Pete Hamill was an American journalist, novelist, essayist, and editor. Born as William Peter Hamill on June 24, 1935, he was known for his impactful career in New York City journalism. He was acclaimed as a columnist who captured the unique flavors of New York City's politics and sports, and the particular pathos of its crime. Hamill served as a columnist and editor for the New York Post and the New York Daily News.

Hamill's career spanned more than forty years. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the oldest of seven children of immigrants from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended Catholic schools during his childhood and left school at 16 to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a sheet metal worker. He later joined the United States Navy, where he completed his high school education. Using the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights, he studied painting and writing at Mexico City College in 1956-1957 and later attended Pratt Institute.

Initially working as a graphic designer, Hamill transitioned to journalism in 1960, starting as a reporter for the New York Post. Over his career, he wrote more than twenty books, including novels and collections of short stories.