Bestselling Author Tom Clancy Dead at 66

Posted on October 4, 2013

Bestselling author Tom Clancy has died at the age of 66 after a brief, undisclosed illness. The New York Times reports that Clancy's attorney would not disclose the nature of his illness, but that the author died at Johns Hopkins hospital.

Clancy had seventeen New York Times bestsellers, starting with his first novel The Hunt for Red October which hit the bestseller lists after then President Ronald Reagan got the book as a present from his wife and said he couldn't put it down. Clancy's books set the standard for global military and espionage thrillers that earned him legions of fans, especially in the military His books include Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears, all of which were turned into hit films after the success of The Hunt for Red October. Clancy's most famous character, Jack Ryan, has been played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck. Jack Ryan will be played by Chris Pine in an upcoming film about Ryan's early years. The film will be released on Christmas Day and is directed by Kenneth Branagh. Clancy's next book Command Authority will be published on December 3rd.

Clancy also had great success in video games. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and the Tom Clancy Splinter Cell games are big sellers.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an essay for Time magazine. Clancy credited Powell with giving him the idea for Clear and Present Danger. Powell said of Clancy: "He was a friend whom I treasured. He was somebody who really loved his country, and through his books, he demonstrated that love. I will miss him, and we all will miss him a great deal because there will be no more Jack Ryan."