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Tributes are paid to author Tom Clancy

Tributes are paid to author Tom Clancy

TRIBUTES have been to the bestselling author Tom Clancy, who has passed away at the age of 66.

The American writer shot to fame in 1984 when his book, The Hunt for Red October, which he had written in his spare time, became a bestseller. His first editor had recalled receiving a manuscript which was heavy in technical detail, but she believed the story was worth working with. Mr. Clancy came back with a slightly edited version and the book was published.

However, it was slow to win recognition and in the end it was President Ronald Reagan who was to make the difference. The publishers had given a copy of the book to a friend of the President’s. Mr. Reagan ended up reading it and after telling a reporter that it was “a perfect yarn”, sales took off. It has sold more than five million copies.

Mr. Clancy went on write a string of spy and military thrillers, many of which have been made into Hollywood films. These included The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.

A number of his thrillers have featured the character of CIA analyst Jack Ryan who has been played in films by the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck.

Mr. Clancy was among the first writers to become involved in the video games industry, allowing his name to be linked to leading titles such as Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.

Blockbuster sales meant that he was one of the highest earning writers in the world. He normally managed to produce a new book each year and either wrote or co-wrote 20 books during his career. His final novel, Command Authority, is expected to be published at the end of 2013.

Tributes were led by Tom Weldon, the chief executive of publishers Penquin Random House UK. He said: “Tom Clancy changed readers’ expectations of what a thriller could do. He will be greatly missed by millions of fans in the UK and around the world.”

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