Tom Clancy’s Followers (9,217)

Add New
Videos

Add a comment

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Official Trailer #1 2013)

Add a comment

Tom Clancy

Born

in Baltimore, Maryland, The United States

April 12, 1947

Died

October 01, 2013

Website

http://www.tomclancy.com/

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

Influences

James Wesley Rawles ...more

edit data

Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. was an American novelist and military-political thriller pioneer. Raised in a middle-class Irish-American family, he developed an early fascination with military history. Despite initially studying physics at Loyola College, he switched to English literature, graduating in 1969 with a modest GPA. His aspirations of serving in the military were dashed due to severe myopia, leading him instead to a career in the insurance business.

While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as "the best yarn." Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. was an American novelist and military-political thriller pioneer. Raised in a middle-class Irish-American family, he developed an early fascination with military history. Despite initially studying physics at Loyola College, he switched to English literature, graduating in 1969 with a modest GPA. His aspirations of serving in the military were dashed due to severe myopia, leading him instead to a career in the insurance business.

While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as "the best yarn." This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.

Clancy's works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.

In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.

Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.

Clancy's financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.

Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers. ...more

Combine Editions
Tom Clancy’s books

Average rating: 4.09 · 1,689,093 ratings · 33,824 reviews · 1,027 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, #3) 4.12 avg rating — 389,942 ratings — published 1984 — 238 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Patriot Games (Jack Ryan, #1) 4.17 avg rating — 214,639 ratings — published 1987 — 153 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan, #5; Jack Ryan Universe, #6) 4.14 avg rating — 144,497 ratings — published 1989 — 158 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Red Storm Rising 4.21 avg rating — 85,252 ratings — published 1986 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Without Remorse (John Clark, #1; Jack Ryan Universe Publication Order, #6) 4.22 avg rating — 77,290 ratings — published 1993 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Sum of All Fears (Jack Ryan, #6) 4.08 avg rating — 67,041 ratings — published 1991 — 134 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Jack Ryan, #4) 4.10 avg rating — 61,194 ratings — published 1988 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rainbow Six (John Clark, #2; Jack Ryan Universe, #10) 4.14 avg rating — 58,635 ratings — published 1998 — 126 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Executive Orders (Jack Ryan, #8) 4.12 avg rating — 53,961 ratings — published 1996 — 106 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Debt of Honor (Jack Ryan, #7) 4.11 avg rating — 52,256 ratings — published 1994 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Tom Clancy…

Series by Tom Clancy

Jack Ryan Universe (Publication Order) (43 books)
by

Tom Clancy

4.13 avg rating — 1,517,097 ratings

Jack Ryan Universe (43 books)
by

Tom Clancy

4.13 avg rating — 1,516,292 ratings

Jack Ryan (20 books)
by

Tom Clancy

4.14 avg rating — 1,135,845 ratings

Jack Ryan, Jr. (20 books)
by

Tom Clancy,

Mark Greaney (Goodreads Author)

4.10 avg rating — 227,165 ratings

John Clark (3 books)
by

Tom Clancy

4.13 avg rating — 169,427 ratings

More series by Tom Clancy…

If you’re a fan of mystery, thriller, and suspense series and are searching for reading ideas then look no further. We’ve...

Polls

Vote on December Book of the Month

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (1999)

Allies (Turing included) try to decrypt Axis communication codes in WWII.
Rated 4.26

2 votes, 50.0%

Deception Point by Dan Brown (2001)

An object found in the Artic ice drawn NASA and militia forces.
Read when it came out. Liked it better than Digital Fortress. Wanted to revisit to rank it properly.

2 votes, 50.0%

Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy (1994)

Debt of Honor (Jack Ryan, #7) by Tom Clancy

Present day Japanese man seeks to avenge Japan's WWII loss to America. Next great Clancy's book I haven't read.

0 votes, 0.0%

Upgrade by Blake Crouch (2022)

Not so highly rated but at least contemporary, and still fun I hear.

0 votes, 0.0%

Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston

A non-fiction option. Hot Zone was good. This one includes anthrax and seems to predict COVID.

0 votes, 0.0%

4 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Confused & intimidated on how to Combine Titles	3	93	Oct 31, 2008 08:16PM
The Book Challenge: Michelle Kay's Reads 2009	4	1207	Apr 17, 2009 12:42AM
College Students! : Michelle Kay's 2009 Reads	7	553	May 06, 2009 09:12PM
The Next Best Boo...: The WINNERS for August's Group Read are....	150	734	Aug 03, 2009 05:54AM
The History Book ...: 1. KILLER ANGELS (HF) ~ FOREWARD, CHAPTER 1 (IX - XV + THE SPY) (01/04/10 - 01/10/10) ~ No spoilers, please	48	79	Jan 11, 2010 12:15PM
College Students! : The REAL Official School Year Challenge 09	96	1187	Feb 04, 2010 05:14PM
Between the Lines: Last Letter Game (Writers/Authors)	336	290	Mar 07, 2010 12:55PM
The History Book ...: 2. HF - MASTER AND COMMANDER - CHAPTER 2 (42- 94) (05/10/10 - 05/16/10) ~ No spoilers, please	38	122	May 17, 2010 06:32AM
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks	2717	2515	May 31, 2010 09:00PM
The Next Best Boo...: Espionage Thrillers?	10	172	Jul 02, 2010 09:39AM

More…

Tom Clancy’s Followers (9,217)

Add NewVideos

Tom Clancy

Combine EditionsTom Clancy’s books

Series by Tom Clancy

Related News

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Add New
Videos

Combine Editions
Tom Clancy’s books