[theMAG]

One of the great authors of our time - and certainly one of my favorites, Tom Clancy, passes away, aged 66. Rainbow 6, Hunt For The Red October and Locked On, amongst others- remain etched in memory.

Rest In Peace, Tom!

Details below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24372224

[abishek2222]

Undoubtedly one of the best authors of our time.

Forgot the book but I remember in his book when there is world war India's naval battle group does nothing and stays put. Quiet likely to happen.

[E63]

Sad!

R.I.P. great man!

[swsumit]

I grew up reading his books and they were so integral part of my early reading days .My condolences

[theexperthand]

One of my favorite authors - cant say how much I have enjoyed Jack Rayan series (In fact, I was now re reading the whole Jack Rayan books and am reading without remorse now).

RIP - you will be missed :(

[Samurai]

Great Fiction writer, he will be missed. I really liked his style. Two of his greatest creations were Jack Ryan and John Clark (Kelly).

He also had a major effect on US policy. When George W Bush came to power, his team used to extensively borrow strategy from Tom Clancy novels.

http://franklycurious.com/index.php?itemid=5031

[bblost]

RIP one of the best story tellers of our times.

[mayankk]

The most well researched stories that were ever told.
One look at his name, even as a co-author was enough for me to sweep the book off the shelf.
You shall be sorely missed, Mr Clancy.
:(

[CaliAtenza]

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Undoubtedly one of the best authors of our time.

Forgot the book but I remember in his book when there is world war India's naval battle group does nothing and stays put. Quiet likely to happen.

Was this in Red Storm Rising? I didnt read that book.

RIP Mr. Clancy; really loved Rainbow 6, Bear and the Dragon and Debt of Honor. The movie version of The Hunt for Red October was fantastic!

Actually, India doesnt favor too well in Clancy's books; i remember in Debt of Honor, India tries to make a move on Sri Lanka and the US fleet attacks an Indian naval battle group.

[nilanjanray]

His initial books were very good. Later books had too much of neocon coolaid and US chest thumping (the best, the greatest, U.S of A!!!!). All the opponents would rollover and die, or make stupid moves - too much underestimation. And characterization was very superficial.

Some of the military forums I frequent, retired officers (non-Indian) laugh at Tom Clancy's scenarios from the later books. E.g. the ones in Bear and the Dragon.

If Tom Clancy had written about India-US airforce exercises (Cope India, say), we would be hearing how the super US jocks raped our Indian pilots and then we bent over backwards to get trained by them, handing over our bases and allowing the US to do whatever they wanted to do in our country. We know how that turned out in real life.

People enamoured with his later books, you might want to read up on geopolitics and military matters (not just specs or articles biased with US brainwashing) before going ooh and aah about what he writes.

[CaliAtenza]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

His initial books were very good. Later books had too much of neocon coolaid and US chest thumping (the best, the greatest, U.S of A!!!!). All the opponents would rollover and die, or make stupid moves - too much underestimation. And characterization was very superficial.

Some of the military forums I frequent, retired officers (non-Indian) laugh at Tom Clancy's scenarios from the later books.

If Tom Clancy had written about India-US airforce exercises (Cope India, say), we would be hearing how the super US jocks raped our Indian pilots and then we bent over backwards to get trained by them, handing over our bases and allowing the US to do whatever they wanted to do in our country. We know how that turned out in real life.

My only sore point with Clancy is that India is the enemy in Debt of Honor and Executive Orders. Other than that, the books were pretty good, of the ones that i have read. The movie though, Hunt for Red October, is awsome. Fantastic acting by both Baldwin and Connery.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by CaliAtenza

My only sore point with Clancy is that India is the enemy in Debt of Honor and Executive Orders. Other than that, the books were pretty good, of the ones that i have read. The movie though, Hunt for Red October, is awsome. Fantastic acting by both Baldwin and Connery.

Hunt for Red October is one of the earlier books, a great one.

Clancy's later books were perfect for the 1990-2010 (or 1990-2005, say) period when US power was at its peak. He would be at a loss in a multipolar world where US is not the sole top dog.

A separate note: marksmanship, hand to hand combat, toughness of special forces- Clancy wrote a lot of 'US is the best' stuff in his later books. You might want to check the results of various special forces competitions, or what happens in the pro mixed martial arts circuit where Marines and SEALs sometimes fight. The MMA heavyweight title was held by a small fat Russian (considered the greatest HW of all times - Google for Fedor Emelianenko) over many years - an ex military chap and a Sambo and Judo expert.

I used to be influenced by the US coolaid too - many years back - before I started digging deeper about things I had an interest in (e.g. mixed martial arts and other fighting sports, geopolitics, military strategy and history). Reality was illuminating .

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Some of the military forums I frequent, retired officers (non-Indian) laugh at Tom Clancy's scenarios from the later books. E.g. the ones in Bear and the Dragon.

When I read Bear and the Dragon when it came out, I was quite impressed. However, when I re-read it 10 years later, I fell out my chair in laughter. Now US is completely at the mercy of China, and it has nothing to do with military. [China holds 8% of total US debt]

And Japan, which was Clancy's victim in Debt of Honor, now owns 6% of total US debt.

I guess Tom Clancy should have paid little more attention to that finance guy, who became Secretary of Treasury in Ryan's presidency. I forget his name now.

Yeah, it bothered me that he always put India on the wrong side.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by CaliAtenza

My only sore point with Clancy is that India is the enemy in Debt of Honor and Executive Orders

Originally Posted by Samurai

Yeah, it bothered me that he always put India on the wrong side.

His Op Center novel (though ghostwritten by someone else) - Line of Control - portrays India in a far better light. Though the ending is of 'US saves the world' type, the Novel doesn't have the typical bias regarding '1 US life worth 1000 others'. Most of the US insertion team actually gets killed off by Indian infantry (through accidental fire). Worth reading imo.

[CaliAtenza]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Hunt for Red October is one of the earlier books, a great one.

Clancy's later books were perfect for the 1990-2010 (or 1990-2005, say) period when US power was at its peak. He would be at a loss in a multipolar world where US is not the sole top dog.

A separate note: marksmanship, hand to hand combat, toughness of special forces- Clancy wrote a lot of 'US is the best' stuff in his later books. You might want to check the results of various special forces competitions, or what happens in the pro mixed martial arts circuit where Marines and SEALs sometimes fight. The MMA heavyweight title was held by a small fat Russian (considered the greatest HW of all times - Google for Fedor Emelianenko) over many years - an ex military chap and a Sambo and Judo expert.

I used to be influenced by the US coolaid too - many years back - before I started digging deeper about things I had an interest in (e.g. mixed martial arts and other fighting sports, geopolitics, military strategy and history). Reality was illuminating .

Well i'm an American, so i guess i am still "drinking the coolaid" as it were . Actually, read the Scott Harvarth series by Brad Thor; its much more contemporary for the current times. It is a lot of US rah rah, which i do like , but he also appreciates other countries and people and what they bring to the table.