Max Smart Books in Order
Part ofWilliam Johnston Books in OrderRead the Max Smart books by William Johnston in order, with short summaries, series background, and the best place to begin Agent 86's comic spy missions.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Max Smart books in publication order
9 books
Get Smart
by William Johnston
1965
Agent 86 Maxwell Smart races against rival agents to find an extraordinary computer that has gone missing. With Agent 99 and Fang nearby, Max must save the day despite his talent for making every mission harder.
Get Smart Once Again
by William Johnston
1966
KAOS has a dangerous plan, and Max Smart ends up with information its agents desperately want back. With Agent 99 and Agent 44, he must stay alive long enough to stop a new disaster.
Max Smart and the Perilous Pellets
by William Johnston
1966
A new KAOS threat puts Max Smart on the trail of perilous pellets and the people who want to use them. CONTROL needs Max's courage, Agent 99's skill, and a little luck.
Missed It By That Much!
by William Johnston
1966
Max and Agent 99 travel to Africa to find Dr. Livingston, inventor of a formula KAOS wants for world domination. The mission is dangerous enough before Max's improvising turns it into chaos.
Sorry, Chief...
by William Johnston
1966
Max Smart lands in another CONTROL crisis where opposing sides have the power to bring each other down. He must untangle the scheme before KAOS does, while giving the Chief plenty to worry about.
And Loving It!
by William Johnston
1967
A snake charmer with the power to make people believe almost anything becomes the target of CONTROL and KAOS. Max and 99 must work with an enemy agent, which makes trust the real problem.
Max Smart Loses Control
by William Johnston
1968
When KAOS captures and brainwashes Hymie the Robot, Max must recover his mechanical colleague before the damage spreads. Agent 99 helps keep the mission on track as Max tries not to lose CONTROL himself.
The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold
by William Johnston
1968
Max and 99 must escort Professor Wormser von BOOM to a secret North Pole laboratory. To evade KAOS, they take a wildly indirect route through deserts, rivers, and foreign capitals.
Max Smart and the Ghastly Ghost Affair
by William Johnston
1969
Max and 99 follow KAOS assassins to a secret convention aboard a train, where passengers begin disappearing. Max must uncover the enemy's plan before he becomes the next person to vanish.
Max Smart books in chronological order
Get Smart
by William Johnston
1965Max Smart, Book 1
Get Smart Once Again
by William Johnston
1966Max Smart, Book 2
Missed It By That Much!
by William Johnston
1966Max Smart, Book 3
Max Smart and the Perilous Pellets
by William Johnston
1966Max Smart, Book 4
Sorry, Chief...
by William Johnston
1966Max Smart, Book 5
And Loving It!
by William Johnston
1967Max Smart, Book 6
The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold
by William Johnston
1968Max Smart, Book 7
Max Smart Loses Control
by William Johnston
1968Max Smart, Book 8
Max Smart and the Ghastly Ghost Affair
by William Johnston
1969Max Smart, Book 9
Series background & context
William Johnston's Max Smart novels are original comic spy adventures based on Get Smart. Max, Agent 86 of CONTROL, is brave, determined, and rarely as capable as he believes. Fortunately, Agent 99 is smart enough for both of them, and the Chief has learned to expect trouble whenever Max is sent into the field.
KAOS is always ready to make things worse.
The series plays with the serious language of Cold War espionage. Secret formulas, assassins, robots, stolen plans, dangerous scientists, and international villains all appear, but Johnston treats them as chances for gadgets to fail, disguises to unravel, and Max to misunderstand the obvious. The books share the TV show's love of puns and absurd names while building their own plots.
The first book, Get Smart, sends Max into a race to locate an extraordinary computer. From there, the missions become broader and stranger. Missed It By That Much! sends Max and 99 to Africa in search of a scientist and his vital formula. And Loving It! involves a hypnotic snake charmer whom both CONTROL and KAOS want to control. The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold turns a supposedly secure trip to the North Pole into a very indirect journey.
Max may be the nominal hero, but the team effort is part of the fun. Agent 99 provides calm competence, the Chief supplies exasperated orders, and characters such as Hymie the Robot add another layer of mechanical confusion. Johnston gives the supporting cast plenty to do instead of making every plot a one-man rescue.
These spies can keep a secret, except when they cannot hear each other inside the Cone of Silence.
The nine books work as stand-alone adventures, though publication order is the best way to enjoy the escalating mix of recurring characters and running jokes. Start with Get Smart, then continue through Get Smart Once Again and Missed It By That Much! before moving into the later missions.
Readers who like spoof thrillers, old TV comedy, and vintage paperbacks that take ridiculous danger completely seriously should find a lot to enjoy here.
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