Hunt for Red October; author Tom Clancy dead at 66

USPA News - American author Tom Clancy, known for his best-selling military and espionage novels such as "The Hunt for Red October," "Red Storm Rising," and "Patriot Games," has died, his published announced on Wednesday. He was 66 years old.

Clancy died in Baltimore on Tuesday, but his cause of death was not immediately made public. "I`m deeply saddened by Tom`s passing," Penguin Group USA executive David Shanks said. "He was a consummate author, creating the modern-day thriller, and was one of the most visionary storytellers of our time. I will miss him dearly and he will be missed by tens of millions of readers worldwide." "The Hunt for Red October" was published in 1984 and propelled him to fame. "Command Authority," his most recent work, is due to be published in December. "It was an honor to know Tom Clancy and to work on his fantastic books," said Ivan Held, President and Publisher of G.P. Putnam`s Sons. "He was ahead of the news curve and sometimes frighteningly prescient. To publish a Tom Clancy book was a thrill every time. He will be missed by everyone at Putnam and Berkley, and by his fans all over the world." Tom Weldon, Chief Executive of Penguin Random House UK, added: "Tom Clancy changed readers` expectations of what a thriller could do. He was a master of his craft and it was our privilege to work with him. He will be greatly missed by millions of fans in the UK and around the world."