Introduction


Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy is the voice of the Cold War. In the early 1980s, at nearly 40 years old, Clancy became a household name with his espionage novel The Hunt for Red October. The tale of a rogue Soviet submarine with nuclear capabilities perfectly captured the pre-Glasnost tension between the U.S.S.R and the U.S. The Hunt for Red October also launched the series that would define Clancy’s career. Its hero, Jack Ryan, along with his compatriot John Clark (introduced in a later novel), is the thread running through the Clancy canon. But having an enduring hero figure is only part of what makes Clancy’s spy tales must-read popular fiction: his intricate plotting and detailed depiction of intelligence work have kept Clancey on best-seller lists around the world.

Essential Facts

  1. Clancy is an avid sports fan and is currently a co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles. An attempt to acquire another team fell through in the wake of his divorce.
  2. A longtime conservative, Clancy surprised many in the wake of the September 11th attacks by speaking on behalf of the Islamic faith.
  3. In the mid-1990s, Clancy branched out into video games. His Red Storm Entertainment has produced dozens of games based on his work.
  4. In addition to espionage books, Clancy has also authored many nonfiction works about various aspects of the military.
  5. Although ghostwriting is a common practice for deceased writers, Clancy has made a fortune from this practice while still very much alive. His Op-Center and Net-Force series are ghostwritten by other authors.