Tom Clancy, one of the best-selling authors of his generation, died yesterday at a hospital in Baltimore. He was 66 years old.
The novelist was best known and respected for his detailed portrayal of the espionage and military world.
He wrote such successes as The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears and created the character of Jack Ryan, who went on to be played on the big screen by such stars as Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck.
Clancy was born in Baltimore and graduated from Loyola College. He ran an independent insurance agency before making it big in the writing world.
The author was also a member of the National Rifle Association since 1978 and an outspoken Republican. He was interviewed many times following 9/11 and gave blunt assessments of the government's role in foreign policy.
Clancy's publicist confirmed his client's death to The New York Times, though a cause is unknown at this time.
We'll update this story with more news when it breaks. We send our condolences to Clancy's friends and family members.
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