What is the name of the first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien’s History of Middle-earth series?

The first volume in J.R.R. Tolkien’s History of Middle-earth series is The Book of Lost Tales 1. Christopher Tolkien published it in 1983 as part of his study of his father’s drafts.

The volume presents early versions of stories that later developed into Tolkien’s mythology. These tales were written mainly during and after the First World War, when Tolkien was beginning to create the legendarium later associated with Middle-earth.

The series contains twelve volumes and traces changes in characters, languages, geography, and plot across Tolkien’s lifetime. The early material in The Book of Lost Tales differs considerably from the versions familiar from The Silmarillion.

The number matters because The Book of Lost Tales was split into two volumes. The first volume is therefore not simply “The Book of Lost Tales” without qualification; its canonical title ends with “1.”