Tom Clancy, one of the world’s best-known authors, died on Tuesday at the age of 66 in a Baltimore Hospital. His cause of death has not yet been released. His writing was wildly successful not only in print but also as movie adaptations and video game series. The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger are just a few examples of the multi-million dollar titles Clancy was known for. His final book, Command Authority, is slated for publication on December 3rd. Seventeen of Clancy’s novels hit number one on The New York Times best seller list. More than one hundred million copies of Tom Clancy books are in print. When he sold his first novel, The Hunt For Red October, for $5,000 in 1985, Mr. Clancy was working as an insurance salesman.

When asked about the art of writing Clancy answered, “you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf. You keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired, it’s hard work.” From a very young age, his passion was naval history. He graduated from Loyola College with an English Degree in 1969, and though he hoped to join the military, his near-sightedness prevented him from qualifying. He lived in Maryland and is survived by his four children and second wife, Alexandra Marie Llewellyn.

Source: New York Daily News