Field Notes "The Maltese Falcon" Book - Limited Edition

Field Notes’ winter 2025 release pays homage to the remarkable Armed Services Editions — the pocket-sized paperbacks that travelled with U.S. troops through the Second World War. Lightweight, affordable, and endlessly passed from hand to hand, more than 120 million ASE books were printed between 1943 and 1947. Curiously, Dashiell Hammett’s classic hardboiled novel The Maltese Falcon never appeared in the line-up. Field Notes has now set that right.

This limited edition presents the original Black Mask magazine text in an authentic ASE-style format, making it the first new Armed Services Edition to be produced since the programme ended in 1947. Compact, collectable, and steeped in history, it’s a small treasure for readers who enjoy a good mystery — and for anyone who appreciates a thoughtful nod to literary heritage.

SIDEWAYS
The ASE books were published in a unique, horizontal format which made them lovely as objects and eminently readable as books. That, and their simple, bold colour palette inspired by the “1943” Edition Two-Way Memo Books.

Why You’ll Love It

• Authentic ASE Revival: The first newly issued Armed Services Edition in nearly 80 years, faithfully modelled on the originals.

• Classic Crime Fiction: Features the original serialized Black Mask text of The Maltese Falcon, a landmark of 1920s detective writing.

• Lightweight and Portable: Designed in true ASE fashion — slim, pocketable, and ideal for reading on the move.

Details

• Dimensions: 140mm × 97mm
• Material: Paper
  
• Country of Origin: United States