Battle Ready

Forty years ago Tom Clancy was a Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history. Years before, he had been an English major at Baltimore’s Loyola College and had always dreamed of writing a novel. His first effort, The Hunt for Red October—the first of the phenomenally successful Jack Ryan novels—sold briskly as a result of rave reviews, then catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller list after President Reagan pronounced it “the perfect yarn.” From that day forward, Clancy established himself as an undisputed master at blending exceptional realism and authenticity, intricate plotting, and razor-sharp suspense. He passed away in October 2013.

Tony Zinni, USMC (Ret.), was commander-in-chief of CENTCOM from 1997 to 2000, and from November 2002 to March 2003 was Colin Powell’s special envoy to the Middle East. He has also led special missions to such nations as Turkey, Pakistan, Kenya, Russia, Yemen, Indonesia, and the Philippines—a role he continues today.

Tony Koltz is an author known for Before the First Shots are Fired, The Battle for Peace, Shadow Warriors, and Battle Ready.