I don't think it's ever been noted how much Hamilton was
influenced by
Hammett. The early Helm stories, in particular, often evoke
the memory
of the Continental Op stories. Helm's voice is much like
the
Op's--ironic and darkly humorous--and Helm's ruthlessness is
strongly
reminiscent of the Op's, particularly when violence must be
done to
achieve an objective. Mac, like the Op's Old Man, is
punctilious in his
speech and mild mannered, even when sending his men out on
suicide
missions. The Helm stories are a real high watermark in
hard-boiled
fiction of the '60s, as well as well-crafted espionage
stories.
-- ************************************** Robert E. Skinner, Director Xavier University of Louisiana Library 7325 Palmetto Street New Orleans, LA 70125 (504) 483-7303 (voice) (504) 485-7917 (FAX) e-mail: rskinner@mail.xula.edu ************************************** # # To unsubscribe, say "unsubscribe rara-avis" to majordomo@icomm.ca. # The web pages for the list are at http://www.vex.net/~buff/rara-avis/.