Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy | 1984 | Naval Institute Press | Hardcover $ 30.95
This is the runaway bestseller that launched Tom Clancy’s phenomenal career, a military thriller so gripping in its action and so convincing in its accuracy it’s rumored that the White House debriefed the author. The theme: the greatest espionage coup in history. The story: the chase for a top secret Russian missile sub. The Hunt for Red October remains a masterpiece of military fiction by one of the world’s most popular authors.
My spouse is a big fan of Tom Clancy. Our little home library has multiple shelves devoted to this author’s books. And yet… I’d never read any of them! Given their long-standing popularity and my mister’s enthusiasm for them, I thought it would be prudent to add at least one of these books to my list for Classics Club.
The Hunt for Red October is basically about a submarine that is attempting to defect from the USSR to the USA during the Cold War. The story is told primarily through three different perspectives — that of the submarine captain from Russia, Marko Ramius; that of the captain and crew of a submarine from America, the Dallas; and that of intel analyst Jack Ryan.
The stakes are high, the consequences of missteps are catastrophic, and no one is quite sure of the motivations of the other players in the game. This all adds up to a nail-biting story of non-stop action from first to last page.
I’ll be honest, I may have skimmed over a few paragraphs here and there; I could feel my brain start to error out at all the details of naval navigation and weaponry. Military tactical stuff is just not my personal cup of tea, but that’s OK. I don’t feel like I missed out on any major plot points. And anyway, if Moby Dick couldn’t defeat me, Tom Clancy can’t either!
This is a great choice for readers who are looking for something fast-paced and thrilling, particularly for folks with an interest in the military and political history of the Cold War.
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Publication information: Clancy, Tom. The hunt for Red October. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1984. Print.
Source: Personal library.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
