The first ever illustrated paperback of the critically acclaimed and beloved children´s classic, featuring 26 colour paintings and over 30 pencil drawings by Alan Lee. Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet and contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services -- as a burglar -- on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo´s life is never to be the same again. The Hobbit became an instant success when it was first published in 1937, and more than 60 years later Tolkien´s epic tale of elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, myth, magic and adventure, with its reluctant hero Bilbo Baggins, has lost none of its appeal. This classic edition is now available in a smart new livery, and is illustrated by Alan Lee throughout to complement the new paperback of The Children of Hurin.