Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) was an American author of hardboiled crime fiction. He is best known for creating the characters Sam Spade, Nick & Nora Charles and the Continental Op. Before becoming an author, Hammett was a Pinkerton agent, which he drew upon as an author. He said, “all my characters were based on people I’ve known personally, or known about.” Although he died in 1961, his career was over in 1934. He dedicated the remainder of his life to left-wing activism and anti-fascism.
