A collection of letters--to friends, lovers, family, and colleagues--by the legendary crime writer reveals the man behind the author as he discusses the craft of writing, his personal life, and his literary creations, Sam Spade and Nick and Nora Charles. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

The daughter of Dashiell Hammett, the Hollywood screenwriter and author of The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man, provides a compelling glimpse into his life, from their relationship to his rude flirtations, heavy drinking, and attraction to Communism, in an engaging and straight-forward memoir that contains never-before-published photos from family albums.