TOLKIEN, J.R.R. "Lord of the Rings" [Ace, 1965] Pirated Edition, Complete Set

TOLKIEN, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

New York: Ace Books, 1965. Three volumes. Each volume with cover illustration by Jack Gaughan. Quite worn but complete. "Fellowship" lacking upper right corner of front cover, with piece of clear tape over top of spine, and generally rubbed/creased. "Two Towers" with sunned spine and general rubbing/creasing. "Return of the King" missing smaller part of upper left corner of rear cover, with a tear at upper edge of front cover, and generally rubbed/creased. Good.

Unauthorized and now legendary, this is the notorious Ace Books paperback issue — the first American mass-market edition of "The Lord of the Rings," published without Tolkien’s consent due to a loophole in U.S. copyright law. These editions ignited the so-called "paperback controversy," leading Tolkien to publicly denounce them and call for readers to support only the authorized Ballantine edition. Despite — or because of — their rogue origins, the Ace paperbacks remain highly collectible artifacts of mid-century publishing history.