Hammett, Dashiell
Rare books by Dashiell Hammett, including first editions and signed an finely bound copies.
Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961) was an American author and one of the founders of the genre of “hard-boiled” detective fiction. His career began in 1915 with the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which provided the fodder for his stories. In 1922 his first story was published in an upscale magazine called The Smart Set, and he also began writing regularly for the pulp magazine Black Mask, which published his wildly popular “Continental Op” stories. This down-to-earth and rough speaking operative was a radical change from the intellectual detectives of earlier fiction, and became the protagonist for Hammett’s first novel, Red Harvest. In 1930 his most famous character, Sam Spade, appeared in the masterpiece The Maltese Falcon, and in the following year the New York Times described his book The Glass Key as a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Ernest Hemingway. Hammett’s legacy as one of the most intellectual and innovative detective novelists of the twentieth-century was assured.
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Maltese Falcon. 1930
£150,000
First edition, first printing. With the author's signed presentation inscription to an early blank, "To Raoul and Prudence Whitfield - the first today - Dashiell Hammett January 23,...
Octavo. Original grey cloth, falcon motif to upper board in blue, titles and geometric design to spine in black and blue, top edge stained blue. With the pictorial... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
Red Harvest. 1929
£47,500
First edition, first printing of the author's landmark first book. With the author's signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, "To Betty affectionately, Dashiell...
Octavo. Original red cloth, skull decoration to upper board in yellow with black border, titles and decoration to spine in yellow and black. With the dust jacket... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Thin Man. 1934
£12,500
First UK edition, first impression. Very uncommon. The text was revised for this edition.
Octavo. Original orange cloth, titles and decoration to upper board and spine in black. With the pictorial dust jacket. A superb copy in the dust jacket. Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
A complete set of twelve Hammet short story paperback originals. 1943–62
£2,750
First editions, first impressions, including the first printings of the reissues of the first two volumes in the series (The Big Knock-Over, a reissue of $106,000 Blood Money, and...
12 volumes, octavo. Original colour wrappers. Housed in a blue cloth folding case. $106,000 Blood Money with blind stamp of owner's name to top edge of upper wrapper... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Glass Key. 1931
£2,500
First edition, first impression, first issue. The true first printing of Hammett's most serious book. Published first in London during Knopf's brief attempt to crack the UK...
Octavo. Original blue cloth, decoration to upper board and spine in white, titles to spine in red. Housed in a royal blue quarter morocco solander box made by The... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Novels. 1965
£1,250
First collected edition, first printing.
Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full crimson morocco, titles to spine gilt, raised bands, twin rule to turn-ins gilt, plain dark green endpapers, all... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Big Knockover. Selected Stories and Short Novels. 1956
£275
First edition, first impression.
Octavo. Original black cloth, titles to spine gilt, green top-stain. With the dust jacket. An excellent copy in the jacket with a short split to the head of the spine... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Omnibus. 1950
£250
First edition thus.
Octavo. Original black cloth, titles to spine gilt, red top-stain. With the dust jacket. Lightly rubbed at extremities, small worn area to lower corner, contents... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Dain Curse. 1930
£150
First UK edition, first impression. Scarce.
Octavo. Original orange cloth, titles to spine and skull and crossbones to upper board in black. Ink stamps to endpapers. Boards dulled, bumped, and a little spotted,... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Novels. 1965
£85
First collected edition, first printing.
Octavo. Original dark blue cloth, titles to spine in red and gilt and to and upper board gilt, green top-stain. With the dust jacket. A superb copy in the jacket that... Read more
