High Sierra

New York/London: Alfred A. Knopf. Very Good+. 1940. 2nd printing. Hardcover. (lacking the original dust jacket, but encased in a professionally-made facsimile reproduction of the first edition jacket; see 2nd image posted with this listing) [good sound copy, light shelfwear and minor external soiling, a touch of fading to the spine cloth]. Novel about an ex-convict, once a Public Enemy No. 1, who falls back into a life of crime, set primarily in a rural California milieu. The main character, Roy Earle, was somewhat inspired by the author's research into the life and criminal exploits of John Dillinger -- a connection that, deliberately or not, was evoked by the casting of Humphrey Bogart in the role in the 1941 movie adaptation, in which the actor's vague resemblance to Dillinger was emphasized by his distinctive haircut in the film. .