Which volume of The Lord of the Rings was published first in 1954?

The Fellowship of the Ring was the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, published in 1954.

George Allen & Unwin published the volume in London on 29 July 1954. It introduced the planned three-part structure and carried the story from Bilbo’s legacy through the formation and breaking of the Fellowship.

The book contains two parts, “The First Book” and “The Second Book.” It follows Frodo Baggins after he inherits the One Ring and begins the journey that eventually leads to Rivendell and the Council of Elrond. The Fellowship is formed there to carry the Ring toward its destruction.

The Two Towers followed later in 1954, while The Return of the King appeared in 1955. Although the work is one novel in narrative design, the three-volume publication format is why readers commonly identify The Fellowship of the Ring as the first book.