Tom Clancy Biography

(American Author Best Known for His Novel ‘The Hunt for Red October’)

Birthday: April 12, 1947 (Aries)

Born In: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Innate storytelling ability, witty dialogues, realistic characters, exhaustive and meticulous description are few of the trademark signs of Tom Clancy’s novels. A master of fiction and non-fiction, he was responsible for conceiving the character of Jack Ryan. An insurance agent by profession, Clancy’s love for writing was a long cherished one. He started writing novels in his pastime soon turning his hobby into his passion and eventually his career. Right from his debut novel, he was a huge hit among the readers and the critics alike. His first novel, ‘The Hunt for Red October’ gave the readers a perfect example of his distinctive writing style and inherent storytelling skills. The work was much appreciated by the then US President Ronald Reagan as well, who commented it to be “my kind of yarn”. The compliment was enough to boost the sales of the book which zoomed to 300,000 hardcover and 2 million paperback copies. Over the years, about seventeen of his novels achieved the bestselling status with more than 100 million of his books in print. He was responsible for expanding and redefining the genre of fiction. Most of his novels have been developed into television series, films and video games.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Thomas Leo Clancy Jr.

Died At Age: 66

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Alexandra Marie Llewellyn (m. 1999) Wanda Thomas

Novelists American Men

political ideology: Conservative and Republican

Died on: October 1, 2013

place of death: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Cause of Death: Heart Failure

Notable Alumni: Loyola College

Ancestry: Irish American

City: Baltimore, Maryland

U.S. State: Maryland

Founder/Co-Founder: Rotary Rocket

More Facts

education: Loyola College

awards: 1990 - Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement from the Navy League of the United States

  • 1

    What are some of the most popular Tom Clancy books?

    Some of the most popular Tom Clancy books include "The Hunt for Red October," "Clear and Present Danger," "Patriot Games," "The Sum of All Fears," and "Rainbow Six."

  • 2

    Is Tom Clancy still alive?

    No, Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013.

  • 3

    Are there any movies based on Tom Clancy's books?

    Yes, several movies have been made based on Tom Clancy's books, including "The Hunt for Red October," "Clear and Present Danger," "Patriot Games," and "The Sum of All Fears."

  • 4

    What is the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy?

    The Jack Ryan series is a collection of novels written by Tom Clancy that feature the character Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst turned President of the United States, as the protagonist.

  • 5

    Who has continued to write books in the Tom Clancy universe since his passing?

    After Tom Clancy's passing, authors such as Mark Greaney have continued to write books in the Tom Clancy universe, carrying on his legacy.

Childhood & Early Life
Tom Clancy was born on April 12, 1947 to Thomas and Catherine Clancy in Baltimore, Maryland. He was second of the three children born to the couple. His mother worked in a store’s credit department, while his father was employed at the United States Postal Service.
He attained his formal education from Catherine Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Maryland. Completing the same in 1965, he enrolled at the Loyola College for a degree in English Literature.
It was during his years at the university that he applied to work at the Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corps, his lifelong dream. However, his poor vision made him ineligible for the same.
After completing his graduation in 1969, he worked for an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1973, he was recruited by the O. F Bowen Agency, an insurance agency. Seven years later, he bought the agency.
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Career
His trysts with writing commenced while he was working at the insurance agency. In 1982, he formally began his writing career with the novel, ‘The Hunt For Red October’, which was completed in 1984 and published under Naval Institute Press. The book introduced the fictitious character of Jack Ryan.
The book was well received by the audience initially. Much against his expectations of selling 5000 copies, ‘The Hunt for Red October’ went past the 45,000 mark thus becoming a hit. However, the best was yet to come.
With President Ronal Reagan praising ‘The Hunt for Red October’, the sales of the book achieved a new high and ended up becoming a national bestseller, selling 300,000 hardcover and 2 million paperback copies.
After the success of the book, he became a sought-after name in the literary circle. He was praised by critics and the like for his technical know-how and the accuracy that he brought down to the paper.
Post the extravagant success of his debut novel, his insurance career took a backseat as he focussed more on writing. His next novel ‘Red Storm Rising’ was published in 1986.
In 1987, he came up with the novel, ‘Patriot Games’ which brought to the forefront the character of Jack Ryan, first witnessed in his debut book. The book though released later, facts pre-dated ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
In 1988, he published a sequel of his book, titled, ‘The Cardinal of Kremlin’. The book introduced the characters of Jack Clark, Sergey Golovko, Major Alan Gregory and Colonel Bondareko.
In 1989, he published the book, ‘Clear and Present Danger’, which was the subsequent book in the Jack Ryan universe. It was followed by ‘The Sum Of All Fears’ in 1991.
In 1993, he came up with his next piece of work, ‘Without Remorse’. Technically revolving around the period of 1969 and 1973, the book is the first in the Jack Ryan series and an anterior to ‘Patriot Games’ and ‘he Hunt for Red October’.
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Year 1993 also witnessed him moving from the genre of fiction to non-fiction with his first book, ‘Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship’ being released. Throughout his career, he continued writing non-fiction works as well that provided an in-depth detail about the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
From 1994 until 1996, he released three books, two of which are follow-ups of the Jack Ryan universe. ‘Debt of Honor’, released in 1994, was immediately followed by its sequel ‘Executive Orders’ in 1996. The same year, he released ‘SSN: Strategies for Submarine Warfare’ which was not a part of the Ryan universe.
Meanwhile, in 1995, he along with Steve Pieczenik created the novel series Op-Center, which was penned by Jeff Rovin. The series had a total of 12 books, with ‘Tom Clancy’s Op-Center’ being its first one.
In 1998, he returned to the Ryan universe with the novel, ‘Rainbow Six’. The following year, he along with Steve Pieczenik created the Net Force series which was written by Steve Perry. The series, based in 2010, maps the actions of Net Force, a special division of the FBI set up to combat increasing crime on the internet. The Net Force series had a total of 10 books under it.
In 2002, he published a follow-up of the Ryan’s universe titled, “The Bear and the Dragon’. ‘The Teeth of the Tiger’, which was next to follow in 2006, introduced the characters of Jack Ryan’s son, Jack Ryan Jr and his nephews.
He released three more books from the series, titled, ‘Dead or Alive, published in 2010, ‘Locked On’ in 2011 and ‘Threat Vector’ in 2012. Meanwhile, apart from the Jack Ryan series, he published the work, ‘Against All Enemies’, which revolves around a fictitious plot of terrorist bombing in Pakistan.
In December 2013, ‘Command Authority’, the next novel in the Jack Ryan universe, was released.
Major Works
He was a master of fiction and was responsible for conceiving the character of Jack Ryan. Most of his works have been adapted into television series, films and video games. Each of his penned books has met with grand reception, making him worth USD $190 million.
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Personal Life & Legacy
He married twice in his lifetime. The first was to Wanda Thomas King, an eye surgeon in 1969. The couple was blessed with four children. They parted ways in 1996, legally separating only in 1999.
Six months after his divorce from his first wife, he tied the knot with freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn. The two first met in 1997. They were blessed with a daughter. They remained together until his death in October 2013.
He breathed his last on October 1, 2013, of an undisclosed illness at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Facts About Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy was an avid fan of military technology and even owned a tank that he kept on his property.

He was known for his meticulous attention to detail in his novels, often conducting extensive research to ensure accuracy.

Clancy was a co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team for a period of time.

He was a licensed pilot and enjoyed flying in his spare time.

Clancy was a vocal supporter of military veterans and frequently donated to veteran causes.

See the events in life of Tom Clancy in Chronological Order

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