The Hobbit

Notes
All impressions are broadly similar*, featuring Thror’s Map and the Map of Wilderland on the first and last pages. Tolkien's black and white illustrations are not included.

Initially printed alongside the Longmans Schools Edition.

When this paperback edition was issued the impression numbering was continued on from the previous hardback edition, i.e. starting from the 16th Impression not from the 1st. The impressions were re-numbered in 1969 and 1971 but some errors were made.

There were nineteen impressions of this edition printed between 1966 and 1974. At times the actual impression number and the impression number given in the books differed. Below, where more than one impression number is given, the number in brackets is the one indicated in the book itself.

The impression numbers were:

1st (16th) Impression 1966 – 20,000 copies printed
2nd (17th) Impression 1966 – 20,000 copies printed
3rd (18th) Impression 1967 – 30,000 copies printed
4th (19th) Impression 1967 – 30,000 copies printed
5th (20th) Impression 1968 – 40,000 copies printed
6th (21st) Impression 1969
7th Impression 1969
8th (19th) Impression 1970
9th (20th) Impression 1970
10th (21st) Impression 1971
11th Impression 1971
12th Impression 1971
13th Impression 1972
14th Impression 1972
15th Impression 1972
16th Impression 1973
17th Impression 1973
18th Impression 1974
19th Impression 1974

* Changes were introduced at the following impressions:

8th (1970) - Price moved from upper to lower cover, SBN number added to lower cover and list of books moved from lower cover to inside cover.
9th (1970) - Font size used on spine for volume number increased and SBN changed to ISBN number.
10th (1971) - U Books logo changed to Unwin Books logo.
11th (1971) - Binding size reduced from 183x121mm to 179x121mm.