Tom Clancy Dies at 66—Author Remembered for Best-Selling Jack Ryan Novels, Thrillers

Famed writer passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 1, in Baltimore

By Rebecca Macatee Oct 02, 2013 3:00 PMTags
Tom ClancyDebra L Rothenberg/FilmMagic

Bestselling author Tom Clancy, famed for his spy and military thrillers, has died at age 66.

He died Tuesday, Oct. 1, in a Baltimore hospital, his publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons confirmed in a statement to E! News. Ivan Held, the president of the publishing company, spoke with the New York Times but did not provide a cause of death.

Several of Clancy's books were made into Hollywood movies. Four books based on Jack Ryan, the covert CIA agent he created, were adapted for the big screen: The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The Sum of All Fears (2002). Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford (in the 1992 and 1994 film adaptations) and Ben Affleck played Ryan. Chris Pine plays the iconic role in Jack Ryan: Shadow One, which is expected to come out this year.

In total, Clancy had 17 novels that were No. 1 New York Times best sellers, including Threat Vector, which was published in December 2012. His final work, Command Authority, is set for a Dec. 3 publish date.

"I'm deeply saddened by Tom's passing.  He was a consummate author, creating the modern-day thriller, and was one of the most visionary storytellers of our time," Penguin Group executive David Shanks, who was personally involved in the publication of every one of Clancy's books, said in a statement. "I will miss him dearly and he will be missed by tens of millions of readers worldwide."

He is survived by his wife Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, a freelance journalist. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.