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{{short description|American author (1947–2013)}}
{{About|the author|other people named Tom or Thomas Clancy|Thomas Clancy (disambiguation){{!}}Thomas Clancy}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| image = Tom Clancy at Burns Library cropped.jpg
| caption = Clancy in November 1989
| birth_name = Thomas Leo Clancy Jr.
| birth_date = {{
| birth_place = [[Baltimore
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|10|1|1947|4|12|mf=y}}
| death_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
| occupation = Novelist
| education = [[Loyola University Maryland|Loyola College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| period =
| genre =
* [[Techno-thriller]]
* [[spy fiction]]
* [[crime fiction]]
* [[realistic fiction]]
* [[military history]]
* [[historical fiction]]
}}
|
* {{Marriage|Wanda Thomas King|1969|1999|end=div}}
* {{Marriage|Alexandra Marie Llewellyn|1999}}
}}
| children = 5
| website = {{URL|tomclancy.com}}
}}
'''Thomas Leo Clancy Jr.''' (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and [[military science|military-science]] storylines set during and after the [[Cold War]]. Seventeen of his novels have been bestsellers and more than 100 million copies of his books have been sold.<ref name="nytimes obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/books/tom-clancy-best-selling-novelist-of-military-thrillers-dies-at-66.html?_r=0 |title=Tom Clancy, Best-Selling Novelist of Military Thrillers, Died at 66 |first=Julie |last=Bosman |date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=October 2, 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> His name was also used on [[screenplay]]s written by [[ghostwriter]]s, nonfiction books on military subjects occasionally with co-authors, and video games. He was a part-owner of his hometown [[Major League Baseball]] team, the [[Baltimore Orioles]], and vice-chairman of their community activities and public affairs committees.
Originally an [[insurance agent]], Clancy launched his literary career in 1984 when he sold his first [[military thriller]] novel ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' for $5,000 published by the small academic [[Naval Institute Press]] of [[Annapolis, Maryland]].<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name=BaltimoreSun />
''The Hunt for Red October'', ''[[Patriot Games]]'' (1987), ''[[Clear and Present Danger]]'' (1989), and ''[[The Sum of All Fears]]'' (1991) have been turned into commercially successful films. Tom Clancy's works also inspired games such as the ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six|Rainbow Six]]'', ''[[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon|Ghost Recon]]'', ''[[Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell|Splinter Cell]]'' and ''[[Tom Clancy's The Division|The Division]]'' series. Since Clancy's death in 2013,<ref name="cbsnews">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-clancy-best-selling-author-dead-at-66/ |title=Tom Clancy, best-selling author, dead at 66 |work=cbsnews |date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> his [[Ryanverse]] franchise has been continued by his family estate through a series of authors.
== Early life and education ==
Clancy was born on April 12, 1947, at [[MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center|Franklin Square Hospital]] in [[Baltimore]], Maryland,<ref name=altclancy>{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/alt.books.tom-clancy/9UActiqpPag |title=alt.books.tom-clancy |last=Clancy |first=Tom |date=October 31, 1997 |access-date=March 20, 2012}}</ref> and grew up in the [[Northwood, Baltimore|Northwood]] neighborhood in northeast Baltimore.<ref name=BaltimoreSun>{{cite web |last=Kaltenbach |first=Chris |title=Clancy invented 'techno-thriller,' reflected Cold War fears |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2013/10/02/clancy-invented-techno-thriller-reflected-cold-war-fears/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=October 3, 2013 |date=October 2, 2013 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220626/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-10-02/entertainment/bs-md-clancy-appreciation-20131002_1_tom-clancy-cold-war-red-october |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=altclancy/><ref name=Biblio>{{cite web |title=Tom Clancy: Bibliography and list of works |url=http://www.biblio.com/clancy-tom/author/209 |publisher=Biblio.com |access-date=October 3, 2013}}</ref> The family was Irish-American.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/writer-tom-clancy-was-a-proud-irish-american-but-very-anti-ira-226280291-238256451 |title=Writer Tom Clancy was a proud Irish American but very anti-IRA |website=Irish Central |last=O'Dowd |first=Niall |date=October 3, 2013 |access-date=July 22, 2021 }}</ref> He was the second of three children to Thomas Leo Clancy (1918–1995), who worked for the [[United States Postal Service]], and Catherine Mary Clancy ([[birth name|née]] Langan; 1918–2001), who worked in a store's credit department.<ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Laurence |title=Tom Clancy, Whose Novels Conjured Threats to U.S., Dies at 66 |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=October 2, 2013 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-02/tom-clancy-novelist-who-conjured-threats-to-u-s-dies-at-66.html |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=October 3, 2013}}</ref><ref name=LATimes>{{cite web |last=Woo |first=Elaine |title=Tom Clancy dies at 66; insurance agent found his calling in spy thrillers |url=http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-tom-clancy-20131003,0,4399054,full.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004102704/http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-tom-clancy-20131003,0,4399054,full.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 4, 2013 |date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> He was a member of Troop 624 of the [[Boy Scouts of America]].<ref name="companion">{{cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Martin. H. |title=The Tom Clancy Companion |year=1992 |publisher=Berkley Books |isbn=9780425134078 |url=https://archive.org/details/tomclancycompani00clan}}</ref> Clancy's siblings are Patrick and Margaret.
Clancy's mother worked to send him to [[Loyola Blakefield|Loyola High School]] in [[Towson, Maryland]], a private [[Catholic]] secondary school taught by the [[Jesuit]] religious order ([[Society of Jesus]]). He graduated from Loyola High School in 1965.<ref name=altclancy/><ref name=Biblio /><ref name=Bloomberg /> He then attended the associated [[Loyola University Maryland|Loyola College]] (now Loyola University Maryland) in Baltimore. Clancy began his college career as a physics major. Due to poor grades, he later changed his concentration to English since "it was an easy major." Despite the academic change, he continued to be an indifferent student spending a majority of his time reading books on military and naval history instead of tending to his studies. Clancy graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[English Literature]] in 1969 receiving a 1.9/4.0 [[GPA]].<ref name=altclancy/><ref name=LATimes /> While at Loyola College, he was president of the chess club.<ref name=Bloomberg /> He joined the [[Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps]]; however, he was ineligible to serve due to his [[Myopia|myopia (nearsightedness)]], which required him to wear thick eyeglasses.<ref name="nytimes obit" /><ref name=Bloomberg />
After graduating, Clancy earned certifications in business and insurance and worked for an [[insurance company]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]].<ref name=BaltimoreSunObituary>{{cite web |last=Rasmussen |first=Frederick N. |title=Tom Clancy, 'king of the techno-thriller' |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-tom-clancy-20131002,0,187535,full.story |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=October 4, 2013 |date=October 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220624/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-tom-clancy-20131002,0,187535,full.story |archive-date=October 4, 2013 }}</ref>
In 1973, Clancy joined the O. F. Bowen Agency, a small insurance agency based in [[Owings, Maryland]], founded by his wife's grandfather.<ref name="nytimes obit" /><ref name=Bloomberg /><ref name=LATimes /><ref name=BaltimoreSunObituary /> In 1980, he purchased the insurance agency from his wife's grandmother and wrote novels in his spare time.<ref name=LATimes /><ref name=BaltimoreSun1998>{{cite web |last=Lippman |first=Laura |title=THE CLANCY COLD WAR |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/06/13/the-clancy-cold-war-like-his-best-novels-baltimore-author-tom-clancys-divorce-has-taken-an-amazing-twist-his-wife-is-battling-for-a-share-of-future-earnings-from-his-name-and-that-of-his-fictional-her/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=October 3, 2013 |date=June 13, 1998 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220757/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-06-13/features/1998164085_1_clancy-jack-ryan-novel/2 |url-status=live }}</ref> While working at the insurance agency, he wrote his debut novel, ''The Hunt for Red October'' (1984).<ref name="nytimes obit"/>
== Career ==
Clancy's literary career began in 1982 when he started writing ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'', which in 1984 he sold for publishing to the [[Naval Institute Press]] for $5,000.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name=BaltimoreSun /> The publisher was impressed with the work; Deborah Grosvenor, the Naval Institute Press editor who read through the book, said later that she convinced the publisher: "I think we have a potential best seller here, and if we don't grab this thing, somebody else would." She believed Clancy had an "innate storytelling ability, and his characters had this very witty dialogue".<ref name="nytimes obit"/> Clancy, who had hoped to sell 5,000 copies, ended up selling over 45,000.<ref name=BaltimoreSun /><ref name=BaltimoreSun1998 /> After publication, the book received praise from President Ronald Reagan, who called the work "the best yarn", subsequently boosting sales to 300,000 [[hardcover]] and two million [[paperback]] copies of the book, making it a national bestseller.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name=BaltimoreSun /><ref name=BaltimoreSunObituary /> The book was critically praised for its technical accuracy, which led to Clancy's meeting several high-ranking [[officer]]s in the U.S. military, as well as [[Steve Pieczenik]], and to inspiration for recurring characters in his works.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX6fQlH0suA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/FX6fQlH0suA| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Steve Quayle Radio Interview With The Real Jack Ryan Dr Steve Pieczenik|website=[[YouTube]]|date=April 15, 2015 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Clancy's novels focus on the hero, most notably [[Jack Ryan (character)|Jack Ryan]] and [[John Clark (Tom Clancy character)|John Clark]], both Irish Catholics like himself. He repeatedly uses the formula whereby the heroes are "highly skilled, disciplined, honest, thoroughly professional, and only lose their cool when incompetent politicians or bureaucrats get in their way. Their unambiguous triumphs over evil provide symbolic relief from the legacy of the [[Vietnam War]]."<ref name="Hixson1993">{{cite journal |last1=Hixson |first1=Walter L. |title="Red Storm Rising": Tom Clancy Novels and the Cult of National Security |journal=Diplomatic History |date=October 1993 |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=599–614 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-7709.1993.tb00601.x |jstor=24912229 |issn=0145-2096}}</ref>
The [[Cold War]] epic ''[[Red Storm Rising]]'' (1986)<ref>{{cite book |title=Red Storm Rising |author1=Clancy, Tom |author2=Bond, Larry |name-list-style=amp |date=1986 |publisher=Putnam |edition=First |isbn=978-0-399-13149-3 |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1385857.Red_Storm_Rising}}</ref> was co-written (according to Clancy in the book's foreword) with fellow military-oriented author [[Larry Bond]]. The book was published by Putnam and sold almost a million copies within its first year.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/media/features/5618/index1.html|title=Now for the Grann Finale|last=Maneker|first=Marion|date=January 1, 2002|website=New York Magazine|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref> Clancy became the cornerstone of a publishing list by [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]], which emphasized authors like Clancy who would produce annually. His publisher, [[Phyllis E. Grann]], called these "repeaters."<ref name=":0" />
===Finances===
Clancy has author status on the cover of dozens of books. Seventeen of his novels made it to the top of the [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' best seller list]]. He co-authored memoirs of top generals, and produced numerous guided tours of the elite aspects of the American military.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}} [[Andrew Bacevich]] states:
<blockquote>Clancy did for military pop-lit what Starbucks did for the preparation of caffeinated beverages: he launched a sprawling, massively profitable industrial enterprise that simultaneously serves and cultivates an insatiable consumer base. Whether the item consumed provides much in terms of nourishment is utterly beside the point. That it tastes yummy going down more than suffices to keep customers coming back.<ref>Andrew J. Bacevich, "Tom Clancy, Military Man" ''The Baffler'' No. 24 (2014), p. 157. {{JSTOR|43306902}}.</ref></blockquote>
In 1993, Clancy joined a group of investors that included [[Peter Angelos]], and bought the [[Baltimore Orioles]] from [[Eli Jacobs]].<ref name=BaltimoreSun1993>{{cite web |title=Tom Clancy offers to bid for Orioles with other locals Author would join Angelos, Knott |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/04/22/tom-clancy-offers-to-bid-for-orioles-with-other-locals-author-would-join-angelos-knott/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=November 8, 2013 |author=Mark Hyman |author2=Jon Morgan |date=April 22, 1993 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109071904/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-04-22/news/1993112212_1_clancy-orioles-angelos |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BaltimoreSun2013>{{cite web |title=Best-selling author Tom Clancy's ties to Orioles date to 1993 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2013/10/02/best-selling-author-tom-clancys-ties-to-orioles-date-to-1993/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=November 8, 2013 |author=Dean Jones Jr |date=October 2, 2013 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109071848/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-10-02/sports/bal-bestselling-author-tom-clancys-ties-to-orioles-date-to-1993-20131002_1_orioles-ownership-group-angelos-the-orioles |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1998, he tentatively reached an agreement to purchase the [[Minnesota Vikings]], but had to abandon the deal because of a divorce settlement cost.<ref name=BaltimoreSun1998_2>{{cite web |title=Clancy's Vikings ownership in a holding pattern |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/05/17/clancys-vikings-ownership-in-a-holding-pattern/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=November 9, 2013 |author=Vito Stellino |date=May 17, 1998 |archive-date=December 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206051530/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-05-17/sports/1998137123_1_clancy-vikings-league-sources |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=USAToday2013>{{cite web |title=Tom Clancy nearly owned the Minnesota Vikings |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/tom-clancy-nearly-owned-the-minnesota-vikings/ |work=USA Today |access-date=November 9, 2013 |author=Chris Strauss |date=October 2, 2013}}</ref>
The first [[Tom Clancy's Net Force|NetForce]] novel, titled ''Net Force'' (1999), was adapted as a [[NetForce (film)|1999 TV movie]] starring [[Scott Bakula]] and [[Joanna Going]]. The [[Tom Clancy's Op-Center (novel)|first Op-Center novel]] (''Tom Clancy's Op-Center'' published in 1995) was released to coincide with a [[Tom Clancy's Op Center (film)|1995 NBC television miniseries of the same name]] starring [[Harry Hamlin]] and a cast of stars. Though the miniseries did not continue, the book series did, but later had little in common with the first TV miniseries other than the title and the names of the main characters.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}
Clancy wrote several nonfiction books about various branches of the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. Armed Forces]] (see [[Tom Clancy bibliography#Non-fiction|nonfiction listing]], in the bibliography article). He also branded several lines of books and video games with his name that are written by other authors, following premises or storylines generally in keeping with Clancy's works.<ref name="Biblio" />
With the release of ''[[The Teeth of the Tiger]]'' (2003), Clancy introduced Jack Ryan's son and two nephews as main characters; those characters continued in his last four novels, ''[[Dead or Alive (novel)|Dead or Alive]]'' (2010), ''[[Locked On (novel)|Locked On]]'' (2011), ''[[Threat Vector (novel)|Threat Vector]]'' (2012), and ''[[Command Authority (novel)|Command Authority]]'' (2013).<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 26, 2021 |title=TOM CLANCY {{!}} Hunt Valley Life |url=https://huntvalleylife.town.news/g/timonium-md/e/43259/tom-clancy |access-date=August 8, 2024 |website=huntvalleylife.town.news |language=en}}</ref>
In 2008, the French video game manufacturer [[Ubisoft]] purchased the use of Clancy's name for an undisclosed sum. It has been used in conjunction with video games and related products such as movies and books.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Richard |url=http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/03/25/clancy-name-bought-by-ubisoft-worth-big-bucks/ |title=Clancy name bought by Ubisoft, worth big bucks. |publisher=Xbox360fanboy.com |date=March 25, 2008 |access-date=February 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124163926/http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/03/25/clancy-name-bought-by-ubisoft-worth-big-bucks |archive-date=January 24, 2009 }}</ref> Based on his interest in [[private spaceflight]] and his {{USD|1 million}} investment in the launch vehicle company [[Rotary Rocket]],<ref name=sdc20131016>
{{cite news |last=David |first=Leonard |title=How Late Author Tom Clancy Supported Private Spaceflight |url=http://www.space.com/23222-tom-clancy-private-spaceflight-supporter.html |access-date=October 19, 2013 |newspaper=Space.com |date=October 16, 2013}}</ref>
Clancy was interviewed in 2007 for the documentary film ''[[Orphans of Apollo]]'' (2008).<ref name=Amazon>{{cite web |title=Orphans of Apollo |url=https://www.amazon.com/Orphans-Apollo-Tom-Clancy/dp/B002HJHGUO |work=Amazon |access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref>
== Political views ==
A long-time proponent of [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] views, Clancy dedicated books to American conservative political figures, including [[Ronald Reagan]]. A week after the [[September 11 attacks]], Clancy suggested on ''[[The O'Reilly Factor]]'' that American left-wing politicians were partly responsible for the failure to prevent the attacks due to their "gutting" of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tom Clancy transcript from O'Reilly Factor|url=https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/528810/posts|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=freerepublic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Suebsaeng|first=Asawin|title=How the US Naval Institute gave Tom Clancy his first big break|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/tom-clancy-dead-66-politics-naval-institute-press/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=Mother Jones|language=en-US}}</ref>
On September 11, 2001, Clancy was interviewed by [[Judy Woodruff]] on [[CNN]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSjrLYT1hr8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kSjrLYT1hr8| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Tom Clancy on Sept 11 2001 & WTC 7 Collapse |date=September 2001 |work=CNN |publisher=Youtube.com |access-date=January 5, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the interview, he noted that orthodox "Islam [[Religious views on suicide#Islam|does not permit suicide]]." Among other observations during this interview, Clancy cited discussions he had with military experts on the lack of planning to deal with a hijacked plane being used in a [[suicide attack]] and criticized the news media's treatment of the [[United States Intelligence Community]]. Clancy appeared again on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]'s ''[[Charlie Rose]]'', to discuss the implications of the day's events with [[Richard Holbrooke]], ''[[New York Times]]'' journalist [[Judith Miller (journalist)|Judith Miller]], and Senator [[John Edwards]], among others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/2955 |title=An hour about the 9/11 attacks |publisher=Charlierose.com |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=February 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525041059/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/2955 |archive-date=May 25, 2009 }}</ref> Clancy was interviewed on those shows because his book ''[[Debt of Honor]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/tom-clancy-jack-ryan-books-in-order/|title=Jack Ryan books in order|date=March 10, 2021|website=Deadgoodbooks.co.uk|access-date=February 28, 2022}}</ref> (1994) included a scenario wherein a disgruntled Japanese airline pilot crashes a fueled [[Boeing 747]] into the [[U.S. Capitol]] dome during an address by the President to a joint session of Congress, killing the President and most of Congress. In the book, Clancy also implies that Japan's prosperity is due primarily to unequal trading terms.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Clancy, Tom |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19670.Debt_of_Honor |title=Debt of Honor |series=A Jack Ryan Novel Ser |date=1994 |publisher=Putnam}}</ref> In the book's sequel ''[[Executive Orders]]'' (1996), the president announces a new foreign policy doctrine, under which the United States will hold personally accountable any foreign leader who orders attacks on U.S. citizens, territory, or possessions in the future.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Clancy |first=Tom |title=Executive Orders |date=1996 |publisher=Putnam}}</ref>
Numerous scholars have examined the political dimensions of Clancy's books, especially in the context of the Cold War. Historian Walter Hixson has argued that Clancy's novels, especially ''The Hunt for Red October'' and ''Red Storm Rising,'' were "popular representations of [[Reagan Era|Reagan-era]] Cold War values. They reflect both popular perceptions of Soviet behavior and the predominant national security values of the Reagan era."<ref name="Hixson1993" />{{rp|601}}
== Personal life ==
Clancy's first wife, Wanda Thomas King, was a nurse.<ref name=LATimes /><ref name=BaltimoreSun1994>{{cite news |last=Christy |first=Marian |title=Tom Clancy makes it look so simple |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1994/08/19/tom-clancy-makes-it-look-so-simple-authors-on-target-with-his-thrillers-at-ease-with-fame/ |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=October 4, 2013 |date=August 19, 1994 |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005022713/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-08-19/features/1994231143_1_clancy-concentration-target |url-status=live }}</ref> They married in 1969 and had four children.<ref name="nytimes obit" /> The couple separated briefly in 1995, and they permanently separated in December 1996.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name=People>{{cite journal |journal=People Magazine |date=June 15, 1998 |title=Storm Rising |last=Schindehette |first=Susan |volume=49 |issue=23 |page=141 |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20125539,00.html}}</ref> Wanda Clancy filed for divorce in November 1997,<ref name="Filed">{{cite news |author1=Friedman, Roger |author2=Landman, Beth |title=Intelligencer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7eQCAAAAMBAJ&q=Clancy+filed+for+divorce+in+1997&pg=PA20 |work=New York Magazine |date=September 25, 1995 |quote=Wanda Clancy filed for divorce from her husband}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=August 27, 2008 |title=Reconsider Clancy case ruling |last=Jones |first=Brent |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2008/08/27/reconsider-clancy-case-ruling-lower-court-told/ |access-date=March 24, 2012 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220336/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-08-27/news/0808260206_1_clancy-op-center-jack-ryan |url-status=live }}</ref> which became final in January 1999.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2008/112a07.pdf |access-date=March 23, 2012 |title=Case No. 04-C-03-000749 OC |publisher=Circuit Court for Calvert County}}</ref> As part of the divorce, she and Clancy split his minority stake in the Baltimore Orioles.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ed |first1=Waldman |title=Sold! Angelos scored with '93 home run |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2004-08-01-0407310115-story.html |access-date=December 26, 2022 |work=Baltimore Sun}}</ref>
On June 26, 1999, Clancy married freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, whom he had met in 1997.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/27/style/alexandra-llewellyn-tom-clancy.html|title=Alexandra Llewellyn, Tom Clancy |work=The New York Times |format=Style|date=June 27, 1999}}</ref> Llewellyn is the daughter of [[J. Bruce Llewellyn]] and a family friend of [[Colin Powell]], who originally introduced the couple to each other.<ref name="Dirt"/> They remained together until Clancy's death in October 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=John R. |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/877393/author-tom-clancy-dead-at-66/ |title=Author Tom Clancy dead at 66 – Okanagan |work=Global News |___location=Canada |date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> They had one daughter.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name="Dirt">{{cite web |last1=McClain |first1=James |title=Tom Clancy's widow Alexandra throws down $8.5 million cash on a Beverly Hills ultra-contemporary |url=https://www.dirt.com/more-dirt/heirs-heiresses/alexandra-clancy-beverly-hills-mansion-tom-11018/ |website=Dirt.com |date=January 31, 2018}}</ref>
Clancy was a [[Roman Catholic]]. The plot of his novel ''[[Red Rabbit]]'' revolves around [[John Paul II]].<ref name="time">{{cite news|last1=Grossman|first1=Lev|title=10 Questions For Tom Clancy|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,322616,00.html|access-date=November 2, 2017|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=July 22, 2002|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206164809/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,322616,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a June 27, 1993, interview with ''[[The Washington Post]]'', he was quoted as saying, "I've had [sex scenes] in my books before, but you had to look real fast because, you know, I'm a married Catholic and I don't do that."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carlson|first1=Peter|title=What ticks Tom Clancy off?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/what-ticks-tom-clancy-off/2013/10/02/66a20b38-2b7b-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html|access-date=November 2, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 27, 1993 }}</ref> In a 2002 interview with [[Lev Grossman]] for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, Clancy lamented what he perceived as society's [[double standard]] in the way Catholics are viewed by some people in society in relation to other demographic segments: "You can't hate black people any more, of course, and you can't hate homosexuals any more, but you can hate all the Catholics you want."<ref name="time"/>
=== Property ===
Clancy's 80-acre estate, which was once a summer camp, is located in [[Calvert County, Maryland]]. It has a panoramic view of the [[Chesapeake Bay]].<ref name=WashingtonPost1993>{{cite news |last=Carlson |first=Peter |title=What ticks Tom Clancy off? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/what-ticks-tom-clancy-off/2013/10/02/66a20b38-2b7b-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 4, 2013 |date=June 27, 1993}}</ref> The stone mansion, which cost $2 million, has 24 rooms and features a shooting range in the basement.<ref name=BaltimoreSun1994 /><ref name=WashingtonPost1993 /> The property also features a [[World War II]]–era [[M4 Sherman]] [[tank]], a Christmas gift from his first wife.<ref name=WashingtonPost1993 /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-30-ls-64774-story.html |date=June 30, 1998 |title=The Cold War of Clancy vs. Clancy |journal=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
Clancy also purchased a 17,000-square-foot penthouse condominium in the [[Ritz-Carlton]], in Baltimore's [[Inner Harbor]], for $16 million.<ref name=BaltimoreSunObituary /> Clancy and his wife combined four units to create the apartment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2015/11/02/at-12m-tom-clancys-baltimore-penthouse-is-most-expensive-listing-in-the-city/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-realestate%3Ahomepage%2Fcard |title=At $12 million, Tom Clancy's Baltimore penthouse is most expensive listing in the city |author=Orton, Kathy |date=November 2, 2015 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>
His Chesapeake Bay estate sold for $4.9 million in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=
https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/08/14/tom-clancys-sprawling-537-acre-estate-sells-for-49-million/ |date=August 14, 2020 |title=Tom Clancy's sprawling 537-acre estate sells for $4.9 million |journal=Military Times}}</ref>
== Death ==
Clancy died of [[heart failure]] on October 1, 2013,<ref name="cbsnews"/> at [[Johns Hopkins Hospital]], near his Baltimore home. John D. Gresham,<!-- Gresham is correct; John Grisham is a different writer. --> a co-author and researcher with Clancy on several books, said Clancy had been suffering heart problems for some time prior: "Five or six years ago Tom suffered a heart attack and he went through bypass surgery. It wasn't that he had another heart attack, his heart just wore out."<ref name=USNI>{{cite web |title=Tom Clancy Dies at 66 |url=http://news.usni.org/2013/10/02/tom-clancy-dies-66 |publisher=[[US Naval Institute]] |access-date=October 10, 2013 |date=October 3, 2013}}</ref>
The ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' quoted [[Pulitzer Prize]]–winning film critic and author [[Stephen Hunter]] as saying, "When he published ''The Hunt for Red October'', he redefined and expanded the genre, and as a consequence of that, many people were able to publish such books who had previously been unable to do so."<ref name="chicago Tribune obit">{{cite news |title=Tom Clancy, author, dead at 66 |date=October 2, 2013 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tom-clancy-dead-20131002,0,2346736.story}}</ref>
On March 31, 2014, the [[Baltimore Orioles|Orioles]] honored Clancy with a video tribute during their home opener, and the team wore a tribute patch on their jerseys through the season.<ref name=tribute>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Dean Jr. |title=Orioles announce Opening Day plans, will wear patch for Tom Clancy in 2014 |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-announce-opening-day-plans-will-wear-patch-for-tom-clancy-in-2014-20140326,0,5058208.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140327043933/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-announce-opening-day-plans-will-wear-patch-for-tom-clancy-in-2014-20140326,0,5058208.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=March 31, 2014 }}</ref>
== Achievements and awards ==
* Clancy was one of only three authors to sell two million copies on a first printing in the 1990s (the others were [[John Grisham]] and [[J. K. Rowling]]). Clancy's novel ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1989) sold 1,625,544 hardcover copies, making it the #1 bestselling novel of the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/25thann/bestsellers.htm |title=Top Hardcover Bestsellers, 1972–1996 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 1, 1997 |access-date=February 28, 2010}}</ref>
* Clancy received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref> Clancy was the Host of the 1995 Achievement Summit in Colonial Williamsburg and the 1997 Achievement Summit in Baltimore.<ref>{{cite web |date=1995 |title=George H.W. Bush Interview Photo |url= https://achievement.org/achiever/george-h-w-bush/|quote= June 1995: President George H.W. Bush at a ceremony featuring the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon during the American Academy of Achievement's "Salute to Excellence" Program in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nix |first=Shan |date= June 26, 1989 |title= Looking Up to the Stars: Where 50 top celebs dazzle 400 students |url= https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/San-Francisco-Chronicle-June-26-1989.pdf|work= San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Morrison |first=Jane Ann |date= June 28, 1992 |title= Bright students, stars shine together |url= https://achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Las-Vegas-Review-Journal-June-28-1992.pdf|work= Las Vegas Review Journal}}</ref>
* Clancy received an [[honorary degree|honorary doctorate]] in [[Doctor of Humane Letters|humane letters]] and delivered the commencement address at [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] in 1992, and had since worked a reference to the school into many of his main works.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Magazine/summer04/atrensselaer/atrensselaer10.html |title=Rensselaer Magazine: Summer 2004: At Rensselaer |publisher=Rpi.edu |access-date=February 28, 2010 |archive-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528221949/http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Magazine/summer04/atrensselaer/atrensselaer10.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Clancy was an honorary [[Yeomen Warders|Yeoman Warder]] of the [[Tower of London]] and received the title "Supernumerary Yeoman"; he had been arrested for scaling the walls in his younger years.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bucktin, Christopher |title=Tom Clancy dead: Best-selling author of Jack Ryan novels dies in hospital aged 66 |work=The Mirror |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/tom-clancy-dead-jack-ryan-2331255}}</ref>
* Clancy received the [[Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement]] from the [[Navy League of the United States]] in 1990.
== Works ==
{{Main|Tom Clancy bibliography}}
===Fiction===
* ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Red Storm Rising]]'' (1986, with [[Larry Bond]])
* ''[[Patriot Games]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Cardinal of the Kremlin]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Clear and Present Danger]]'' (1989)
* ''[[The Sum of All Fears]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Without Remorse]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Debt of Honor]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Executive Orders]]'' (1996)
* ''[[
* ''[[Rainbow Six (novel)|Rainbow Six]]'' (1998)
* ''[[The Bear and the Dragon]]'' (2000)
* ''[[
* ''[[The Teeth of the Tiger]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Dead or Alive (novel)|Dead or Alive]]'' (2010, with [[Grant Blackwood]])
* ''[[Against All Enemies (novel)|Against All Enemies]]'' (2011, with Peter Telep)
* ''[[Locked On (novel)|Locked On]]'' (2011, with [[Mark Greaney (novelist)|Mark Greaney]])
* ''[[Threat Vector]]'' (2012, with Mark Greaney)
* ''[[Command Authority]]'' (2013, with Mark Greaney)
===Non-fiction===
* ''[[Submarine (Clancy book)|Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship]]'' (1993)
* ''Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment'' (1994)
* ''[[Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Marine (book)|Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit]]'' (1996)
* ''Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force'' (1997)
* ''[[Into the Storm – On the Ground in Iraq]]'' (with [[Fred Franks]]) (1997)
* ''Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier'' (1999)
* ''[[Every Man a Tiger|Every Man a Tiger — the Gulf War Air Campaign]]'' (with [[Chuck Horner]]) (1999)
* ''Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces'' (2001)
* ''[[Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces|Shadow Warriors — Inside the Special Forces]]'' (with [[Carl Stiner]]) (2002)
* ''Battle Ready'' (with [[Anthony Zinni]]) (2004)
== Film, TV and video game adaptations ==
===Films===
{| class="wikitable"po
|-
! Year !! Title !! Filmmaker/Director !! Source material !! Notes
|-
| 1990 || ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'' || [[John McTiernan]] || [[The Hunt for Red October|The book]] ||
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]'' || [[Phillip Noyce]] || [[Patriot Games|The book]] ||
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]'' || [[Phillip Noyce]] || [[Clear and Present Danger|The book]] ||
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Tom Clancy's Op Center (film)|Tom Clancy's Op Center]]'' || [[Lewis Teague]] || [[Tom Clancy's Op-Center|The series]] || A 114-minute action/political thriller which was edited down from a 170-minute, 4-hour TV mini-series of the same name that aired in two parts on NBC in February 1995
|-
| 1999 || ''[[NetForce (film)|NetForce]]'' || [[Robert Lieberman]] || [[Tom Clancy's Net Force|The series]] || A television movie based on the ''[[Tom Clancy's Net Force]]'' series of novels created by Tom Clancy and [[Steve Pieczenik]]
|-
| 2002 || ''[[The Sum of All Fears (film)|The Sum of All Fears]]'' || [[Phil Alden Robinson]] || [[The Sum of All Fears|The book]] ||
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit]]'' || [[Kenneth Branagh]] || || Based on characters created by Clancy
|-
| 2021 || ''[[Without Remorse (film)|Without Remorse]]'' || [[Stefano Sollima]] || [[Without Remorse|The book]] ||
|}
===Short films===
* ''Ghost Recon: Alpha'' (2012)
* ''The Division: Agent Origins'' (2016)
* ''Ghost Recon Wildlands: War Within the Cartel'' (2017)
===Television series===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Created by !! Notes
|-
| 2018–2023 || ''[[Jack Ryan (TV series)|Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan]]'' || [[Carlton Cuse]],<br />[[Graham Roland]] || An American [[Action film|action]] [[political thriller]] [[web television]] series, based on characters from the fictional [[Ryanverse]], that ran for four seasons on [[Amazon Prime Video]].
|-
|}
=== Video games ===
{{Further|Tom Clancy's}}
Officially licensed games based on ''The Hunt for Red October'' and ''Red Storm Rising'' were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s for various 8-bit home computers such as the [[Commodore 64]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Hunt for Red October|url=http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=072&page=017&thumbstart=0&magazine=zzap|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002060140/http://www.zzap64.co.uk/cgi-bin/displaypage.pl?issue=072&page=017&thumbstart=0&magazine=zzap|archive-date=October 2, 2021|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=zzap64.co.uk}}</ref> and [[ZX Spectrum]]. Those included a submarine combat simulation (based on the book) and an action game (based on the film).
More recently, [[Ubisoft]] has made many video game series based on Tom Clancy's books, or which were endorsed by Clancy and use his name in the series' titles.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Tom Clancy's SSN]]''
|-
| 1998–present || ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]'' series
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Tom Clancy's ruthless.com]]''
|-
| 2001–present || ''[[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon]]'' series
|-
| 2002–present || ''[[Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell]]'' series
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Tom Clancy's EndWar]]''
|-
| 2009–2010 || ''[[Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X]]'' series
|-
| 2016–present || ''[[Tom Clancy's The Division]]'' series
|-
| 2019–present || ''[[Tom Clancy's Elite Squad]]''
|}
==
{{
==Further reading==
* Baiocco, Richard ed. ''Readings on Tom Clancy'' (2003), a guide to Clancy
* Greenberg, Martin. H. ''The Tom Clancy Companion'' (1992) [https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancy-Companion-Martin-Greenberg/dp/0006377920 excerpt]; also [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780425186220 online free to borrow]
* Keene, Ann T. "Clancy, Tom (12 April 1947–01 October 2013)" ''American National Biography'' (2015) [https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1603927 online]
::'''Scholarly studies'''
* Blouin, Michael J. ''Mass-Market Fiction and the Crisis of American Liberalism, 1972–2017'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), Chapter 5: "Tom Clancy and the Liberal Family Tree" pp. 147–175. argues that liberal critics misinterpret his "conservatism" [https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Market-Fiction-American-Liberalism-1972-2017/dp/3319893866/ excerpt]
* Gallagher, Mark. ''Action figures: Men, action films, and contemporary adventure narratives'' (Springer, 2006).
* Garson, Helen S. ''Tom Clancy: A critical companion'' (1996) [https://archive.org/details/tomclancycritica00gars online free to borrow]
* Griffin, Benjamin. "The good guys win: Ronald Reagan, Tom Clancy, and the transformation of national security" (MA thesis, U of Texas, 2015). [https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/32361/GRIFFIN-MASTERSREPORT-2015.pdf?sequence=1 online]
* Hicks, Heather J. ""Sleeping Beauty": Corporate Culture, Race, and Reality in Michael Crichton's Rising Sun and Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor." in Hicks, ''The Culture of Soft Work'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) pp. 139–163. [https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Soft-Work-Postmodern-Twenty-First/dp/B012YSC9I6 excerpt]
* Hixson, Walter L. "''Red Storm Rising'': Tom Clancy Novels and the Cult of National Security." ''Diplomatic History'' 17.4 (1993): 599–614. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/24912229 online]
* Outlaw, Leroy B. "Red Storm Rising-A Primer for a Future Conventional War in Central Europe"" (Army War College, 1988). [https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a195010.pdf online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706053510/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a195010.pdf |date=July 6, 2019 }}
* Payne, Matthew Thomas. ''Playing war: Military video games after 9/11'' (NYU Press, 2016).
* Terdoslavich, William. ''The Jack Ryan Agenda: Policy and Politics in the Novels of Tom Clancy: An Unauthorized Analysis'' (Macmillan, 2005). [https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Ryan-Agenda-Politics-Unauthorized/dp/0765312476/ excerpt]
== External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q105167|c=Category:Tom Clancy|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|wikt=no|s=no}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb name|0002007}}
* {{C-SPAN|14447}}
{{Books by Tom Clancy}}
{{Tom Clancy games}}
{{Tom Clancy franchises}}
{{Jack Ryan fiction}}
{{Splinter Cell}}
{{Tom Clancy's Op-Center}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clancy, Tom}}
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