1991 The Hobbit (Rob Inglis)

Release Date: 1991
Readers: Rob Inglis
Language: English
Translator: n/a
Organisation: Recorded Books Inc
ISBN: Release history to follow
Duration: 11 hours 3 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: UK
Licenced: Yes
Formats: Cassette, CB, Digital

Inglis had been performing a one-man stage production, a recording of which came to the attention of Recorded Books Inc who approached him with the offer to narrate The Lord of the Rings, recorded and released in 1990. A year later Inglis was back in the studio in New Year, recording The Hobbit for release in 1992. While not the first English language commercial unabridged reading, it was for many decades the only version available to buy and is for many the definitive reading.

Tolkien had already set a few of the songs to music, but most of the songs in the text were without music. So, Inglis came up with arrangements for some and Claudia Howard of Recorded Books wrote the rest. She also acted as director and manager during the course of the recording sessions.