The following is just basically a repeat of what I had written and posted on the Home page of PT concerning the 50th anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Somehow I figured that there might be some other members here who would like to leave some comments, so please feel free.

On July 29, in 1954 Allen & Unwin published the first edition of The Fellowship Of The Ring in Great Britain. 3,500 copies were printed in the first run, and it did well enough that six weeks after publication a second printing was ordered. An American edition from Houghton-Mifflin followed in October 1954.

On behalf of the Council here at PT, all of our members, and readers and fans of Tolkien worldwide, whose lives have been touched by Tolkien’s extraordinary masterpiece we celebrate this remarkable crowning achievement!

HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY FOTR!!!!!

Half a century, eh? Its been a good one, fifty years old and still the best there is, was, and ever will be!

Since the day the book was published it has been studied, written about, dicussed, liked or completely disliked. The so called 'literati' still turn their head away when they see LOTR topping so many polls... and still LOTR captures the hearts of hunderds or thousands every year.
This is funny to see when originally only 3000 prints were made of the Fellowship of the Ring. The publisher saw it as a high risk and made an agreement with Tolkien not to pay him out untill he earned the money he put into the project. It was very unusual to publish 'fantasy' back then...
Sinve then fantasy tops the list (see Harry Potter making J.K.Rowling the 11th richest person on the planet in only 5 years). I guess without Tolkien all fantasy, science fiction, even cyberpunk would not have been in existence or very very underground.
I think we must thank 'the master' for writing these books... i'll be thankfull every day! For another 50 years i expect these books to stay on top of everyones lists; discussions, ... it will take even more time to fully study these books!

Congrats for FOTR!!