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I had discovered Ian Fleming's James Bond at an early age due to DC comics doing a film adaptation of Dr. No but my first Bond movie that I saw was Goldfinger (blogged elsewhere) but reading Fleming did not deliver the thrills I had hoped for as a young reader.

On TV secret agents were well represented by Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man (in Great Britain--Secret Agent for USA) series (the plots went over my head often) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. whose plots didn't make of that what you should.

Now I had a morning paper route and I made a fairly nice number of friends among the adults--probably because I'ld get up 5 am to do it and get back to bed by 6 am for an extra hour. One of the ladies gave me a handful of books one day which consisted of Nick Carter Killmaster novels and one Matt Helm novel--The Wrecking Crew. The early Killmasters were actually readable and delivered on thrills, great fight scenes and pre-marriage benefits scenes that contributed to some young teenage misconceptions about what woman want.

Donald Hamilton was the writer of The Wrecking Crew. His hero named Matt Helm worked for a U.S. government agency mostly dealing with assasinations of enemy agents or personnel endangering the interest of our country. Helm was pragmatic in the carrying out the mission and would sacrifice anyone (if he had to--and at least feel bad about it--but do it anyway). He was tough minded and no nonsense and had brains. Often (as also in Quiller novels) the basic mission had more then meets the eye stuff going on and they were quick exciting reads.

Ignore the Dean Martin movies. Please.

From 1960 to 1993 Hamilton wrote 27 novels about Helm and I've read them all and since the mid-70s KEPT them all when finer books are blithely given away. I actually read Murderers Row to the kids once -only Jim stayed awake. Hamilton kept track of his characters--a lot of ladies Helm ends up with at the end of one book return (usually to die) and friends/villains pop up and one book will set up another down the line. I have a life long affection for them. The idea of looking yourself in the mirror and not exactly being pleased with what's looking back came from Helm. Making the tough decision not the pleasing one comes from him--especially in the child raising years. We want to win the war not just some skimishes.

Hamilton's Helm novels were published by Fawcett Gold Medal books until the last in 1993. Someone there does not respect traditions or legacies as Hamilton wrote one final one in 1997 and it still remains unpublished. I keep an eye on certain web sites waiting for news but had NOT done in awhile.

Longer then I thought. While on vacation yesterday I picked up The Intriguers for a reread as it had been a few years and with the memory fading year after year thought I might not remember it all that well. The first ten have been read at least twice and a couple three times. After that we slow down a bit.

I decide to see if The Dominators (the unpublished novel was out yet) and go the web site--Unofficial Matt Helm--and discover to my dismay and grief the last writer of my childhood days is gone. November 20, 2006 at age 90 two days before my 26th anniversary with the long suffering one.

Hamilton had once said Matt was named after Matthew from the New Testament (Great Detectives anthology where detective/spy creators revealed how they created their characters) but I wonder at his final soul's resting place. I do know he make some of the lonely teen years bearable.

To Donald Hamilton with love and respect for the greatest secret agent of substance I know--yes we acknowledge John LeCarre and Len Deighton as superior writers but this is my views and my affirmation. Probably 50 years from now he'll be forgotten but he deserves better.