The Maltese Falcon, First Edition de Hammett, Dashiel

HAMMETT, DASHIEL. The Maltese Falcon. New York: Knopf, 1930. FIRST EDITION. Octavo. Original grey cloth, titles to spine and falcon design to front cover in green and black, publisher's device in black to rear cover, top edge grey, others untrimmed. Early ownership signature to front free endpaper. Cloth lightly soiled and scratched. A very good copy. Vignette title page printed in blue and black. First edition, first printing, of one of the greatest detective thrillers of the 20th century. The Maltese Falcon was adapted as a film noir in 1941, written and directed by John Huston, and featuring Humphrey Bogart. Custom quarter black morocco clamshell case. Edges rubbed, front hinge a bit cracking. No dust jacket. A copy with the very scarce dust jacket with minor soiling sold for $60,000 in 2011. Layman A3.1a.