J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy concluded with The Return of the King in 1955. The final volume was published in the United Kingdom on 20 October 1955 by George Allen & Unwin.
The preceding volumes had appeared in 1954: The Fellowship of the Ring in July and The Two Towers in November. The Return of the King completes the story of the War of the Ring, including the destruction of the One Ring and the political restoration that follows Sauron’s defeat.
The publication dates can cause confusion because the work was written as a single continuous story rather than three independent novels. The American editions also appeared on a different schedule. In addition, the title refers to Aragorn’s return to kingship, although the book also contains the climactic resolution of Frodo and Sam’s quest.