Hello DHWP,

    I am Don's son and wish to start by telling you how pleased and
flattered Don is by this web site. Presently, he has no modem, so I am
writing in his stead. I am currently in the U.S. to sell the family
house, located in the historic district of  Santa Fe, NM (Real Estate
agent, Shell MacKenzie at email:  french@rt66.com, web page:
http://www.french-french.com). Don is living in Spain. I am writing to
give you additional information, correct some errors and add a few
comments (treading on no toes, I hope!)
    First on his bio: born as Greve Knut Donald Bengtsson Hamilton.
Greve is the title of "Count", as this branch of the Hamiltons is a
Swedish aristocratic family. Knut is the grandfathers name, then the
"given" name, by which one is known, then the fathers name with -sson
tacked on, and finally the family name. This was (and still is) the
naming formula for the 1st born son.
    In the U.S., he grew up in Baltimore, MD, and Chicago, IL, with
summer trips out West. The B.S. from Chicago University was in
Chemistry, at which job he worked in the private sector until WW11, when
he entered the Navy, spending the war at the Annapolis Naval Base
cooking up weird potions for the government.
    Don has four children, all living, 2 boys and 2 girls. He has 6
grandchildren (5 of whom are mine).
    Don and I now buy small ships (one at a time), have them renovated
and then sell them. We spent a year in Denmark, one year in Poland,
getting the present ship, named "Maagen", worked on. She is now ready
for sale, laying in Svendborg, Denmark.
             for more info on  "Maagen"   web site:
http://www.djurgardsvarvet.a.se/


    We moved to Spain to get some sun after two years on the Baltic Sea,
and now live in Tarifa, the southern most tip of continental Europe.
Lots of sun.
    I had a friend print out the DHWP, and enjoyed it all, particularly
the
"who should play Matt Helm" section. My votes are as follows: in the old
days, perhaps Max Von Sydow with a hard body (?) joking, just
joking......   Don always said (and at one point asked for ) Richard
Boone. I agree with the earlier Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin. For
nowadays, though, I reject the Kilmers, Russels et al, as too soft and
too hip. Ditto Gibson. Too nice. Physically, the perfect specimen is
Dolf Lundgren, if one could get a good director to "de-woodenize" him.
    Well, Don has finished what will almost undoubtedly be his last Matt
Helm, as he is now 84 years old and wants to retire from that level of
concentration. And it is with great embarrassment that  I tell you that,
for the life of me, I cannot at this moment remember the damned name of
the new book. Oh well. With luck, it should hit the stands within the
next 12 months.
    Don loves fan mail, including all of ya'll's weird and wonderful
opinions and he replies to all who write to him. Keep it coming!

Sincerely,
Gordon Hamilton