The limited first international edition includes only 4,000 copies. This deluxe edition is printed in two colors and is fully bound in cloth with a gold cut. It comes in a custom box, decorated with impressive wraparound art, and includes two full-color posters unique to this edition.

The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a collection of narratives ranging from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the Second Age and the rise of Sauron, to the end of the War of the Ring.

These narratives are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the Elves fought against him in the impenetrable fortress of Angband for the recovery of the Silmarils, three jewels that contained the last pure light of Valinor.

Accompanied by several shorter works, which include Ainulindalë (a myth of Creation) and Valaquenta (which describes the nature and powers of the gods), Akallabêth deals with the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor in the end of the Second Age, while Of the Rings of Power narrates the great events that occurred at the end of the Third Age, as described in The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien was unable to publish The Silmarillion during his lifetime as it developed with him, and thus left the work to his son, Christopher, to edit the material from many manuscripts and complete his literary work. This special edition offers this fundamental first step towards the depiction of posthumous Middle-earth publication, as well as the beginning of a two-decade legacy of over twenty titles celebrating his father's heritage.

Also included is a letter by J.R.R. Tolkien written in 1951, which provides a brilliant account of the earlier Ages, as well as nearly 50 full-color paintings by Ted Nasmith, some of which appear here for the first time.

This special boxed edition is fully bound in cloth and stamped with gold foil; it includes two full-color fold-out posters that are unique to this edition and is housed in a custom box illustrated with an impressive wraparound image.