David Wingrove Introduction (3 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Very good in publisher's black cloth with gilt titling to the spine. In a very good dust jacket showing some light tanning. 8vo. 184pp.

Soft cover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Paperback, x + 588 pages, NOT ex-library. Outer page edges affected by age spotting. Interior is clean and bright, untanned, with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps. Firm binding, spine remains free of vertical creases. -- W.R. Burnett was one of the founding fathers of American crime fiction - a writer whose tough, stylish prose helped define the noir and hardboiled genres in the 20th century. Before Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett became household names, Burnett was already shaping the landscape of gritty urban storytelling with a focus on gangsters, crooks, and the often-blurred lines between law and crime. His influence stretches from classic pulp to Hollywood, with many of his stories adapted into iconic films. The collected volume "4 Novels" brings together four of his finest, most enduring works. Little Caesar (1929) is a landmark in crime fiction - a raw, unsentimental portrait of a rising mobster that set the template for the modern gangster novel. The Asphalt Jungle (1949) dives into the underworld of a jewel heist gone wrong, portraying the criminals as professionals caught in a system as ruthless as they are. High Sierra (1940) mixes noir grit with unexpected tenderness in the story of an aging outlaw's last stand - made famous by Humphrey Bogart's career-defining film role. Vanity Row (1952), a lesser-known gem, explores corruption and power through a political murder investigation that reveals a city rotting from within. Together, these novels showcase Burnett's gift for crisp dialogue, psychological depth, and his unflinching look at American ambition on the wrong side of the law. For fans of classic noir, hardboiled fiction, and stories where fate looms large over flawed characters, this collection is a must-read - a masterclass in storytelling from one of the genre's true pioneers. -- From the rear cover: "Black Box Thrillers: four titles in one volume, each a forgotten masterpiece by leading thriller writers of yesteryear. "More good movies have been made from W.R. Burnett's novels than from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's." Andrew Sarris; "One of the most neglected American writers. There are moments of reality in his books that are quite overpowering. More than once they've had me breaking into sweat." John Huston; "One of the most important American fiction writers of the twentieth century." H.R.F. Keating; "The single most successful writer on the notion of the criminal as the emblem of an era. He provides some of the most dynamic and apposite metaphors for the life of America in the twentieth century." George Grella; -- Little Caesar: filmed by Mervyn LeRoy as the classic movie starring Edward G. Robinson. The tale of the rise and inevitable fall of an Italian gangster in America. The prototype underworld novel that influenced William Faulkner, Graham Greene and countless others. The Asphalt Jungle: filmed by John Huston with Humphrey Bogart and Sterling Hayden. The compelling study of how a major crime is planned and committed, and then degenerates into chaos. High Sierra: filmed by Raoul Walsh with Humphrey Bogart. The final, tragic days of an ageing gangster and his hallucinatory flight from the police. Vanity Row: the classic tale of big city corruption in America, as police and criminals mingle during the investigation of a murder in high places.…

dj. [Science Fiction] REISSUE, first thus. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[2] 253 [1]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the typographic dust-jacket, priced at £8.95. A crisp, clean copy showing some minor wear to extremities. Near fine. A hardcover reissue of the classic Sci-fi novel, first serialised in 1961. …