This 1985 Article Shows How Insurance Broker Tom Clancy Took The World By Storm

Tom Clancy was a "37-year-old insurance broker and frustrated writer" when his first novel went turned into a runaway bestseller: "The Hunt For Red October."

The book, which would later become a hit movie starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, told the story of a rogue Soviet nuclear submarine that was either trying to attack the U.S. or defect.

Clancy, who died Tuesday night at the age of 66, would go on to become one of the most successful writers ever, spawning an empire including books (many by ghost writers), movies, and video games.

As you can see in the following article from 1985, it was clear from the beginning that Clancy had something special.