Goodbye Tom Clancy –You are already missed

One of my favorite authors of our time, Tom Clancy, has died. He was just 66. The cause of death has not been announced. 

Tom Clancy was an author who wrote with detailed accuracy yet without being even slightly boring. His thrillers were believable and entrancing. My personal favorite book by Tom was Red Storm Rising, which I read cover to cover in one very long sitting. Why? Because it was so good I just could not put it down, even for sleep. 

By a stroke of luck, President Reagan got "Red October" as a Christmas gift and quipped at a dinner that he was losing sleep because he couldn't put the book down, a statement Clancy later said helped put him on the New York Times best-seller list. 

A string of successful books followed, including "Red Storm Rising," "Patriot Games," "The Cardinal of the Kremlin," "Clear and Present Danger," "The Sum of All Fears," and "Without Remorse." 

Many of Clancy's works were turned into blockbuster movies starring the likes of Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. The latest, based on his desk-jockey CIA hero Jack Ryan, is set for release later this year. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, "Jack Ryan: Shadow One" is set for release in the U.S. on Christmas Day (this will be a ‘must see’ for me). 

In addition to motion pictures, Clancy even ventured into video games with the best-selling "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier," "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction" and "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent." 

Outside of his creative work, Clancy was a supporter of the Republican Party and became a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association in 1978. Clancy was also a part owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. 

In 1999, Clancy married freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn. He was previously married to his college sweetheart Wanda Thomas. They had four children together. 

Clancy's latest novel, "Command Authority," is slated to be released this December.

Todays's Reflection:

“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation.  The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
― Will Rogers

Live Long and Prosper...