Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit—hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Although quite reluctant to take part in this quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!

Now, for the first time since its publication in 1997, this illustrated edition has been revised and expanded, with a number of brand—new paintings and black & white illustrations added by the artist.

Readers will be able to follow Bilbo's adventure from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain and back again – while also enjoying 30 full—page color paintings and 50 pencil drawings and illustrations which accompany this enchanting tale, together with an exclusive new cover design by the artist.

This beautifully designed new hardcover edition has additionally been enhanced with sprayed edges, and is housed in a custom—built slipcase stamped in silver foil with designs and a unique hidden artwork created exclusively by Alan Lee. It is accompanied by a removable art card and two foldout maps drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien.