Lawrence L. Bond (born June 11, 1951)
is an American author and
wargame
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
designer. He is the designer of the ''
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal ...
'' and ''Command at Sea'' gaming systems, and several supplements for the games. Examples of his numerous novels include ''Dangerous Ground'', ''Day of Wrath'', ''The Enemy Within'', ''
Cauldron
A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
'', ''
Vortex
In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in t ...
'' and ''Red Phoenix''. He also co-authored ''
Red Storm Rising
''Red Storm Rising'' is a war novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Larry Bond, and released on August 7, 1986. Set in the mid-1980s, it features a Third World War between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact force ...
'' with
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have ...
.
Early life and education
Bond was born on June 11, 1951 and grew up outside
St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
.
When he was eight years old, an uncle gave him a copy of ''
Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
'', spurring his lifelong interest in
wargame
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
s. In 1973, Bond graduated from
St. Thomas College with a degree in
quantitative methods
Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data. It is formed from a deductive approach where emphasis is placed on the testing of theory, shaped by empiricist and positivist philoso ...
, and worked as a computer programmer for two years before joining the U.S. Navy.
Career
U.S. Navy
Bond graduated from the
United States Navy Officer Candidate School in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New ...
in 1976.
He spent six years on active naval duty, including four years on
destroyers, followed by two years in the Naval Reserve Intelligence Program.
After leaving the navy, he worked as a naval analyst for defense consulting firms in the
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
area.
Harpoon gaming system

Bond's
''Harpoon'' gaming system was first published in 1980. Designed as a general-purpose air, surface, and submarine naval simulation, it combines playability with a wealth of information on modern naval weapons systems. Designed for the entry-level player, it has found acceptance in both the commercial market and the professional naval community. It is used at the
Naval Academy
A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers.
See also
* Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...
, several
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
installations, and on several surface ships as a training aid.
Now in its fourth edition, ''Harpoon'' won the
H.G. Wells Award, a trade association honor, in both 1981 and 1987 as the best miniatures game of the year. The computer version of the game first appeared in 1989 and won the 1990 Wargame of the Year award from ''Computer Gaming World'', an industry journal.
Literary career
Bond's began his writing career by collaborating with
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have ...
on ''
Red Storm Rising
''Red Storm Rising'' is a war novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Larry Bond, and released on August 7, 1986. Set in the mid-1980s, it features a Third World War between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact force ...
'' (1986), a
''New York Times'' bestseller that was one of the best-selling books of the 1980s. It depicted a hypothetical conflict between
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and the
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...
, drawing heavily on current analysis of what such a conflict would be like. It has been used as a text at the
Naval War College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...
.
Since then, Bond's books have depicted military and political crises, emphasizing accuracy and fast-paced action. ''Red Phoenix'',
''Vortex'', and
''Cauldron'' were all ''New York Times'' bestsellers. ''Red Phoenix'' is set in South Korea and depicts an invasion of the south instigated by the North Korean government. ''Vortex'' tells the story of a reactionary Afrikaner government trying to roll back the clock in South Africa. ''Cauldron'' shows a financial crisis in Europe that grew out of control, leading to a military confrontation between France, Germany and countries of the Eastern Europe (Poland,
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
) supported by the United States.
Personal life
Bond makes his home in Springfield, Virginia.
He and his wife Jeanne are the parents of two daughters.
Bibliography
Sources:
With
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have ...
*''
Red Storm Rising
''Red Storm Rising'' is a war novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Larry Bond, and released on August 7, 1986. Set in the mid-1980s, it features a Third World War between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact force ...
, 1986
With Patrick Larkin
*''Red Phoenix'', 1989
*''
Vortex
In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in t ...
'', 1991
*''
Cauldron
A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
'', 1993
*''The Enemy Within'', 1996
*''Day of Wrath'', 1998
With Chris Carlson
*''Lash-Up'', 2015
*''Red Phoenix Burning'', 2016
Jerry Mitchell Series
*''Dangerous Ground'', 2005
*''Cold Choices'', 2009
*''Exit Plan'', 2012
*''Shattered Trident'', 2013
*''Burial at Sea'', 2013
*''Fatal Thunder'', 2016
*''Arctic Gambit'', 2018
With Jim DeFelice
First Team Series
#''Larry Bond's First Team'', 2004
#''Larry Bond's First Team: Angels of Wrath'', 2006
#''Larry Bond's First Team: Fires of War'', 2006
#''Larry Bond's First Team: Soul of the Assassin'', 2008
Red Dragon Rising Series
#''Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Shadows of War'', 2009
#''Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Edge of War'', 2010
#''Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Shock of War'', 2012
#''Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Blood of War'', 2013
Edited by Larry Bond
*''Crash Dive: True Stories of Submarine Combat'', 2010
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Larry
1952 births
Techno-thriller writers
Board game designers
Living people
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American novelists
American male novelists
United States Navy officers
People from Springfield, Virginia
21st-century American male writers