Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet & contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf & a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly & enlist his services ? as a burglar ? on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbos life is never to be the same again. The definitive edition of the text, fully reset & corrected for this special edition, with many unique features including an exclusive 16 page introduction by Christopher Tolkien about the history of the Hobbit & the Illustration, The Three Trolls are turned to Stone' by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing for the first time in The Hobbit. Fully illustrated throughout with 14 full colour illustrations by the author. Also appearing for the first time is a fold-out version of Thror's Map, with the 'magic' runes only appearing when the map is held up to the light, as well as the first time the Map of Wilderland appears in blue & black as Tolkien originally intended. Quarter-bound in green, stamped in red & gold foil on grey boards, & housed in a matching slipcase & printed on superior quality paper with a green silk ribbon marker.