Discount used books
SEARCH 50 MILLION USED & NEW BOOKS:


0679722645
Stock photo. Cover may not represent actual copy or condition available.

Maltese Falcon

Library Edition

by Dashiell Hammett


ISBN: 0679722645
ISBN-13: 9780679722649
Format: Paperback

Summary

An often ignored key to Hammett's philosophy is contained in the anecdote of Flitcraft that Spade tells Brigid O'Shaughnessy in a seemingly tossed-off aside. According to critic Steven Marcus, in his introduction to Hammett's THE CONTEINTAL OP, the Flitcraft anecdote shows Hammett's belief that "life is inscrutable, opaque, irresponsible, and arbitrary-that human existence does not correspond in its actuality to the way we live it." Although it is not included in the movie version (done by John Huston and otherwise completely-and unusually-faithful to the book), there is reason to believe that this tale does more to explain Hammett's philosophy of life than anything else he wrote.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to review this book!

Media Reviews

"Mr. Hammett, we understand, was once a Pinkerton operative, and he probably knows that there is very little romance about the detective business. There is none of it in his book, but there is plenty of excitement."

   -- New York Times

Bibliographic Details

Publisher: Vintage Books
Published date: 1992
Size: 5.5 x 8.25 inches
Weight: 0.55 pounds
Pages: 217

Publisher's Notes

Sam Spade, a slightly shop-worn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics, stars in Hammett's detective fiction, a novel that has haunted 2 generations of readers.

Other Editions

Similar books


0679722610
Red Harvest
by Dashiell Hammett

One of Hammett's masterpieces, this is the most vivid and realistic picture of gang war ever written--and one of the most exciting of all suspense novels.

0679722602
The Dain Curse
by Dashiell Hammett

One of the Continental Op's most bizarre cases, as he is faced with Miss Gabrielle Dain Leggett, who has an unfortunate effect on the people around her - they have a habit of dying violently.

0679723226
Double Indemnity
by James M. Cain

A riveting classic of American crime fiction.

0394758269
High Window
by Raymond Chandler

Set in the California underworld where Philip Marlowe searches for a priceless gold coin and finds himself deep in the tangled affairs of a dead coin dealer.

03807202310
The Devil Knows You're Dead
by Lawrence Block

Unlicensed private detective Matthew Scudder ventures into the dark and dangerous alleys of Hell's Kitchen to track down the killer of yuppie lawyer Glenn Holtzmann. Reissue.

HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime.

Ready to buy this book?

Below are all of the copies of 0679722645 we currently have available for purchase, sorted by lowest price first. If you would like to refine your search, use the advanced options in the search box above.
1) The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage. Used - Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! (more information)

Offered by Better World Books (United States)
$1.65
2) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992 Softcover. Sound, clean & nice copy, light rubbing/edgewear to wraps.. Trade Paperback. Good/n/a. (more information)

Offered by The Book Women (United States)
$3.00
3) The Maltese Falcon (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
Dashiell Hammett

Good. (more information)

Offered by TextbooksRus.com (United States)
$4.14
4) The Maltese Falcon (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) (Qty: 2)
Dashiell Hammett

Very Good. (more information)

Offered by TextbooksRus.com (United States)
$4.14
5) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. A nice copy with some signs of wear.. Quality Paperback. Very Good. (more information)

Offered by Montreal Books (Canada)
$4.99
6) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

NY: Vintage. VG in softcover. 1989. trade PB. Keywords: mystery, fiction, 0-679-72264-5. (more information)

Offered by Books End (United States)
$5.00
7) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell; Marcus, Steven (editor)

New York, New York, U.S.A: Vintage Books, 1992. Soft Cover. Very Good. Cover has edge wear, minor creases, minor scratches, small bent/rubbed cover/page corners, rubbed spine. No writing. Very good. . ISBN: 0679722645 . (more information)

Offered by Defunct Books (United States)
$5.00
8) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1989. Minor shelf wear to cover page.. Trade Paperback. Good. (more information)

Offered by Snowball Bookshop (United States)
$5.00
9) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1989. Trade paperback. Very Good. Very good. No dust jacket as issued. minor wear to wraps. (more information)

Offered by About Books Inc. (United States)
$5.00
10) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage Crime [date not known], 2nd printing. (Trade paperback) Very good. Recommended by: Independent Mystery Booksellers Association--100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century. * * * Specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery since 1973. * * *. (more information)

Offered by Pandora's Books Ltd. (United States)
$5.53
11) The Maltese Falcon
HAMMETT, DASHIELL

NY: VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD, 1992 LATER PRINTING. Paperback. Fine. (more information)

Offered by Gian Luigi Fine Books Inc. (United States)
$5.75
12) THE MALTESE FALCON
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. Very Good. 1989. Trade Paperback. The cover has some chipping and minor shelf wear and the spine has no creasing. The pages are in great shape. ; 224 p. . (more information)

Offered by The Cracked Book, LLC (United States)
$5.95
13) The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage, 1989-07-17. Paperback. New. new book...some may show minor shelf wearOver 4 thousand books available, I ship almost all orders the day following your order date(monday thru Saturday/USPS ONLY)...Buyers in FLA/CA/WA/TX/AZ/HA/PR are urged to use PRIORITY shipping as standard media mail times can be slower to your state from MICHIGAN. An auto email will be generated per the venue which will reflect ESTIMATED delivery window...guaranteed specific delivery dates are not offered, buyer must allow sufficient time for purchase /arrival based on location to location and your specific needs. ..I use delivery confirmation free of charge (more information)

Offered by G.T.S. (United States)
$5.97
14) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. As new.. First Thus. Quality Paperback. Fine. (more information)

Offered by Montreal Books (Canada)
$5.99
15) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York: Vintage Books; Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1992 217 pp.; 21 cm. First published, 1930. Tight, clean copy. "A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shop-worn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grifter named Joel Cairo, a fat man named Gutman, and Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett's coolly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted three generations of readers. / Dashiell Samuel Hammett was born in St. Mary’s County. He grew up in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Hammett left school at the age of fourteen and held several kinds of jobs thereafter - messenger boy, newsboy, clerk, operator, and stevedore, finally becoming an operative for Pinkerton's Detective Agency. Sleuthing suited young Hammett, but World War I intervened, interrupting his work and injuring his health. When Sergeant Hammett was discharged from the last of several hospitals, he resumed detective work. He soon turned to writing, and in the late 1920s Hammett became the unquestioned master of detective-story fiction in America. In The Maltese Falcon (1930) he first introduced his famous private eye, Sam Spade. The Thin Man (1932) offered another immortal sleuth, Nick Charles. Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), and The Glass Key (1931) are among his most successful novels. During World War II, Hammett again served as sergeant in the Army, this time for more than two years, most of which he spent in the Aleutians. Hammett's later life was marked in part by ill health, alcoholism, a period of imprisonment related to his alleged membership in the Communist Party, and by his long-time companion, the author Lillian Hellman, with whom he had a very volatile relationship. His attempt at autobiographical fiction survives in the story 'Tulip,' which is contained in the posthumous collection The Big Knockover (1966, edited by Lillian Hellman). Another volume of his stories, The Continental Op (1974, edited by Stephen Marcus), introduced the final Hammett character: the 'Op,' a nameless detective (or 'operative') who displays little of his personality, making him a classic tough guy in the hard-boiled mold - a bit like Hammett himself." - Publisher. . 6th printing. Trade Paperback. Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. (more information)

Offered by Left Coast Books (United States)
$6.00
16) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. light spine and edge wear. Trade Paperback. Very Good. (more information)

Offered by browns books (Canada)
$6.00
17) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. Trade Paperback. Good. (more information)

Offered by Book Castle (United States)
$6.00
18) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1989. Trade Paperback. Very Good. (more information)

Offered by Snowball Bookshop (United States)
$6.00
19) The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage, 1989-07-17. Paperback. Good. Slight edge and cover wear. (more information)

Offered by Half Price Books, Inc. (United States)
$6.50
20) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1992. Trade Paperback. Very Good/No Jacket as Issued. Light edge scuffing. No marks to pages. ISBN: 0-679-72264-5. (more information)

Offered by Muses Books (United States)
$6.50
21) The Maltese Falcon (Vintage Crime Ser.)
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, NY, U.S.A.: Knopf Publishing Group, 1989. Trade paperback edition of Hammett's classic. 217 pages. Black and white photo illustrated cover with yellow lettering on front and spine. Very minor edge wear on cover. Highlighting throughout. Reading crease on spine; Else, bright and solid. DAILY PROCESSING, QUICK RESPONDING DEALER!. Trade Paperback. Good +/No Jacket. (more information)

Offered by Connie Popek, Bookseller (United States)
$6.60
22) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. Very light scuffing and bumping, otherwise binding is straight and tight, text is unmarked.. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾". (more information)

Offered by Wendys Books (United States)
$6.95
23) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992 Bumping/curling to tips of wrapper.. Reprint. Soft Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. (more information)

Offered by A Good Read (United States)
$6.99
24) The Maltese Falcon
HAMMETT, Dashiell

New York: Vintage, 1989. Pictorial card covers. Tight and tidy.. Reprint. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. (more information)

Offered by Mainly Fiction (New Zealand)
$7.00
25) THE MALTESE FALCON
Hammett, Dashiell

1989 . Hammett, Dashiell. THE MALTESE FALCON. NY: Vintage Crime, c1992. First printing. 217pp. 8vo. Fine trade softcover copy $7.00 (more information)

Offered by Columbia Books, Inc. ABAA/ILAB (United States)
$7.00
26) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York:: Vintage,, 1989. Paperback. Near Fine. near fine paperback. First published in 1930, The Maltese Falcon stands today as one of the classics of both suspense literature and American writing. (more information)

Offered by Monkey See, Monkey Read (United States)
$7.00
27) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. solid reading copy. Trade Paperback. Good/ . (more information)

Offered by browns books (Canada)
$7.00
28) The Maltese Falcon [Paperback]
Dashiell Hammett

Trade paperback with very little wear. Mystery section. (more information)

Offered by Auburn Books - The Book Haven (United States)
$7.50
29) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage Books, 1992 Trade Paperback. Very Good. (more information)

Offered by Bookman (United States)
$7.93
30) Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. Hardback. x-library, vg/(no dust jacket) Series Character: Sam Spade, P.I. Haycraft-Queen (more information)

Offered by Grave Matters (United States)
$8.00
31) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1989. FIRST PRINTING # LINE TO 1 "A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grifter named Joel Cairo, a fat man named Gutman, and Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett's cooly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted two generations of readers." Very good purple pictorial trade paperback. Some edge wear. (1989), 8vo, [vi], 217pp.. First Vintage Books Edition. Trade Paperback. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. (more information)

Offered by BOOX.ca (Canada)
$8.50
32) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 98)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage Books USA. New. All items are BRAND NEW. Delivery Confirmation provided with shipping confirmation email. Fast Response to all emails. (more information)

Offered by Movies With A Smile, Inc. (United States)
$8.60
33) The Maltese Falcon (Vintage Crime Ser.)
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, NY, U.S.A.: Knopf Publishing Group, 1989. A treasure worth killing for. Think Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade and Sydney Greenstreet as the "Fatman.". First Thus. Trade Paperback. Good +. Illus. by Debbie Glasserman. (more information)

Offered by Margie's Book Mania (United States)
$8.75
34) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992. photo available. Trade Paperback. Very Good ++/No Jacket. (more information)

Offered by Dave's Books and More : Coyote Services (United States)
$8.95
35) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Very Good.. Paperback. Softcover 1st Vintage Crime / Black Lizard edition 1992. Superclean; no marks or creases; pages bright; binding tight. Only light wear. 217 pages. Language: English. Cover photo by Axel Crieger. 'Mystery novel by Dashiell Hammett, generally considered his finest work. It originally appeared as a serial in Black Mask magazine in 1929 and was published in book form the next year. The novel's sustained tension is created by vivid scenes and by the pace and spareness of the author's style. The other major attraction of The Maltese Falcon is its colorful cast of characters; they include the antiheroic detective Sam Spade; Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a deceptive beauty; Joel Cairo, an effete Levantine whose gun gives him courage; the very fat and jovial but sinister Casper Gutman; and Gutman's gunsel Wilmer, eager to be feared. All of them are looking for the Maltese falcon, a fabulously valuable 16th-century artifact.'--The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature. (more information)

Offered by Brainiac Books (United States)
$9.00
36) The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett

[ Edition: Reprint ]. Excellent Condition. Publisher: Vintage Pub Date: 7/17/1989 Binding: Paperback Pages: 224 [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ][ Ships Daily ] [ Underlining/Highlighting: NONE ] [ Writing: NONE ] [ Torn pages: NO ] [ Broken Seams: NO ] (more information)

Offered by BookHolders (United States)
$9.02
37) Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage, 1992 Trade Paperback. Very Good. Clean text.. (more information)

Offered by Bookman (United States)
$9.15
38) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiel

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books / Random House, 1989 New, unread condition copy with light shelf rub to front cover edges.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. (more information)

Offered by Woodshed Books (United States)
$9.50
39) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiel

Vintage Black Lizard Trade size paperback Fine/as new. Soft cover. (more information)

Offered by Old Pueblo Books (United States)
$10.00
40) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New York: Vintage Books/Black Lizard, 1992. 1st Vintage Books edition. Beautiful copy. Slight edge wear.. Trade Paperback. Very Good. (more information)

Offered by It's A Mystery Bookstore (Canada)
$10.00
41) the maltese falcon
hammett,dashiell

Great Britain: Pan.. V-good.. 1975. 1st Impression edition.. Soft Cover. 0679722645. (more information)

Offered by stevethefish (United Kingdom)
£5.50 ($10.93)
42) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage Crime [0-679-72264-5] [date not indicated], 2nd printing. (Trade paperback) Very good. . . . Recommended by: Independent Mystery Booksellers Association--100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century. . . . (Private Eye) < - Buy with confidence. We've been selling quality collectible books since 1965. - >. (more information)

Offered by Grant Thiessen / BookIT Inc. (United States)
$10.99
43) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 9)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 We sell only brand new merchandise! . New. (more information)

Offered by Robin Pugh's Nest of Treasures (United States)
$11.01
44) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 23)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 We sell only brand new merchandise! . New. (more information)

Offered by Robin Pugh's Nest of Treasures (United States)
$11.01
45) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 95)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 We sell only brand new merchandise! . New. (more information)

Offered by Robin Pugh's Nest of Treasures (United States)
$11.01
46) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 74)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 We sell only brand new merchandise! . New. (more information)

Offered by Robin Pugh's Nest of Treasures (United States)
$11.01
47) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 2)
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 Excellent condition, paperback 1989, no marks, great cover, very light use only, readit . Fine. (more information)

Offered by Agora Bookstore (United States)
$11.56
48) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 Excellent condition, paperback 1989, no marks, great cover,slt pg tanning, readit . Very Good. (more information)

Offered by Agora Bookstore (United States)
$11.89
49) The Maltese falcon
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage Books, 1989. Vintage Books ed. Paperback. NEW. No Jacket. Vintage, 1989. Paperback. NEW SOFTBOUND, ISBN: 0679722645. (more information)

Offered by Live Oak Books (United States)
$11.95
50) The Maltese Falcon (Paperback)
Hammett, Dashiell

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Vintage Books, 1992 Book is NEW; unread. BOOKSMART offers free domestic shipping (media mail) on orders of three or more books.. Trade Paperback. As New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. (more information)

Offered by Booksmart (United States)
$11.95
51) The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage, 1989-07-17. Paperback. Very Good. V.Good++ 1972 1st Vintage mass mkt.PB Ed. (#V-772). Probably the most well-known book by the renowned detective fiction writer. Clean, Uncreased & Tight,lt. inside board & pg. tanning.FREE Tracking. FAST Shipping. (more information)

Offered by kaydeebooks (United States)
$12.99
52) The Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

New ed.: Random House Inc., 2005. Kartoniert / Broschiert. (more information)

Offered by Bides - Books - Germany (Germany)
€8.81 ($13.82)
53) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 5) FREE SHIPPING
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Immediate shipping for all orders and FREE STANDARD DELIVERY on Domestic US Orders! International, APO, FPO and PO Box addresses accepted. All of our titles are exactly the same title as shown and are 100% Guaranteed! Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. . Good. (more information)

Offered by Paperleaf Books (United States)
$18.02
54) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 5) FREE SHIPPING
Hammett, Dashiell

Vintage. PAPERBACK. 0679722645 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Immediate shipping for all orders and FREE STANDARD DELIVERY on Domestic US Orders! International, APO, FPO and PO Box addresses accepted. All of our titles are exactly the same title as shown and are 100% Guaranteed! Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. . Good. (more information)

Offered by Paperleaf Books (United States)
$18.02
55) The Maltese Falcon
, Hammett

New York: Random House, 1992. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. EX-LIBRARY EXPECTED MARKINGS AND ATTACHMENTS. INTERIOR PAGES CLEAN, BRIGHT AND TIGHT WITH LIBRARY STAMPS MARKED OUT. BOOK IS REBOUND. (more information)

Offered by Mybooklocator (United States)
$18.61
56) The Maltese Falcon (Qty: 5)
Dashiell Hammett

Vintage, 1989-07-17. Paperback. New. Brand New. In Stock. Order Now. Free upgrade with tracking. Over 600,000 items available. Buy from a trusted Power Seller. (more information)

Offered by *** www.HarvardBooksellers.com *** (United States)
$20.71
57) Maltese Falcon
Hammett, Dashiell

Paperback. Brand New, Never Used, Perfect Condition. Orders take 5-7 days to process and ship. (more information)

Offered by PapaMedia.com (United States)
$21.95