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The best selling author Tom Clancy was born in 1947 in Maryland and studied English Literature at college in Baltimore. He went on to run an insurance business before hitting the writing jackpot with Tom Clancy books. The Clancy brand is instantly recognizable as political thrillers, involving the military, espionage and very often, the Cold War. He is one of the most successful novelists of recent times.
The character most associated with his work is that of Jack Ryan and he features in several Tom Clancy books. The four most popular Ryan novels were also adapted as successful movies. Clancy plot lines are ideal fodder for movies, with their tension and ever present danger. Jack Ryan, an American Irish CIA agent, is a believable character and it's hard not to root for him.
The debut novel was The Hunt for Red October in 1984, a storyline involving a Soviet submarine that was inspired by actual events. The movie came out in 1990, starring Alec Baldwin as Ryan and Sean Connery as sub Captain Raimius. The film caught the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of a submarine. Ryan appears again in 1987's Patriot Games. This involved an Irish terrorist group and Harrison Ford took over the Ryan role in the 1992 movie.
1989 saw the publication of Clear and Present Danger; a story about drugs rings in Columbia. Ford reprised his role in 1994 and the film also featured Willem Dafoe. The Tom Clancy books featuring Ryan continued in 1991 with The Sum of All Fears. This time, the movie starred Ben Affleck and the plot was based on Middle Eastern terrorism. The Jack Ryan character was sent out to pasture, to be replaced by his son Jack Jr and two nephews in the novel, The Teeth of the Tiger.
The novels and books always have the feel of reality about them. In fact, Clancy takes a detailed interest in military matters and has written a series of non-fiction Tom Clancy books about American armed forces. These include Marine, which is about the Marine Expedition Unit. Clancy is fascinated by elite units and has written about the Green Berets and the Navy SEALs and other special forces in his book, Shadow Warriors.
The writer has spawned a whole industry beyond the books with video games and board games. His well-researched stories are thrilling and engaging and he is one of the most accomplished writers of the thriller genre.
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