“The Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy – The Great Chase

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (Book cover)
While Tom Clancy may be a household name these days, with plenty of novels, a few movies, and even video games under his belt, there was a time when he was a simple insurance salesman, simply trying to make his way through the world.

He wrote in his spare time, and most people are going to argue that when it comes to Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October was his magnum opus, projecting him into fame and stardom. There was even a movie filmed based on the book, starring Sean Connery.

As for the story, on the surface it’s quite simple, but the deeper you go, the more complicated things seem to get. There is a Russian submarine called the Red October, and its crew has suddenly decided to head West, towards American soil with their goal being to defect (as far as everyone is concerned anyways).

Needless to say, the Americans aren't willing to pass up a chance to get ahold of a Russian submarine and their crew, while the Russians themselves aren't really keen about simply giving it all away. And so begins a great chase across the ocean, with the only question being who will get to the submarine first.

First, one of the things that amazed me the most about this book was the technical precision of it all. Tom Clancy spares no detail, meticulously describing every step that every character takes, especially if that step is a militarized one. Whether or not things were in the real world the way Clancy described them, I don’t know, but it sure as heck seems more realistic than more than half of what military novels and movies show us.

In addition to that, the characters themselves are extremely well-developed. You’re not going to find your stereotypical, clearly-defined, black and white characters (although there are a couple). Instead, you are presented with a cast of practical-minded intellectuals, each one of them having a unique and outstanding character.

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (Book cover)
In other words, you won’t feel like you've met these characters before, and I guarantee that you will be interested in learning the kind of fate reserved for them.

All in all, The Hunt for Red October is one of Tom Clancy’s finest books, and one of the best military thrillers out there, period. I heavily recommend this to literally anyone who wants to get to know Tom Clancy’s works, or likes realistic military thrillers.


Tom Clancy (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013)

Tom Clancy (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013)


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With numerous books, movies and even video games under his belt, Tom Clancy was one of the most accomplished writers out there, being specifically known for his enthralling and accurately-detailed military novels, such as The Sum of All Fears and The Hunt for Red October.

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