The Hunt for Red October Quotes

“It was one thing to use computers as a tool, quite another to let them do your thinking for you.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“It is a principle of diplomacy that one must know something of the truth in order to lie convincingly.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Being a victim is more palatable than having to recognize the intrinsic contradictions of one's own governing philosophy.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“In the Soviet Union every worker is a government worker, and they have a saying: As long as the bosses pretend to pay us, we will pretend to work.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Danger confronted properly is not something a man must fear.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“A wise man knows his limitations.’ And a bold one seizes opportunities.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“One thing about flying that he never got used to was that no matter how awful the weather was on the ground, if you flew high enough you could always find the sun.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“The only people Ryan needed to impress were those who knew him; he cared little for the rest.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“We wait. No sense spooking him. We let him come in nice and close while we do our famous imitation of a hole in the water,”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Sunday was the normal day for the political awareness session at sea. Ordinarily Putin would have officiated, reading some Pravada editorials, followed by selected quotations from the works of Lenin and a discussion of the lessons to be learned from the readings. It is very much like a church service.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“The Good of the People was a laudable enough goal, but in denying a man’s soul, an enduring part of his being, Marxism stripped away the foundation of human dignity and individual value. It also cast aside the objective measure of justice and ethics which, he decided, was the principal legacy of religion to civilized life.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“every sailor needs someone to return to, that every woman needs someone to wait for.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“The Good of the People was a laudable enough goal, but in denying a man's soul, an enduring part of his being, Marxism stripped away the foundation of human dignity and individual value.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Each of a hundred ships, built by the same men at the same yard to the same plans, will have her own special characteristics--most of them bad, really, but after her crew becomes accustomed to them they are spoken of affectionately, particularly in retrospect.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“One of the compensations for wearing a uniform and earning less money than an equally talented man can make in the real world is the off chance of being killed.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Mr. Ambassador, any person in the United States, regardless of his nationality or the manner of his arrival, is entitled to the full protection of our law. Our courts have ruled on this many times, and under our law no man or woman may be compelled to do something against his will without due process.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“A man had to have something, he reasoned, to lose his mind in, at least once a day.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“audience, not interrupting once, only darting a few disbelieving looks at him. ‘God Almighty,’ Painter said when Ryan finished. Davenport just stared poker-faced as he contemplated the possibility of examining a Soviet missile sub from the inside. Jack decided he’d be a formidable opponent over cards. Painter went on, ‘Do you really believe this?’ ‘Yes, sir, I do.’ Ryan poured himself another cup of coffee. He would have preferred a beer to go with his corned beef. It hadn’t been bad at all, and good kosher corned beef was something he’d been unable to find in London. Painter leaned back and looked at Davenport. ‘Charlie, you tell Greer to teach this lad a few lessons – like how a bureaucrat ain’t supposed to stick his neck this far out on the block. Don’t you think this is a little far-fetched?’ ‘Josh, Ryan here’s the guy who did the report last June on Soviet missile-sub patrol patterns.’ ‘Oh? That was a nice piece of work. It confirmed something I’ve been saying for two or three years.’ Painter rose and walked to the corner to look out at the stormy sea. ‘So, what are we supposed to do about all this?”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“The Good of the People was a laudable enough goal, but in denying a man’s soul, an enduring part of his being, Marxism stripped away the foundation of human dignity and individual value.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“that one must know something of the truth in order to lie convincingly.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“First we must accomplish the task at hand. An officer who looks too far ahead stumbles over his own boots.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“preparation, knowledge, and discipline can deal with any form of danger; that danger confronted properly is not something a man must fear.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Way to go, Dallas!”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“kludge.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“say something, but his mouth flapped open and shut without a sound except for the exhalation of his last lungful of air. He tried to gulp air down like a landed fish, and this did not work. Then his eyes went up to Ramius, wide in shock—there was no pain, and no emotion but surprise. The captain laid him gently on the tile deck. Ramius saw the face flash with recognition, then darken. He reached down to take Putin’s pulse. It was nearly two minutes before the heart stopped completely. When Ramius was sure that his political officer was dead, he took the teapot from the table and poured two cups’ worth on the deck, careful to drip some on the man’s shoes. Next he lifted the body to the wardroom table and threw open the”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Submariners lived by a simple motto: There are two kinds of ships, submarines . . . and targets.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“Yes,’ Smirnov answered, ‘he was on a nuclear-powered submarine.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“one must know something of the truth in order to lie convincingly.” The president smiled. “Well, they’ve had enough time to play this game. I hope my belated reaction will not disappoint them.” “No, sir. Alex must have half expected you to kick him out the door.” “The thought’s occurred to me more than once. His diplomatic charm has always been lost on me. That’s the one thing about the Russians—they remind me so much of the mafia chieftains I used to prosecute. The same smattering of culture and good manners, and the same absence of morality.” The president shook his head. He was talking like a hawk again. “Stay close, Jeff. I have George Farmer coming in here in a few minutes, but I want you around when our friend comes back.” Pelt walked back to his office pondering the president’s remark. It was, he admitted to himself, crudely accurate. The most wounding insult to an educated Russian was to be”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“As they say in the movies, if you want in, fine; if not, you may leave at this point, and nothing will ever be said. It is asking a lot to expect men to walk into a potentially dangerous assignment blindfolded.” Of course nobody left; the men who had been called here were not quitters. Besides, something would be said, and Davenport had a good memory. These were professional officers. One of the compensations for wearing a uniform and earning less money than an equally talented man can make in the real world is the off chance of being killed.”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

“No such luck,” Davenport scoffed. “They haven’t lost a boomer since that Golf we lifted off Hawaii, back when you were in high school,”
― Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October