TOM CLANCY was the author of eighteen New York Times bestsellers. His first, The Hunt for Red October, sold briskly as a result of rave reviews, then catapulted into the bestseller list after President Reagan pronounced it 'the perfect yarn'. Clancy was the undisputed master at blending exceptional realism and authenticity, intricate plotting, and razor-sharp suspense. He passed away in 2013. DON BENTLEY spent a decade as an Army Apache helicopter pilot, and while deployed in Afghanistan was awarded the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with "V" device for valor. Following his time in the military, Bentley worked as an FBI special agent focusing on foreign intelligence and counterintelligence and was a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team member.