UK first hardback editions of the original trilogy set of Ursula Le Guin’s masterpiece of sorcery published by Gollancz. A work of true literary wizardry with wonderfully atmospheric and beautiful dustjacket art by David Smee uniform across the trilogy. Intricate maps of the Earthsea archipelago. A Wizard of Earthsea is the 1^st printing from 1971. The Tombs of Atuan is the 1^st printing from 1972 and The Farthest Shore is the 1^st printing from 1973. A great collectible for anyone who ever read these fabulous stories and even more so for anyone who hasn’t yet!

 

CONDITION:

 

Wizard of Earthsea – Ex-library with stamps to the front pastedown, the front endpaper the title page and the copyright page. Tape marks to endpapers and pastedowns. The dustjacket is very good and complete with mild sunning to its spine. Traces of label removal to the front pastedown and the front endpaper. Light marks to the boards including faint tape marks to the top and bottom of the rear board. Faint marks to a few page (about the worst being shown in the photos) although the great majority of pages are clean and bright with a tight binding.

 

Tombs of Atuan – Ex-library with stamps to the half-title page and numbers on the copyright page and the last page of text. The dustjacket is very good and complete with mild sunning to its spine. However, the clear plastic film coating that was applied to these dustjackets as issued by the publisher is lifting away slightly in some areas particularly near the spine. Traces of label removal to the front pastedown and faint traces of tape used to secure a former dustjacket holder to the front and rear endpapers. A repaired split between the front endpaper and the front pastedown. Clean boards, but faint marks to a few page (about the worst being shown in the photos) although the great majority of pages are clean and bright with a tight binding.

 

The Farthest Shore – Ex-library with stamps to the copyright and contents pages and the last page of text. The dustjacket is very good and complete with dry adhesive on its flap edges and some faint rippling (see photos). Traces of label removal and another stamp to the front endpaper and trapezoidal patches of dry adhesive presumably from adhesive plastic used to secure a former dustjacket holder to the front and pastedowns. Clean boards and generally clean pages with a tight binding.

 

Dustjackets will be protected in removable clear cellophane when delivered and the books will be posted in cardboard and bubblewrap layers.