THIRTY YEARS

Boston Toronto: Little, Brown & Company, 1954. First Edition. Cloth. Fine/Fine. 8vo, gray cloth with black label & gold lettering on spine, Introduction by Clifton Fadiman, Mylar-protected lettered dust jacket (unclipped), xvii + [ii] + 466 pages. John P. Marquand (1893-1960) was a highly respected novelist and author who worked in several genres mainly during the second quarter of the 20th century. This is a collection of short stories and essays. Marquand first became well known for his "Mr. Moto" spy series which were made into movies starring Peter Lorie during the 1930's. Other crime novels included Ming Yellow (1935); Don't Ask Questions (1941); Repent in Haste (1945, L: 1949); and It's Loaded, Mr. Bauer (1949); Stopover: Tokyo (1957). Marquand was also a distinguished novelist who treated American society (often the upper classes) with sensitivity, respect, and satire. Thus, he won a Pulitzer for The Late George Apley in 1938. The author's literary novels included: The Unspeakable Gentleman (1922); The Black Cargo (1925); Waring Hill (1930); THE LATE GEORGE APLEY (1937) for which he won the Pulizer Prize in 1938; Wickford Point (1939); H. M. Pulham, Esquire (1942); So Little Time (1944); B. F.'s Daughter (1946); Point of No Return (1949); the aforesaid Melville Goodwin (1952); Sincerely, Willis Wayde (1955); as well as Women and Thomas Harrow (1958). Marquand's novel Melville Goodwin (1951) was slated in 1956 for a movie starring Humphrey Bogart, but when throat cancer prevented Bogie from playing the leading role, Kirk Douglas then starred in the 1957 film. As with this collection, Thirty Years (1954), the author also wrote several distinguished collections of short stories, essays, and articles, some of which included his perceptive analyses of sports. Exceptional Condition! No remainder marks; clean, bright, tight with superior dust jacket.