Along with Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler invented the modern detective novel. He was a master of the "wise-crack" and the foremost exponent of the tough-guy school of writing. Raymond was also a writer of distinction in a field where quality was not expected. Dismissed for his unpredictable drinking habits, the mad who revealed California's seamy side in novels such as The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, and Farewell, My Lovely did not turn to fiction until the age of 44. He began with the pulps, and five years later tried his hand at novels. Within a few years the hero of his books, Philip Marlowe, had won a passionate international following [as] the tough but sentimental private eye. ... As Frank MacShane's entertaining biography shows, Raymond Chandler was the genuine article: a serious novelist who touched millions of readers. Drawing extensively on conversations with surviving members of the Chandler circle ... and from exclusive access to private correspondence and unpublished papers, Mr. MacShane's book is the first study of the life and times of this lively and influential literary figure. --From dust jacket.