obits

Author Tom Clancy Dead at 66

Photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage

Novelist Tom Clancy died last night at a Baltimore hospital. Born in 1947, Clancy became one of America’s most successful espionage and military novelists ever. He is best known for his Jack Ryan books, which include The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears. Each title was adapted into a film, and three actors — Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck — have played Jack Ryan, with a fourth, Chris Pine, set to do so in a movie this winter. To a younger generation, Clancy is more familiar for his connection to video games. In 1996, Clancy co-founded video game development company Red Storm Entertainment, which, with the help of its eventual owner Ubisoft Entertainment, went on to release dozens of games, most notably the highly successful series Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. He was 66.

Author Tom Clancy Dead at 66