Born on this day in 1947, Tom Clancy came to define the modern techno-thriller.
I read "The Hunt for Red October" soon after its publication in 1984 — and have many fond memories of escaping into the pages of each new Clancy novel over the ensuing years.
I remember exactly where I was as I cracked open their covers.
I already had my sights set on the SEAL teams when John Clark first appeared in "The Cardinal of the Kremlin."
When "Without Remorse" hit shelves (in 1993), I immediately immersed myself in the origin story of the former Navy SEAL and CIA legend.
That book in particular remains an old friend.
Do you have a favorite Tom Clancy novel?
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Born in Baltimore, Clancy first hit the best-seller lists in 1984 with "The Hunt for Red October."
He sold the manuscript to the first publisher he tried, the Naval Institute Press — which up until then had never bought original fiction.
By a stroke of luck, President Ronald Reagan received "Red October" as a Christmas gift.
He quipped at a dinner that he was losing sleep because he couldn't put the book down.
It was statement Clancy later said helped put him on the New York Times best-seller list.
A string of successful books followed, including "Red Storm Rising," "Patriot Games," "The Cardinal of the Kremlin," "Clear and Present Danger," "The Sum of All Fears," and "Without Remorse."
Many of Clancy's works were turned into blockbuster movies starring Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine and John Krasinski.
In addition to motion pictures, Clancy ventured into video games with the best-selling "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier," "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction" and "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent."
Aside from his creative work, Clancy was a supporter of the Republican Party.
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He became a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association in 1978.
Clancy was also a part owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
After Clancy passed away at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a brief illness in 2016, David Shanks, an executive personally involved in publishing all of Clancy's books, released a statement.
"I'm deeply saddened by Tom's passing. He was a consummate author, creating the modern-day thriller, and was one of the most visionary storytellers of our time," said Shanks.
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"I will miss him dearly and he will be missed by tens of millions of readers worldwide."
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Ivan Held, president and publisher of Penguin's G.P. Putnam's Sons imprint, added that Clancy was "ahead of the news curve and sometimes frighteningly prescient. To publish a Tom Clancy book was a thrill every time."
This is the fourth in a new series for Fox News Digital that bestselling novelist Jack Carr is writing about key figures and moments in history. Stay tuned for more!
