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TOLKIEN**, J. R. R - Edited by Christopher Tolkien.**: : THE LEGEND OF SIGURD & GUDRUN. FALL OF ARTHUR

LONDON.HarperCollinsPublishers,2009.

ISBN 9780007317233.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Complete number line 1.] FINE+/FINE+.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean, glossy laminated,wrap-around colour photographic illustrated dw/dj (detail of carvings illustrating the story of Sigurd on the doors of the 12thC church of Hylestad,Norway: Sigurd's horse Grani bearing the treasure of the slain dragon to front,and Regin forging a sword for Sigurd - circular detail superimposed to rear panel,with white+gilt lettering; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,would appear unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain dark brown paper(?) covered boards with bright,crisp, blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip,a brown +silver head+tailband and immaculate plain beige endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,3-377pp [paginated] includes editor foreword,an introduction,The Elder Edda by J.R.R. Tolkien, introductory notes,The New Lay of the Volsungs with Beginning (Upphaf + IX stanza/poetry sections),Commentary on the New Lay of Volsungs, The New Lay of Gudrun (166 stanzas/verses), Commentary on the Lay of Gudrun,appendices (A-C); plus [unpaginated] facsimile monochrome reproduction extract of J.R.R. Tolkien's handwritten stanzas 131-140 of the Lay of Gudrun with blank recto,half-title+title pages,contents list/table,individual b/w vignette (circular detail from door carving of church of Hylestad, Norway) illustrated individual separator pages for each section of the book,and blank verso of last page. Many years ago,J.R.R. Tolkien composed his own version,now published for the first time,of the great legend of Northern antiquity,in two closely related poems to which he gave the titles 'The New Lay of the Volsungs' and 'The New Lay of Gudrun'. "In the Lay of the Volsungs is told the ancestry of the great hero Sigurd,the slayer of Fafnir,most celebrated of dragons,whose treasure he took for his own; of his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild,who slept surrounded by a wall of fire,and of their betrothal; and of his coming to the court of the great princes who were named the Niflungs (or Nibelungs),with whom he entered into blood-brotherhood.In that court there sprang great love but also great hate, brought about by the power of the enchantress, mother of the Niflungs,skilled in the arts of magic,of shape-changing, and potions of forgetfulness. "In scenes of dramatic intensity,of confusion of identity,thwarted passion,jealousy and bitter strife,the tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild,of Gunnar the Niflung and Gudrun his sister,mounts to its end in the murder of Sigurd at the hands of his blood-brothers,the suicide of Brynhild, and the despair of Gudrun.In the 'Lay of Gudrun' her fate after the death of Sigurd is told,her marriage against her will to the mighty Atli, ruler of the Huns (the Attila of history),his murder of her brothers the Niflung lords,and her hideous revenge. "Deriving his version primarily from his close study of the ancient poetry of Norway and Iceland known as the Poetic Edda (and where no old poetry exists,from the later prose work the Volsunga Saga),J.R.R. Tolkien employed a verse-form of short stanzas whose lines embody in English the exacting alliterative rhythms and the concentrated energy of the poems of the Edda." J.R.R. TOLKIEN was born on January 3,1892,in Bloemfontein.After serving in the First World War,Tolkien embarked on a distinguished academic career and was recognized as one of the finest philologists in the world.He is,however best known as the creator of Middle-earth and the author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as 'The Hobbit','The Lord of the Rings',and 'The Silmarillion'.His books have been translated into more than 60 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.He was awarded a CBE,and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University in 1972.He died in 1973 at the age of 81. Christopher Tolkien,born on 21st November 1924,is the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by Tolkien to be his literary executor,he has devoted himself since his father's death in 1973 to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notably 'The Silmarillion' - see my book ID's rja637916 and rja646816 for UK,8vo HB +dw/dj,1st edn examples of this title,and the collections entitled 'Unfinished Tales' and 'The History of Middle-earth'. Please contact seller,because of the weight/value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included or postage FREE.That offer available UK only,unless indicated otherwise. ** This item offered P+p FREE.Avalable UK only. ** ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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