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J. R. R. Tolkien
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Farmer Giles of Ham Hardcover – February 27, 2014

by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author), Christina Scull (Editor), Wayne G. Hammond (Editor),
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 238 ratings
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A commemorative golden anniversary edition of Tolkien's classic book, including a new introduction, a map, a copy of Tolkien's unpublished short story which he expanded for publication, his notes for an aborted sequel, and the original first edition illustrations by Pauline Baynes. Farmer Giles of Ham did not look like a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow, comfortable life. Then one day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. More by luck than skill, Farmer Giles managed to scare him away. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a hero. His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. So it was natural that when the dragon Chrysophylax visited the area it was Farmer Giles who was expected to do battle with it!Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.
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  1. Print length
    225 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HarperCollins; Pocket edition edition (27 Feb. 2014)
  4. Publication date
    February 27, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    4.57 x 1.1 x 6.18 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780007542932
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0007542932
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0007542933
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Pocket edition edition (27 Feb. 2014); International Edition (February 27, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 225 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780007542932
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007542932
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.57 x 1.1 x 6.18 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 238 ratings

About the author

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J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

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J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
238 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and uplifting. They describe the pacing as down-to-earth and straightforward enough for young readers yet interesting enough for adults. The book is described as charming, elegant, and nuanced.

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Story qualityPacingCharm
8 customers mention "Story quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it charming, uplifting, and heroic. The series is fantastic and a nice read for children.

"...The story is simple, yet nuanced; the telling, exquisitely detailed without being bogged down by words...." Read more

"One of Tolkien's early books, Farmer Giles is light-hearted and a nice read...." Read more

"The Farmer of Giles is an interesting story, as most of Tolkien's writings, but I am not sure it qualifies as a children's book...." Read more

"Doesn't look at all like the picture, but my kids loved the story" Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They say it's straightforward for young readers yet interesting enough for adults. The tale is described as uplifting and heroic, with nuanced storytelling and footnotes to help understand various words. The book is suitable for reading to kids or adults, with lessons from ancient Celtic mythology and human histories.

"...This is a good place to start for readers unfamiliar with Tolkien's writings that are not related to Middle-earth or its history, and this edition a..." Read more

"...The story is simple, yet nuanced; the telling, exquisitely detailed without being bogged down by words...." Read more

"...It's straight-forward enough for young readers but sufficiently interesting to satisfy adults. I believe that it is the best Tolkien for children." Read more

"...The footnotes were welcome to understand the meaning of various words, though strictly not necessary...." Read more

3 customers mention "Charm"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book charming and elegant. They appreciate the simple yet nuanced story and the exquisite storytelling.

"...The presentation of this 50th Anniversary edition is both solid and elegant, without being grandiose...." Read more

"...The story is simple, yet nuanced; the telling, exquisitely detailed without being bogged down by words...." Read more

"Charming, uplifting, heroic tale, almost believable, and certainly induces one to wish it were all true...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Laura Fowler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Arrived quickly. Very well packaged.
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  • W. White
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fine edition of a much neglected Tolkien title
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    As to the story and its telling, other reviewers have done justice with fairness & thoroughness, so I will add little. I point up the sometimes raucous humor here, which is a pure delight though it may take readers by surprise who have read only The Lord of the Rings. A funny, compact, and finished book, which stands on its own rather than being another piece of minor Tolkieniana for devotees, or a patchwork of manuscript versions, as are some other posthumous titles.

    The presentation of this 50th Anniversary edition is both solid and elegant, without being grandiose. It should become a keepsake or even an heirloom. Fine green cloth binding with gold foil stampings, if an ordinary dust jacket. Paper, type, and printing are all outstanding and needless to say, archival. The original editions of Tolkien's 'minor' titles are not only expensive, as all his first/early editions, but are very difficult to find, and "Farmer Giles of Ham" especially so. I have a very fine copy (with near-fine DJ) of the 1967 first US edition of the similar "Smith of Wooten Major," and consider myself lucky (unlikely as it is I shall ever find a copy of the 1949 first edition of "Farmer Giles", less likely still at an affordable price), and this edition of "Farmer Giles" sits beside it on my shelves.

    This is a good place to start for readers unfamiliar with Tolkien's writings that are not related to Middle-earth or its history, and this edition a keeper at an appealing Amazon price.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • heglandpaul
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully charming
    Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of Tolkien's most charming stories -- perfect for reading to kids, or by adults! The story is simple, yet nuanced; the telling, exquisitely detailed without being bogged down by words. Charming doesn't seem to quite go far enough to describe this book; how about, "Wonderfully charming"?

    Yeah, let's go with that.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Chris Grose
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely thrilled!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Book came quickly and in perfect condition. I am a Tolkien fan and to find such a nice copy of this, in like new condition, was an awesome find! Would definitely buy from this seller again.
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  • Jan B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best Tolkien Book for Children
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    One of Tolkien's early books, Farmer Giles is light-hearted and a nice read. It's straight-forward enough for young readers but sufficiently interesting to satisfy adults. I believe that it is the best Tolkien for children.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Bookkeeper
    4.0 out of 5 stars Loved the story
    Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The Farmer of Giles is an interesting story, as most of Tolkien's writings, but I am not sure it qualifies as a children's book. There are too many Old English names such as the farmer's full name or the king's name. And allusions are certainly going to be missed, such as the name of the dragon; I don't expect too many children to understand Latin and therefore they will not understand the underlying meaning of the words. Having said that, the plot is interesting and works itself to a pleasant conclusion.

    With respect to this version, I am not such a bibliophile that I wanted to read an earlier version of the story as well as its final version or to read a short outline of a planned sequel. The footnotes were welcome to understand the meaning of various words, though strictly not necessary.

    Still, a delightful interplay between the farmer and the dragon as well as between the farmer and the giant, his neighbors, the king, or the king's knights. And the the dog plays an interesting role as well.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jack E. Holt, III
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pocket edition perfect for snooty dragons.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this pocket edition and the background for how this story came to be. I miss the larger illustrations of the original volume. But on the plus side, this pocket edition is easy to carry around to read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Crazy piper!
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book rocks!!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I love this book! I read it several years ago, and I wanted my own copy. This particular print of the book is lovely, and it's the perfect size.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars must read it!
    Reviewed in Italy on October 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    so beautiful!
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on September 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Such an outstanding look at one of Tolkien's classic works.
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  • robby charters
    5.0 out of 5 stars A hero on his own terms
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Lovers of Tolkien's books on Middle Earth could do well to take a break and relax with a story that he told to his children at bedtime. This story takes place in the "Middle Kingdom" of old England, when the Island was divided between various small kingdoms, dragons and giants ruled the north, and choices of a weapon ranged from enchanted swords to a blunderbuss. Oh yes -- and dogs could talk, though their vocabulary was generally restricted to the vernacular.

    Farmer Giles is a humble farmer who just wants to get on with business at hand, which is to bring in the crops, keep the larder well stocked and get a good sleep at night. His night time peace is broken when his dog, Garm, begins barking and babbling on about a giant that has stepped on his prize cow. So, Giles loads his blunderbuss and goes out to see what's going on...

    And what's a blunderbuss?

    "A blunderbuss is a kind of big fat gun with a mouth that opens wide like the end of a horn, and it goes off with a terrible bang, and sometimes it hits what you are aiming at." That's a quote from the second version, based on what Tolkien's daughter remembers of her bed time story. This edition contains both versions, as well as an unfinished sequel -- the first few paragraphs and some sketchy notes on how the story would have gone from there.

    Back to the giant. The farmer falls over backwards as soon as the giants head appears over the hill, the gun goes off, and a piece of scrap metal from the barrel hits the giant on the nose. Being near-sighted, and having no clue that there are people living in these parts, he thinks it's a stinging fly, so he turns around and goes back home. Garm, the farmer's dog, runs through town announcing that his master has single handedly driven away the giant, and Giles becomes the hero.

    That's just the beginning. Next is the story of the dragon, where Giles again becomes the unwilling hero. But hero he is, so he's a hero on his own terms, much to the chagrin of the king and the knights of the realm. Tolkien, a storyteller on his own terms, brings it to a delightfully satisfying "happily ever after".

    Among my favourite characters is the dog, Garm. He's exactly what I imagine a dog would be if dogs could talk. The old mare and the dragon are also well cast. In all, it's a great read.
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  • John Gough
    5.0 out of 5 stars The light humour of a deep academic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Lewis Carroll played with his readers or audience in many ways, drawing on his own wide interests and intellectual background.
    Tolkien does the same, here, telling a would-be medieval story of an unlikely hero and the giant and dragon he deals with.
    Initially, amusing himself and his children with a spontaneously improvised tale, and later developing this further for an adult audience, and then polishing the results for eventual publication, this edition preserves the brilliant Pauline Baynes illustrations (that LOOK medieval) for the last-stage published book-version, while adding a light gloss of commentary, and providing the earlier drafts of this final version.
    This is the PERFECT way to enjoy "Farmer Giles of Ham". You are free to read the story, as is, or go further into the otherwise subtle and secret humour Tolkien created as he told, wrote, and revised.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Small format, but many extras.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I've always loved Farmer Giles of Ham, both as a basic story and a series of elaborate intellectual jokes by a man deeply into ancient languages.
    I intended to read it to my grandsons, and was shocked to realise that I could not find my original copy. Buying this edition was a necessity, and to be honest, I would have preferred a facsimile of the original edition.
    This edition is in a very small format and does not have al the original illustrations- though it does have some extra ones as well as earlier versions of the story and a comprehensive commentary.
    If you like Tolkien's style, and you remember your Latin, this is perfect.
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