J.R.R. Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings in its first complete edition in 1955. The novel appeared in three volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers were published in 1954, while The Return of the King completed the set in 1955.
The three-volume publication was mainly a practical arrangement, influenced by postwar paper shortages and publishing considerations. Tolkien regarded the work as one continuous novel, not three unrelated books. The first complete edition therefore refers to the point when all three volumes were available together, rather than the date of the first volume.
The novel grew from the popularity of The Hobbit, but it developed a much broader tone and mythology. Its central plot follows the attempt to destroy the One Ring before Sauron can recover it. Later editions included revisions and corrections, and Tolkien wrote an extensive foreword for some editions, which can make publication history seem more complicated.