The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October, published October 1, 1984, is the first novel written by Tom Clancy and the first to feature CIA analyst Jack Ryan. It was also the first novel published by The Naval Institute Press, based at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Ryan, a CIA analyst, is brought in to assist in locating Red October, a state-of-the-art ballistic missile submarine. Ryan becomes convinced that the submarine’s captain, Marko Ramius, is attempting to defect to the US. He works with the British Navy and the U.S. Navy to help secure Ramius, his officers, and Red October.

Jack Ryan novels have been published regularly since 1984. Following Clancy’s 2013 death, when the LA Times estimated 100 million copies of his books had sold, other authors have published Clancy-branded books to continue the series.

The Hunt for Red October was made into a movie in 1990 starring Sean Connery as Ramius and Alec Baldwin as Ryan. This is the first in a series of movies, video games, and television shows that feature the Ryan character. Amazon began airing the four-season series Jack Ryan in 2018.

This guide is based on the Kindle e-book edition published by Berkley on January 21, 2009.