The Hobbit

This is the story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected…

‘A flawless masterpiece’
The Times

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day, to whisk him away on a journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

The prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE HOBBIT has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the twentieth century.

Reviews

‘One of the best loved characters in English fiction… a marvellous fantasy adventure’
Daily Mail

‘Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls… an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax’
The Observer

‘A flawless masterpiece’
The Times

‘The greatest children’s book ever written… Funny, frightening, dense with detail and gloriously vivid, it is the one adventure story every eight-year-old should have.’
Amanda Craig, The Times

‘The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them.’
Sunday Times

About the author

J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.