-tolkien-collection-deluxe-editions%2F&bvm=bv.127984354,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNEe2eUry_XNQjxuFR_GP4HQmnl4-g&ust=1469310826201755

OPTION 3: Finally, if paperbacks is what you seek, you could potentially purchase the paperback collection: https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/comments/4qwnm8/my_paperback_collection/

For The Hobbit I really like this edition which I am reading to my nephew's (6, 8):

The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544174224/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QutVCb81QG4V6

If she is precocious and loves to read I think a set of the Lord of the Rings trillogy in hardcover would be great. You should be able to find a standard Houghton Mifflin edition 3 part boxed set for a reasonable price.

The Lord of the Rings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0395489326/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lztVCbDEWDXYP

I own both of the above and they are perfectly serviceable.

If she falls in love with the story, then maybe a nicer edition or collectors set could make sense to own. Perhaps even Folio Society if you win the bloody lottery or something (they are beautiful though).

This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-50th-Anniversary/dp/0618517650/ref=asc_df_0618517650/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=353656609841&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14182880527356322287&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-420804731972&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=79768475228&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=353656609841&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14182880527356322287&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-420804731972

I have the Harper Collins Silmarillion Deluxe edition. It was printed in China but honestly they are still pretty nice. But I like this Houghton Mifflin version better than the LOTR deluxe by Harper Collins.

Edit: I changed the link to one that is better priced!

I guess the first question is how much money are you planning to spend? I am no expert collector or anything, but I think the current LOTR version with the most correct text is the following - and as a plus, it is illustrated by Alan Lee:

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/product/9780007525546/The+Lord+of+the+Rings+

The is also one which I am planning to purchase very soon, which I think at this point has the fully corrected text as well (might be missing a couple of typos) and is not fully illustrated - it does, however, contain illustrations that Tolkien intended to have included in the original book but were excluded for financial reasons (the dust jacket design from Tolkien himself and the Book of Mazarbul pages):

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/product/9780007581146/The+Lord+of+the+Rings+Boxed+Set+

Finally, there is the following boxed set with illustrations from Alan Lee - which does not have either the fully corrected text or original intended illustrations. It is however, a very nice set.

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618260587/ref=sr_1_2_twi_har_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468510148&sr=8-2&keywords=9780618260584

Finally, even though I enjoyed the LOTR movies, I am not fond of movie tie-ins as I feel it somehow "stains" the original work. However, they are wildly popular in the US. I would recommend to stay away from those.

I realize these options are not exactly cheap, but I think any of these would make for a memorable gift.

They're all going to be complete versions. As long as it's the 50th anniversary text it'll be the most updated, but they'll all suffice. It really just depends on what he likes aesthetically. My favorites are the Alan Lee hardback illustrated editions. A lot of people also like the 3 volume 60th anniversary editions, because it uses Tolkien's original unused dust jackets.
There's also single volumes. I'm currently reading this one. The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544273443/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AbOlDb3T8NW54
It doesn't have any illustrations or anything, but it's great for a reading copy.

Okay here are some good options:

4-volume 60th Anniversary Hardcover Set

Harper, ISBN 9780007581146

Amazon Link

This set uses Tolkien's original dust jacket designs, the companion volume is great for those interested (they're basically footnotes in a separate volume) and the smaller volumes are more comfortable than single volumes.

Single-volume 60th Anniversary Hardcover

Harper, ISBN 9780007525546

Amazon Link

This lacks the companion but has Alan Lee's artwork (the guy who did the concept art for the movies) - personally I'm not a fan of the slipcase but depending on your tastes it can look great.

Single-volume Deluxe Edition Hardcover

Harper, ISBN 9780007182367

Amazon Link

Fancy slipcase, some illustration, not as good as they used to be (they moved manufacturing to China at some point iirc) but still a good option.

Single-volume 50th Anniversary Hardcover

Harper, ISBN 9780261103207

Amazon Link

Older but some prefer the looks of this edition, this one's the first to have the corrected text iirc.

---

All of the above feature the latest corrected texts, and generally the difference between versions aren't great anyway - so your decision should be based on what kind of aesthetic/budget/supplemental materials that you want.

I would however specifically recommend the 4-volume set (or the B-Format paperbacks) if your brother's going to collect the other titles too (Silmarillion, The Hobbit, the Christopher Restrorations) since those are the most complete format/trim with most titles available.

• I think this is what i'm looking for:
  
  http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=194
  
  Basically, should be like this:
  
  https://youtu.be/8ybkMXsxTpQ
  
  But, if i pick the ISBN captured from this video: 9780395873465, and put it on tolkienboos.net, i found nothing. Btw this is HmH.
  
  The HarperCollins looks the same?
  
  
• As i can see, there are edition from 2000/2001, but they're impressions and have not the green cloth of the video.
  
  http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=209
  
  Here in fact i read:
  Two impressions were issued, both similar:
  
  1st Impression 2000
  2nd Impression 2001
  
  This edition appears similar to the 1997 HarperCollins Illustrated Edition at first glance, but can be identified by the fact that it has an illustrated paper-covered binding rather than the green cloth binding used by HarperCollins.
  
  Any chance to take a look at this 'illustrated paper-covered binding'?
  
  
• Btw, i'm looking for ISBN 9780261103306 by HarperCollins. It seems, at least.
  
  Here it is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.it/Hobbit-J-R-Tolkien/dp/026110330X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526231039&sr=8-1&keywords=9780261103306
  
  There is this other too: https://www.amazon.it/Hobbit-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0395873460/ref=sr_1_14?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526231128&sr=1-14&keywords=the+hobbit+alan+lee
  
  It's HmH and has 289 pages instead of 304 as the first. (In this one, ISBN is not the same as the video i was talking about, i don't know...)
  
  --------------------------------------
  
  EDIT:
  
  As i can see, in this version http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=192
  
  there is a golden runic border. That runic border is the same for The Silmarillion and LoTR.
  
  Would be good this edition also, but point is, if i look for its ISBN 10: 026110330X, it point me at the same edition i posted from Amazon: https://www.amazon.it/Hobbit-J-R-Tolkien/dp/026110330X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526231039&sr=8-1&keywords=9780261103306
  
  From the image i can't see any runic border and there is present the ISBN 13 from this edition: http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=194
  
  In few words, this Amazon version has the ISBN 10 from the one with runic borders, and the ISBN 13 from the one with no runic borders :/

Harper Collins has been coming out with Deluxe Editions of all of Tolkien's books, in a matched set with individual slipcases. I have two of the set and they are fantastic. The binding and paper quality are impeccable and they look great. In my opinion, they're the best versions of his books out there.

Lord of The Rings

The Hobbit

The Silmarillion

The Children of Hurin

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

Tales from the Perilous Relm

[Unfinished Tales](http://www.tolkien.co.uk/product/9780007542925/Unfinished+Tales+(Deluxe+Slipcase+Edition)

Ok, so I think I've found the right edition of the Silmarillion. However, I can't help but notice that despite there being two different versions of the Hobbit (the one with gold and the one without) the cover in the picture you linked is cropped differently than most copies I've found of either the gold one or the black one. That just threw me off guard a bit. I suppose if a website's stock image doesn't have the hideous gold edge then I can assume that I'll get the one with the black spine. I really wish sites were more telling in what product you'll actually get. I feel like I'm about to step on a landmine whenever I order a book online.

Anyway, do you suppose that this is the edition of the hobbit that goes with these editions of the LOTR and Silmarillion?

https://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Hobbit-114th-20/dp/B00HTK1YPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469236620&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hobbit+alan+lee

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0618260587?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

https://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Ted-Nasmith-Silmarillion/dp/B00HTK3Y7A/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469237448&sr=1-2&keywords=the+silmarillion+ted+nasmith

Sorry for all the questioning, and thank you for being so helpful.

Yes, Carroux is the original. Krege is (in my opinion) terribad.

I think the differences between the various editions of each translation are only cosmetics (except for the appendices/preface being in them or not) - printing style, paper, illustrations and such.

I've only ever owned one edition of LOTR (I switched to English when I was a teenager), this one. It's not in print any more; the design (it's an actual Red Book), paper and such are nice, just the illustrations are not after my taste. Someone painted cosplayers, the images are "art", but they just don't look like my mental images.

This here looks pretty, seems to be the newest incarnation of the Carroux translation, an anniversary edition with Alan Lee pictures. I suspect it's going to be the same ones that are in my English-language edition, and they're very nice.

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Tales-J-R-Tolkien-ebook/dp/B00796E7CA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407020487&sr=1-1&keywords=unfinished+tales

I really like it. It's a good, readable size, doesn't have the goofy cover art of some other versions, and the footnotes are clearly placed and readable, which is important for this book.

The 60th anniversary box of The Lord of the Rings includes Tolkien's original dust jacket designs and has the excellent readers companion from Hammond and Scull.

The Hobbit Facsimile Gift edition includes the facsimile of the first edition, which includes Tolkien's original text and cover design. It is also available as a standalone book in a slipcase. And The Hobbit revised text is available as a 70th anniversary edition too.

I've always enjoyed this set - $38 on Amazon

​

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0395489326/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=lord+of+the+rings+alan+lee&qid=1558451978&s=books&sr=1-1

Is it the Pocket Edition? I've not seen this in person but I'd imagine the pages are quite thin like a Bible's.

The hardback Maker of Middle-earth or a very good biography of Tolkien by Raymond Edwards, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tolkien-Raymond-Edwards/dp/071980986X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542617130&sr=1-1&keywords=tolkien+raymond+edwards

is this the first edition you've mentioned?
http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Tales-Numenor-Middle-earth-Tolkien/dp/0395299179/ref=tmm_hrd_title_4?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1407020487





I have also found this, "featuring Tolkien's own painting of the dragon Glaurung on the cover"
http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Tales-Middle-Earth-J-Tolkien/dp/026110215X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_3?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1407020487

The only deluxe edition I can find seem to be this
http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Tales-Deluxe-Slipcase-Tolkien/dp/0007542925/ref=tmm_hrd_title_6?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1407020487

Seems like I'll be saving up for the deluxe edition

edit: spacing

Would you recommend them over these?


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0544445783/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The small, vinyl-bound versions are my favorites and daily readers:

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IxcLDbHTEZ97P

I would imagine it will be released in the US as well. It is listed on Amazon.com here.

You can get the facsimile first edition here . The Riddles in the Dark chapter is different than what you are used to (along with other differences).

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Facsimile-First-J-Tolkien/dp/0007440839

The Lord of the Rings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0395489326/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CIRNDbH03QR7C this copy?

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_JRA4DbJTJD1TB