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The Lord of the Rings — cover sets

Most readers met The Lord of the Rings in three volumes, and each edition dressed the three books in one design. Each set here is one edition: from the Allen & Unwin jackets Tolkien designed in 1954 and Barbara Remington's Ballantine paperbacks of 1965 to Pauline Baynes, Darrell K. Sweet, John Howe and Alan Lee, the film and television tie-ins, and editions in French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese and Indonesian. A set appears only where Open Library holds a front cover of the same design for each volume; editions that reuse another edition's artwork are left out.

120 books, each with the cover Open Library holds for its printing in the series.

George Allen & Unwin, 1954–55 · first edition · Cover: J. R. R. Tolkien

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 1954–56 · first American edition

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ballantine, 1965–66 · Cover: Barbara Remington

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

George Allen & Unwin, 1966 · second edition

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 1967 · second edition

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Le Livre de Poche, 1972–77

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ballantine, 1976 · Cover: J. R. R. Tolkien

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 1978 · revised edition

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Klett-Cotta Hobbit Presse, 1979 · Cover: Heinz Edelmann

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Unwin Paperbacks, 1981 · Cover: Pauline Baynes

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 1981 · grey boards with monogram

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ballantine, 1981–84 · Cover: Darrell K. Sweet

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Easton Press, 1984–90 · leather

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ballantine, 1986–89 · 50th anniversary · Cover: Michael Herring

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 1987–93 · Cover: Alan Lee

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Klett-Cotta, 1987–2002 · reprint of the first German edition

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Presses Pocket, 1990–93 · white

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Pocket, 1991 · Fantasy, pink titles

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Grafton, 1991 · Cover: John Howe

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 1991–96 · illustrated edition · Cover: Alan Lee

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 1997 · Cover: after J. R. R. Tolkien

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 1999 · black with the rings

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Klett-Cotta, 2000–01 · green paperbacks

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2001 · Voyager Classics

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ballantine, 2001 · film tie-in

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 2001 · film photographs of places

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Yilin, 2001–02

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 2002 · film tie-in

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2002 · hardcover · Cover: Alan Lee

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Pocket, 2002 · Fantasy

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

De Boekerij / Mynx, 2002–08

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin, 2004–05 · painted covers

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2005 · 50th anniversary · Cover: after J. R. R. Tolkien

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Minotauro, 2006 · Booket

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2012 · film art

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Klett-Cotta Hobbit Presse, 2012

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 · deluxe pocket

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2016

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2020 · landscape photographs

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

HarperCollins, 2022 · Rings of Power tie-in

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

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