Item arrived on time and came in perfect condition; the inside of the box that holds the books had some black marks on it from the black hard cover books being in there but it's not a problem since it'll be covered up the whole time and are hardly visible otherwise. (Don't try to wipe off the marks with a wet paper towel or anything since the box is cardboard and will get messed up from a source of liquid.) I checked the books, and they all seem to be in perfect condition, I have always been a big fan of LotR and Tolkien, so I have been looking forward to getting some middle earth books for a while and I'm super excited to read these, I plan to get all of Tolkien's books eventually. Would definitely recommend getting this set to add to your collection if you are a fan of Middle Earth. Read more

Excellent box. Uses John Howe's artwork which looks amazing and has reversible covers for those who prefer a more classic look. Read more

Although I have a complete set of first editions which I bought when they were originally published, I'm a bit of a collector so I wanted to get these. This set is a no-brainer if you don't have the firsts. Previously you could only buy the HofME in cheap paperback or three huge fat hardback volumes which are unwieldy and have a bit of a text book feel to them. This set is attractively designed with John Howe cover art on the jackets and box. The box is a bit tight - although I have just received the second box set in the series and it's less tight, so perhaps Harper Collins have taken note. If you have been collecting the current series of Harper Collins Tolkien hardbacks these match and are in the same format and design. They will look great on your bookcase. But the quality is not as good as those volumes - the paper is of standard stock and the bindings are glued. There are no interior illustrations. It's not that the quality is poor as some have suggested - they are just standard hardbacks of the type usually put out by British publishers. However, they are still superior to any other set of the HofME currently available. Unless you want to shell out £1200 plus for a set of firsts, these are definitely the versions to buy Turning to the work itself, is it necessary for the Tolkien admirer to read these books? They are very different to the "finished works" such as the Hobbit, Lord of The Rings and The Silmarillion. The History of Middle-earth is a remarkable feat of literary archeology, in which Christopher Tolkien traces the evolution of his fathers writings in exhaustive detail, replete with footnotes and commentary. Reading them is a unique experience - I know of no other writer whose creative process can be followed in such detail. Many readers will undoubtedly find this tiring and reading the complete set is quite a feat (it took me six months). However, there are many nuggets of gold in here - individual pieces which could stand on their own as great tales in the Tolkien legendarium, even though some of the details might not square with Tolkiens finally published vision (which is debatable in the case of The Silmarillion). These books can be read cover to cover, thereby unfolding the development of Tolkien's vision over time, or occasionally dipped into to extract the best tales and narratives. Either way, the enthusiastic Tolkien reader should not miss them. Read more

I went through a lot of trouble to get this pair of books. A lot of it was amazon/shippers fault but I'd finally thought that I had received a good copy of these books. Unfortunately there is a manufactoring error and the unfinished tales is glued very poorly. There is about 24mm difference between where the frontcoverpage and backcoverpage is glued on the hardcover. I tried my best to let it go thinking about the shipping troubles. But After a week and a bit my mind just could not let it go and I will return it. Down the line this error would distort the hardcover and most likely cause other problems a Risk I wasn't willing to take. Read more

Exactly as pictured Read more

Cofanetto molto bello, acquistato per un regalo Read more