Shaft by Ernest Tidyman, First Edition Hardcover with Dust Jacket

Ernest Tidyman

First Edition

[African American] Tidyman, Ernest. Shaft. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1970. First Edition, First Printing Hardcover with Dust Jacket. 188 page. Measures 6" x 8.5". Cover features an artistic rewndering of a black detective on a white backdrop. The book served as the basis for the popular and influential 1971 film starring Richard Roundtree. “Shaft” follows detective John Shaft on his adventures in New York City. The film was adapted from Ernest Tidyman’s novels by Tidyman and screenwriter John D.F. Black. “Shaft” played a crucial part in the development of African-American advancement in Hollywood. The MGM adaptation was followed by several sequels, and a 2000 movie remake starring Samuel L. Jackson. Tidyman later said about writing Shaft: "Reading black fiction, you see that the central figure is either super hero or super victim, as in [William] Styron's book. The blacks I knew were smart and sophisticated, and I thought, what about a black hero who thinks of himself as a human being, but who uses his black rage as one of his resources, along with intelligence and courage." Sates "First Printing" on copywriter page. DJ, Covers and pages are clean, book is in very good condition.

Item #20765

Price: $450.00