r/jackryan

Thought everyone here would like to celebrate the birthday of Patriot Games and Jack Ryan.

Fun fact:
The novel was so packed with incredibly accurate, hyper-detailed descriptions of Soviet submarines and naval maneuvers that when it was published, Tom Clancy was actually paid a visit by the FBI and the Pentagon.

Because he was just an insurance broker at the time with no military background, high-ranking military officials were absolutely convinced that he had somehow obtained classified documents. They wanted to know exactly who was leaking top secret information to him. In reality, Clancy had just pieced it all together entirely from unclassified sources, public technical manuals, and an unclassified Soviet mutiny case study.

Source: https://www.baltimoresun.com/2014/09/27/fbi-files-show-details-of-background-checks-on-author-tom-clancy-2/

An Evening with Annie Jacobsen
Join us on July 31, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Hannaford Hall for a special night with bestselling author Annie Jacobsen.

She’ll be talking about her new book, Biological War, in a moderated discussion with a special guest (moderator TBA!). Tickets to the event include a signed copy of Biological War, but please note Annie will not be signing or personalizing books at the event.

After the discussion, you’ll get a chance for a photo-op with Annie! Plus, limited copies of her previous bestsellers like Area 51 and Nuclear Warmay be available at the merch stand

Don’t miss this unique chance to hear from one of today’s top authors!

Tickets are available now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-vevening-with-annie-jacobsen-tickets-1990893460935vv

Happy Birthday to the book that started it all!

Join us for an evening with Jack Ryan writer and author Annie Jacobsen in Portland, Maine