New York: Knopf, 1930. First Edition, First Printing, Second state dust jacket. Tiny ownership signature else a fine clean copy in a neatly price-clipped second state dust jacket which has a few skillful mends by an expert mends by an paper conservationist. Enclosed in a custom leather and cloth clamshell box. One of the great classics of mystery and detective fiction, Hammett’s masterpiece is also the basis for the great film adaptation directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade; Mary Astor as his femme fatale client; Gladys George; Peter Lorre; and Sydney Greenstreet in his film debut. Simply, one of the greatest films of all time.

Synopsis

The Maltese Falcon , author Dashiell Hammett’s third novel, set the standard by which all subsequent detective fiction would be judged. Set in San Francisco in the late 1920s, the novel introduces us to private detective Sam Spade, who characterizes the archetype of the hard-boiled detective in his dead-pan pursuit of the recovery of a black figurine. Having worked for a time for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in San Francisco, Hammett reportedly drew upon his years as a detective in creating Spade and many of the other characters for The Maltese Falcon . The Maltese Falcon was originally serialized in HL Mencken’s “pulp” magazine, Black Mask, beginning with the September 1929 issue. For publication of the book form, editor Blanche Knopf tried to tone down the overt sexuality of the magazine version, fearing the references would alienate readers, but Hammett prevailed. However, the 1941 film adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor (the best known of the novel’s three film versions) excised the homosexual subtext of the novel due to Production Code restraints. Today, the movie is considered a film noir classic and the novel is ranked 56th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century as well as 54th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels. -

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Details

Bookseller: James Pepper Rare Books, Inc. (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 14600J
Title: The Maltese Falcon
Author: HAMMETT, DASHIELL
Book Condition: Used
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1930

Terms of Sale

James Pepper Rare Books, Inc.

We accept VISA, Mastercard, personal checks, and money orders issued on US Banks. If paying by credit card, please supply the card number, expiration date, and a daytime phone number. We guarantee all items to be as described. We accept returns for any reason, with notification within three days of your receipt of the order. All returns must be shipped insured. Shipping is: $7.00 first item, $1.00 each additional. Foreign orders will be shipped at cost. California residents please add 7.25% sales tax.

About the Seller

James Pepper Rare Books, Inc.

This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.

Biblio member since 2005

Santa Barbara, California

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About James Pepper Rare Books, Inc.

We are long-term members of the Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America. We specialize in American & English Literature, Mystery & Detective Fiction, Rare Cinema Material, Autograph & Signed Material, and an Eclectic Offering of Literature & Ephemera.

Glossary
Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Cloth: "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Second State: used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
Clamshell Box: A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...