The Hunt for Red October is a
book, later turned into a movie, written by
Tom Clancy. It is set in the
Jack Ryan series and is the first one he, Tom Clancy, wrote, though not the first in the series
chronologically. It is set between
Patriot Games and
Cardinal in the Kremlin.
The Hunt for Red October is about a Soviet sub captain, Marko Ramius, who decides to steal the prototype of the Soviet's newest type of sub, the Krazny Oktyabr or Red October, and come on over to America with it. The Red October is special because it is equipped with a magnetohydrodynamic propulsion drive, nicknamed a caterpillar drive, which would allow it to run silently. Jack Ryan figures this out and is sent out to sea to help bring in the sub, however the Soviets know what Ramius is trying to do and are trying to stop him. Jack Ryan gets aboard the sub and they almost have it home when another Soviet Sub attacks. The Red October destroys the other sub and it is brought back to America for study.
A very good book by all acounts, somewhat shorter than his others but that seems normal because it was his first.