Tom Clancy dies at 66; author wowed thriller lovers and Hollywood

Tom Clancy died Tuesday in Baltimore at age 66, his publisher, Penguin Group, told the Associated Press. No cause was given.

The bestselling author sold 50 million copies of his thrillers, beginning with “The Hunt for Red October” in 1984.

Clancy’s thrilling pace and high-stakes stories were a perfect fit for the late Cold War era. Many featured wealthy, daring, intelligent CIA agent Jack Ryan, who in later stories became president. A new Jack Ryan book, “Command Authority,” is slated to be published Dec. 3.

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President Ronald Reagan was said to be a fan.

Clancy’s bestselling books found a wider audience with the help of Hollywood. Four of his books became films: “The Hunt for Red October,” “Patriot Games,” “Clear and Present Danger” and “The Sum of All Fears.” He also had stories adapted for television and for a number of video games.

Other Clancy novels include “Red Storm Rising,” “Cardinal of the Kremlin,” “Without Remorse,” “Debt of Honor,” “Executive Orders” and “Rainbow Six.”

He achieved considerable financial success, so much so that he became an owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

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Clancy was born and raised in Baltimore. Before he became an author, he worked in insurance.

Clancy was an enthusiastic researcher and supporter of the American military. With various American military leaders, he co-wrote books about the country’s military efforts abroad, including “Into the Storm: On the Ground in Iraq,” “Every Man a Tiger: The Gulf War Air Campaign” and “Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces.”

An enthusiastic researcher, Clancy also published several solo nonfiction books based on the miliary, including “Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship,” “Armored CAV: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment” and “Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force.”

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