 First edition cover | |
| Author | Tom Clancy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Jack Ryan |
Release number | 1 |
| Genre | |
| Publisher | Naval Institute Press |
Publication date | October 1, 1984 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover,Paperback) |
| Pages | 387 |
| ISBN | 0870212850 |
| Followed by | Patriot Games |
The Hunt for Red October is the debut novel by American authorTom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by theNaval Institute Press. It depictsSoviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutting-edgeballistic missile submarineRed October, and marks the first appearance of Clancy's most popular fictional character,Jack Ryan, an analyst working for theCentral Intelligence Agency, as he must prove his theory that Ramius plans to defect to the United States.
The Hunt for Red October launched Clancy's career as a novelist, especially after US PresidentRonald Reagan remarked that he had enjoyed reading the book.[1] Afilm adaptation was released on March 2, 1990,[2] and severalcomputer andvideo games based on the book have been developed. The book was instrumental in bringing the book genre oftechno-thriller into the mainstream.
During theCold War,Soviet Navy submarine commander Marko Ramius plans todefect to the United States with theTyphoon-class ballistic missile submarineRed October. It is equipped with a"caterpillar drive", a cutting-edge silent propulsion system that makes audio detection bypassive sonar difficult and enables the submarine to sneak its way into American territorial waters and launchnuclear missiles with little to no warning. As the sub leaves the shipyard atPolyarny, Ramius kills hispolitical officer to ensure that he will not interfere. Ramius was ordered to conduct military exercises with SovietAlfa-class attack submarineV. K. Konovalov, commanded by his former student Viktor Tupolev, to test the effectiveness of the caterpillar drive. Instead, he plots a course for the North American coast, falsely informing the crew that they will be proceeding undetected to Cuba. Before sailing, Ramius sends a letter to Admiral Yuri Padorin stating his intention to defect to the United States and to give them theRed October; theSoviet Northern Fleet then sails out to sinkRed October under the pretext of a search and rescue mission.
Red October passes nearUSS Dallas, aLos Angeles-class submarine under the command of Bart Mancuso, which is patrolling the entrance of a route used by Soviet submarines in theReykjanes Ridge off Iceland.Dallas's sonar operator hears the sound of the stealth drive, and, though he does not initially identify it as a submarine, works to realize that it is the sound of a new propulsion system. After losing theRed October in the underwater route, theDallas heads to the end of the route in hopes of reacquiring the ship when it emerges.
At the same time, Jack Ryan, an analyst with theCentral Intelligence Agency working in London as the CIA's liaison with the BritishSecret Intelligence Service, returns to the United States to deliver secret photos of the new submarine. After conferring with submarine expert Skip Tyler, Ryan determines that the submarine's new construction variations house a stealth drive. Soon thereafter, the CIA's leadership receives word from a highly-placed Soviet agentCARDINAL informing them of Ramius' letter to Padorin and his intention to hand theRed October over to the US. Due to a limited number of aircraft carriers in the northern Atlantic Ocean at that time, the United States enlists the aid of theRoyal Navy in the search for theRed October, and Ryan is sent to the carrierHMS Invincible to coordinate their efforts.
With the Soviet fleet stretched out along the American coast searching for theRed October, tensions between the US/UK and USSR fleets begin to mount. An Alfa-class submarine is lost when it sinks following a reactor meltdown while racing to the American coast, while two USF-14 Tomcats' attempt to scare a squadron of Soviet fighter jets withsonic booms results in the Soviets accidentally firing missiles at the American aircraft. On board theRed October, tension also begins to mount with the crew after evidence is found of asaboteur damaging the reactor and vital safety equipment. Ramius and his senior officers blame the sabotage on American spies who must have boarded the ship while it was in port. InWashington, D.C., the Sovietambassador makes repeated trips to theWhite House to consult with thepresident of the United States about his fleet's search for their "missing" submarine, while one of the deputy directors of the CIA meets with a member of theSenate Intelligence Committee, who is inquiring about the Soviet presence. The deputy directorfalsely tells the senator the CIA has received classified information fromIsrael that states covertPolish intelligence agents operating at the Polyarny shipyards replaced the original orders onboard the ship, and faked the letter to Padorin to make it appear that Ramius was defecting. The senator repeats the story to his aide, an undercover Sovietmole who is arrested shortly after relaying the information to hishandler.
Meanwhile, Skip Tyler works withthe Pentagon to develop a plan that would allow the United States to keep theRed October without the Soviet Union knowing they have it. TheDallas andInvincible locate theRed October, and, after making contact, the three ships head to a designated spot to rendezvous with the decommissioned US ballistic missile submarineUSS Ethan Allen. A helicopter carrying Russian-speaking US military officers is dispatched to meet with Ramius and carry out the covert plan, but it crashes into the ocean, killing all onboard. As a result, Ryan, along with Owen Williams, a Russian-speaking BritishLieutenant, is ordered by the president to board theRed October and execute the plan instead.
After Ramius fakes a reactor accident, Ryan and the US Navy evacuateRed October's crew using aDSRV rescue submarine. Ramius and his officers stay behind, claiming that they plan toscuttle the submarine to prevent it from getting into the hands of the Americans. With the crew removed, Ramius and his officers formally request to defect, which Igor Loginov, an undercoverGRU officer disguised as a cook who has secretly remained onboard, overhears. As theRed October covertly moves out of the area and theEthan Allen is blown up in its place, Loginov fatally shoots SovietCaptain Lieutenant Kamarov and critically wounds Williams before attempting to rig one of the ship's missiles to explode. Ryan and Ramius attempt to stop him, resulting in a firefight, with Ramius being wounded and Ryan killing Loginov. Not knowing what booby traps Loginov has set on the missile, the area is cleared, and the missile is ejected into the sea.
With the ship secure, Mancuso and a handful ofDallas crewmembers are brought onboard theRed October, while a doctor is flown in to treat Williams and Ramius. Mancuso has a depth gauge from the control panel removed from the ship, and theRed October is escorted byDallas and another submarine to hide inPamlico Sound offNorth Carolina. The Soviet ambassador is informed by the White House that theRed October had been found and most of the crew removed before it was unfortunately destroyed in a reactor meltdown. A Soviet agent is dispatched to board a US salvage craft to inspect the wreckage, where it "finds" the removed depth gauge as well as the ejected missile. Convinced theRed October has been destroyed, the majority of the Soviet fleet is ordered home, with several Alfa-class submarines ordered to secretly remain behind to gather intelligence by spying on the American fleet.
In the Soviet Union, thePolitburo is informed that their American spy had learned the letter sent to Padorin was fake and the orders onboard the ship were changed without his knowledge, and the KGB is tasked to investigate whether Marko Ramius was a true defector or a loyal patriot. Several agents are sent on the flight to retrieve the rescued crew members, all of whom report when questioned that Ramius was a loyal Soviet captain who was outraged by the sabotage done to their ship and adamant he would not let the Americans have theRed October.
After waiting two days for the Soviet fleet to clear the area,Dallas and the other American submarine begin escorting theRed October toNorfolk, Virginia. TheKonovalov, having been ordered to remain behind, happens upon them and begins to monitor them, initially believing it to be an AmericanOhio-class. Based on its acoustic signature, Tupolev realizes that it is theRed October, and orders to attack it, damaging it with a successful torpedo strike. Therules of engagement prevent the American submarines from firing on the Soviets unless they are fired upon first, leaving theRed October to fight off the enemy submarine on its own despite having no torpedomen onboard. After blocking another torpedo attack by deliberately running into the torpedo before it had time to arm, theRed October sinks theKonovalov by ramming into it, killing Tupolev and his crew.
The Americans escortRed October into dry dock inNorfolk, Virginia, where it is analyzed by US military intelligence. Ramius and his crew are taken to a CIAsafehouse and are given new identities, beginning their settlement into American lives. Ryan is commended and debriefed by his superiors and returns to his posting inLondon.
The Hunt for Red October introduced Tom Clancy's writing style, which included technical details about weaponry, submarines, espionage, and the military. The accurate nature of Clancy's writing was well known among the American military such that Clancy remarked in a 1986 interview: "When I met Navy SecretaryJohn Lehman last year, the first thing he asked me about the book was, 'Who the hell cleared it?'"[3]
The novel shares elements withJames Clavell's works, particularlyShōgun (1975) andNoble House (1981), where political power is used instead of physical confrontation with an enemy. Clancy portrays the Soviets, especially Captain Ramius, sympathetically, and most characters are understandable in their actions and fears, while at the same time comparing and contrasting their philosophies and values against their American counterparts, who in turn are shown as more competent in their profession, this being explained by the US Navy being better equipped and trained than the Soviet sailors who are mostly conscripts.
In the novel, the US and its service personnel are unmistakably the "good guys". The central theme of the US being flawed, but ultimately a force for good and hope in the world is something the author would explore more in his later novels. However, unlikeThe Hunt For Red October, these later novels often include negative American characters, motivated by power or greed.
In addition,The Hunt for Red October is considered a coming-of-age story regarding the main character Jack Ryan. However, instead of running away from responsibilities, a theme common in contemporary American literature, Clancy subverts the convention by having Ryan rushing toward the burdens of the adult world. Moreover, the book introduced Jack Ryan as a new archetype of the American hero – an everyman who uses his prior knowledge instead of physical power in solving a particular crisis.[4]
From a young age, Clancy was an avid reader of naval history and sea exploration but was later rejected from serving in the military because of his poor eyesight. Since graduating from high school and eventually earning an English major, he had always wanted to write a novel. He eventually worked as an insurance agent for a small business owned by his then-wife's family.[5]
In his spare time, Clancy started working onThe Hunt for Red October on November 11, 1982, and finished it four months later on February 23, 1983.[6] Contrary to popular belief that Clancy had access to top-secret intelligence in researching for the novel, he consulted technical manuals, discussions with former submariners and books likeNorman Polmar'sGuide to the Soviet Navy andCombat Fleets of the World in order to maintain accuracy in describing Soviet submarines.[7]
He then submitted the first draft of the novel to the Naval Institute Press, where he previously wrote an article on theMX missile for their magazineProceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute.[8] Three weeks later, the publication company returned his manuscript, along with a request to cut about a hundred pages' worth of numerous technical details. After fixing his work, Clancy then soldThe Hunt for Red October to the Naval Institute Press for a modest sum of $5,000.[9]
Having recently decided to publish fiction, the publication company made Clancy's work their first published novel. Editor Deborah Grosvenor later recalled convincing the publishers: "I think we have a potential best-seller here, and if we don't grab this thing, somebody else would." She believed Clancy had an "innate storytelling ability, and his characters had this very witty dialogue".[10]
The book received critical acclaim, especially from the American government. U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan had pronounced the book, which was given to him as a Christmas gift, as "the perfect yarn" and "unputdownable"; his endorsement eventually boosted the novel's sales and solidified Clancy's reputation as a bestselling author.[15][16] Regarding the reception, Clancy remarked: "I was thunderstruck, dumbfounded, bowled over, amazed. But I wasn't surprised."[17] Many members of theWhite House were fans of the book.[18]
The Hunt for Red October was also popular among the military. On a 1985 visit toUSS Hyman G. Rickover, Clancy discovered 26 copies of the novel among the crew.[19] Reid Beddow ofThe Washington Post praised it as "the most satisfactory novel of a sea chase sinceC.S. Forester perfected the form" and "a tremendously enjoyable and gripping novel of naval derring-do."[20]
Due to an extensive marketing campaign by the Naval Institute Press for their first published work of fiction, which was initially aimed at the military, the book sold 45,000 copies by March 1985. Clancy said in a 1991 interview: "I thought we'd sell maybe five thousand or ten thousand hardcovers and that would be the end of it. I never really thought about making money."[21]
After Reagan's endorsement,The Hunt for Red October topped the national bestseller lists, particularlyThe New York Times. It eventually sold more than 365,000 copies in hardcover. After securing the paperback rights toBerkley Books for $49,500, the novel sold another 4.3 million copies.[22]
The novel was adapted as afeature film, which was released in the United States on March 2, 1990. Captain Marko Ramius was played bySean Connery, whileAlec Baldwin played Jack Ryan. It serves as the first entry in theJack Ryan film series, which would later follow a chronological order differing from the novels. The movie is a nearly faithful depiction of the novel even though there are many deviations, includingRed October traveling up thePenobscot River in Maine to dry dock, the omission of theRoyal Navy task force including Ryan's time aboardHMS Invincible, and the "caterpillar drive" being described as amagnetohydrodynamic drive system, essentially, "a jet engine for the water", rather than a drive powered by a series of mechanical impellers inside flow tunnels. Although in both the novel and movie, the caterpillar drive was supposed to be undetectably silent.
The film received mainly positive reviews from critics, holding an 88% rating fromRotten Tomatoes based on 74 reviews.[23] It was the sixth top-grossing film of the year, generating $122 million in North America and more than $200 million worldwide in box office.[24] In a 1991 interview, Clancy remarked of the film's success: "It was reasonably true to the spirit of the book, although the movie had a lot of technical errors in it and some changes in the story which I do not think is necessary. But you have to remember that the printed word and visual representation on the screen are two different art forms and they have very different roles."[25]
The novel also became the basis for three computer, video, and console games.One version, a combination of a submarine simulator and strategy game, was released in 1987 and received positive reviews.Another game based on the movie was released in 1990. Theconsole game was released in 1991 for theNintendo Entertainment System and later for theGame Boy andSuper Nintendo Entertainment System. In addition, a board gameThe Hunt for Red October, published in 1988 byTSR, Inc. became one of the all time bestselling wargames.[26]
In late 2015, River Horse announced it had acquired the rights and intended to crowdfund another game based on the intellectual property.[27][28]
The Hunt for Red October popularized the book genre oftechno-thriller into the mainstream. "Tom Clancy defined an era, not just of thrillers but of pop culture in general," saidJon Land, an author and marketing chair for theInternational Thriller Writers. "No one encapsulated the mindset and mentality of the Reagan era more, as the Cold War was heating up for the last time and we were entering a new age of modern warfare. Clancy's books tapped into our fears and helped define our psyches, even as he reinvigorated the thriller genre by bringing millions of new readers into the fold."[29]
On April 20, 2018,The Hunt for Red October was included in the list of 100 most-loved books in the U.S., compiled byPBS as part of their new series and multi-platform initiativeThe Great American Read.[30][31]
