The History of Middle-earth Boxed Set 1: Four Hardback Volumes

The History of Middle-earth Boxed Set 1 brings together four volumes tracing the development and history of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. This first set includes The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and both parts of The Book of Lost Tales, presented as special hardback editions with double-sided dustjackets.

At a glance

Four books cover the Elder Days, wider Middle-earth history and early forms of Tolkien’s mythology.
The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales are described as special editions reproducing their first-edition text.
The set is presented as hardbacks with double-sided dustjackets.

Price

£60.29Save 40%

Reference price: ~~£100.00~~

Price checked: 12 Nov 2026

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Often bought together

The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 2): The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth & The Lost Road

£48.03

The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 3): The Return of the Shadow, The Treason of Isengard, The War of the Ring & Sauron Defeated

£63.62

Pros and cons

Pros

Combines four related volumes in one boxed set, including both parts of The Book of Lost Tales.
The contents span foundational myths and later narratives, giving Tolkien enthusiasts substantial background reading.
Customer feedback describes the set as a valued collection and gift, and mentions the footnotes and commentary.

Technical specifications

11 specifications

Contents and edition
Volumes	The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One & Part Two
Edition	Boxed Set edition
Format and set details	First in a series of hardback boxed sets celebrating the literary achievement of Christopher Tolkien, featuring double-sided dustjackets. Set 1 contains special editions of THE SILMARILLION and UNFINISHED TALES reproducing the first edition text, together with the two volumes of THE BOOK OF LOST TALES.
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	7 Dec. 2023
Language	English
Print length	1536 pages

Dimensions and installation
Weight listed	1.05 kg
Dimensions	14.9 x 12.8 x 22.8 cm

Identifiers
ISBN-10	0008663165
ISBN-13	978-0008663162

Who is it for?

A good fit for

Tolkien readers wanting a substantial collection of Middle-earth history and related narratives.
Collectors seeking the first set in Christopher Tolkien’s History of Middle-earth series.
Gift buyers looking for a four-volume Tolkien collection.

Less suited to

Readers looking only for The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings rather than background texts and earlier versions of Middle-earth tales.

The History of Middle-earth Boxed Set 1: Four Hardback Volumes · photo 2 — Additional product photo 2

Customer reviews on Amazon

4.7 / 5 · 538 ratings

5 stars86%86%
4 stars9%9%
3 stars2%2%
2 stars2%2%
1 star1%1%

Customer feedback highlights the collection’s content and usefulness to Tolkien enthusiasts, with praise for its overview of Middle-earth history and mentions of footnotes and commentary. Readers also describe it as a worthwhile collector’s item and gift. This aligns with the four-volume scope, though the substantial 1536-page set is best suited to readers seeking background and related texts rather than only the central novels.

Positive themes

Customers praise the collection’s content and its overview of Middle-earth history.
Feedback describes it as a desirable collector’s item and gift.
Footnotes and commentary are noted as enhancing the reading experience.