New York: Lincoln Mac Veagh / The Dial Press, 1929. First edition. A Near Fine copy in Very Good+ dust jacket. Publisher's dark blue cloth titled in yellow. Some bubbling to cloth at lower board and two small early ink ownership signatures to preliminary blank, otherwise an excellent copy, clean throughout. Dust jacket with some chipping to head and tail of spine, some a bit of toning to flap folds, and some amateur tape repairs to verso (not visible externally). Still, an attractive example, retaining its rich blue color and presenting very well.

W.R. Burnett's Little Caesar, a "hard-boiled" crime novel set in Chicago's mafia underworld, was first published by Dial Press earlier in 1929. The novel was adapted for the screen in 1931 and premiered in January of that year to major critical and commercial success. The adaptation is often cited as the first true gangster movie, preceding both The Public Enemy, which was also produced by Warner Bros. Studios and premiered in April 1931, and Scarface (1932). Together, those three films defined the gangster movie for decades to come. Near Fine in Very Good + dust jacket. (Item #8097)