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In one volume for the first time, this revised and updated examination of how J.R.R. Tolkien came to write his original masterpiece "The Hobbit".In "The History of the Hobbit", John D. Rateliff not only presents the complete unpublished text of the original manuscript of J.R.R.Tolkien's The Hobbit, but also gives a lively and informative account of how the book came to be written and published. This book shows the numerous changes made to the story both before and after publication, and examines – chapter-by-chapter – why those changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien's ever-growing concept of Middle-earth.The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937. Like its successor, The Lord of the Rings, it is a story that "grew in the telling", and many characters and story threads in the published text are completely different from what Tolkien first wrote to read aloud to his young sons as part of their "fireside reads".This book also includes many little-known illustrations and previously unpublished maps for The Hobbit by Tolkien himself. Also featured are extensive annotations and commentaries on the date of composition, how Tolkien's professional and early mythological writings influenced the story, the imaginary geography he created, and how Tolkien came to revise the book years after publication to accommodate events in The Lord of the Rings.Like Christopher Tolkien’s The History of Middle-earth before it, this is a thoughtful yet exhaustive examination of one of the most treasured stories in English literature. Long overdue for a classic book almost celebrating 75 years in print, this companion edition offers fascinating new insights for those who have grown up with this enchanting tale, and will delight those who are about to enter Bilbo's round door for the first time.