J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King was first published in 1955.
It is the third and final volume of The Lord of the Rings. George Allen & Unwin published it in the United Kingdom on 20 October 1955, completing the work’s original three-volume publication. The story follows the final stages of the War of the Ring, including the downfall of Sauron and the restoration of the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.
The title can mislead readers who expect the returning king to be Frodo or Aragorn alone. Aragorn is the principal returning king, but the title also reflects the restoration of rightful kingship and order. The first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring, appeared in 1954, while The Two Towers was also published in 1954.