Lord of the Rings #3 J.R.R. Tolkien The Return of the King Ace Unauthorized Edition A-6 When "The Lord of the Rings" was first released in paperback in the United States, back in 1965, it was released not by Ballantine, but by Ace Books. This turned out to be a fiasco, because it was released without permission of the author, Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, and as a result, he received no royalties (money) for it. it was unauthorized. After some legal issues, Ace Books had to discontinue their particular edition, and the trilogy was re-released by Ballantine Books, which, of course, went on to become a best seller. In the early Ballantine editions, there appeared a green box on the back of the book with the quote: "A Statement from the author about this American edition: This paperback edition, and no other, has been published with my consent and co-operation. Those who approve of courtesy (at least) to living authors will purchase it, and no other." In other words, if you see the Ace edition, and you respect the author, don't buy it. This statement also appeared in the author's forward in "The Fellowship of The Ring." So now, because of its rarity and it's history (what I've just explained), this particular Ace edition, all three books, are now a collector's items. You may see any of these books in Ace edition somewhere in used bookstores. If you do happen to see any or all of them, buy them on the spot. Don't read these editions, because of their age, but wrap them separately in a plastic bag and put them on your bookshelf. These are rare copies, and if you are a hard-core Tolkien fan like me, you may want to collect this piece of history. Note: this auction is for the last book of the series, being "The Return of the King."