The Hunt for Red October was the first of Tom Clancy's book I read and I can say that I almost never put it down until I finished it. That's the book that got me hooked on his writing. I admire the fact he went from frustrated insurance salesman to best-selling author. RIP.
A coworker was raving about HFRO so I picked up a paperback one evening. Thought I'd read a chapter or 2 to get a feel for the book. A couple of hours later the wife asked if I was coming to bed?
I loved Red Storm in a lot of ways, not the least of which is that having spent a year in Island I could follow the action there with a clear understanding of the difficult terrain that was being traversed. Though he got the shape and use of the "Frisbee's" wrong.
I look over to my bookcase and the top shelf and a half are Clancy books, in order. Sorry to say I haven't read what is now his penultimate novel,
Locked on yet. At >840 pages its a bit difficult to take on trips.