The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

A CULT MASTERPIECE-THE ADVENTURE NOVEL THAT INSPIRED JOHN HUSTON'S CLASSIC FILM, BY THE ELUSIVE AUTHOR WHO WAS A MODEL FOR THE HERO OF ROBERTO BOLAÑO'S 2666.
Little is known for certain about B. Traven. Evidence suggests that he was born Otto Feige in Schlewsig-Holstein and that he escaped a death sentence for his involvement with the anarchist underground in Bavaria. Traven spent most of his adult life in Mexico, where, under various names, he wrote several bestsellers and was an outspoken defender of the rights of Mexico's indigenous people.
First published in 1935, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is Traven's most famous and enduring work, the dark, savagely ironic, and riveting story of three down-and-out Americans hunting for gold in Sonora.

B. Traven (1882-1969) is the pen name of the most enigmatic writer of the twentieth century. His other aliases include Hal Croves, Traven Torsvan and Ret Marut. Born in Germany, Traven spent much of his adult life in Mexico. He once wrote, "I shall always and at all times prefer to be pissed on by dogs than reveal who I am." He has sold over thirty million books, in over thirty languages. Film adaptations of his work include The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which won 3 Oscars, Macario, the first Oscar nominated Mexican film, and The Death Ship, a cult classic in Germany. He is a model for Archimboldi, the hero of Roberto Bolaño's 2666.