The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy's first novel, appeared in 1984. The story follows the intertwined adventures of Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius, and a CIA analyst named Jack Ryan.

Plot synopsis

Ramius, a Lithuanian by birth, who has risen to high levels of trust in the Soviet Navy, intends to defect to the United States with his officers and the experimental nuclear submarine Red October. The Red October is equipped with a revolutionary stealth propulsion system (in the movie, a magnetohydrodynamic drive), making it extremely difficult to detect with regular methods. Ramius' defection is spurred by several factors, including the death of his wife (while he was at sea) which he blames on the Soviet medical establishment's incompetence, the first-strike capabilities of the Red October, and the callousness of the Soviet establishment towards its sailors. Cold War tensions are rising, because of fleet maneuvers and the dangers of a rogue submarine equipped with nuclear weapons. However, the book reveals that Ramius' intentions were as a result of the incompetence of the doctor who had operated on Ramius' wife. Because the doctor was the son of a Politburo member, he was beyond reproach, which ultimately broke Ramius' naivete towards the Soviet Socialist System and encouraged his realization of the endemic hypocrisy that diseased Soviet thinking and government. Ryan, an expert on submarines and men such as Ramius, deduces Ramius' plans. The admirals meanwhile come up with contingency plans in case the Soviet Fleet, which is trying to destroy the Red October has other desires. To prevent the loss of a decisive technological advantage, Ryan must contact the Red October's rebellious captain. Meanwhile, the crew of one U.S. boat have found the secret to detecting Red October. Through a combination of circumstances, Ryan becomes responsible for seeing the sub, and Ramius, to safety from the pursuing Soviet naval fleet.

Related Topics:
Lithuania - Soviet Navy - United States - Magnetohydrodynamic drive - First-strike - Cold War - Soviet

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