GRESHAM, William Lindsay (1909 - 1962). Nightmare Alley. New York: Rinehart & Co., 1946. FIRST EDITION. Original black cloth, spine with titles in gilt on green background, green top stain; original dust jacket (chipped around edges, spine somewhat toned). Gresham would later claim that the genesis of the novel came from conversations he had with a former carnival worker while they were serving as volunteers with Loyalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The first and most successful of Gresham?s novels, Nightmare Alley was adapted into a major motion picture in 1947 and again in 2021; the latter was nominated for four Oscars at the 94th Academy Awards.