Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Clancy was a great storyteller and this book is no exception. I am not a critical-enough reader of Clancy's oevre to discuss whether this book is better or worse than his earlier novels, or the differences in approach, being more interested simply in whether or not the book was enjoyable, Indeed it was. Yes it is heavy on political and military minutia, as is the case in many of the Jack Ryan novels, and many readers may not have the patience for this. Yes the involvement of Jack Sr. and Jack Jr. seems implausible at times, but then the entire Jack Ryan package is extremely implausible. We don't look for everyman in our superheroes though, and Jack Ryan is an American superhero. The book was engaging enough, and driving enough that it was difficult to put down, proving to be an entertaining and satisfying read.
This was a tough book to rate. After the initial setup, the story follows 2 tracks which are roughly parallel: a new Jack Ryan (senior) story about his adventures in East Germany told in flashback, and Jack Ryan Junior's new adventure in the London financial district. Both are set against the backdrop of Russia invading Ukraine, which seemed a little too familiar the week I read this book. There's a little bit of shooting and tank warfare (think Red Storm Rising) and a little bit of Clark and Chavez, but mostly the story focuses on the two Ryans.
Ultimately I enjoyed how Clancy switched back and forth between stories, and especially that it wasn't always chapter-by-chapter. If Jack Junior or Jack Senior needed 2-3 chapters in a row, they could have it. I just felt like the way the book was written didn't give enough meat to either story. The conflict in Russia is resolved pretty easily. The writing was good, but it felt like Clancy had half a Jack Ryan Sr story laying around but couldn't figure out how to make it into a whole book.
Ultimately I enjoyed how Clancy switched back and forth between stories, and especially that it wasn't always chapter-by-chapter. If Jack Junior or Jack Senior needed 2-3 chapters in a row, they could have it. I just felt like the way the book was written didn't give enough meat to either story. The conflict in Russia is resolved pretty easily. The writing was good, but it felt like Clancy had half a Jack Ryan Sr story laying around but couldn't figure out how to make it into a whole book.
While I didn't enjoy it as much as Clancy's earlier novels, I did find the plot line strikingly similar to current events now unfolding in the Crimea. For fans of the genre this book won't disappoint.
Not quite the experience of my memory, staying up into the wee hours with the sum of all fears and executive orders, etc. - but certainly better than the last Tom Clancy I read. Sad to know he's gone.
Since Tom Clancy passed on (and even for a while before) other authors have taken on the task of writing some of his characters. The efforts to write in Clancy's voice have been inconsistent. Greany's Command Authority is one of the better efforts. Not always...there were long periods of dialogue, in particular, where the choice of wording, phraseology, or something was just off a little. But often, it was pretty close also. Not bad, though, considering how hard it is to channel another author's voice. Jack Ryan Jr. continues his exploits, combining financial know how with his previous field training in a fairly satisfying way.
Tom Clancy books were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, and as I grew older and went looking for more ‘interesting’ things to read, Mr. Clancy was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I gravitated to. I read everything he had written up to that point, and then through the years I kept up with each new release. It has been many years since I last read the series as a whole, but over the past few months have found myself exploring them again.
My mother has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months- and being an avid reader, I gave her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was recuperating. Mum loves Tom Clancy, he’s among her favourite authors, so I suggested reading this series as a buddy read- but, on the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her. We love to discuss the details of the books after each read and even though we’ve both read the series before, it has been just as enjoyable this time around. It’s also been a great bonding experience for us, and we have really enjoyed revisiting Mr. Clancy’s work.
Jack Ryan is an analyst for the CIA and even though he isn’t the typical James Bond type action hero, he’s just as successful. Jack is more the outsmart/out think the enemy type of hero and the situations he finds himself in are quite compelling to read. I love all the different Jack Ryan stories- they all manage to keep me interested in what is going on and completely invested in the outcome. There is always intrigue, suspense, a little mystery, drama, interesting and fully realised characters, a complex and well-developed plot with clever twists- which all blend together to produce a memorable read.
I can always count on Mr. Clancy and Jack Ryan to take me on an adventure that never gets old, no matter the situations or how many times I’ve read these books.
My mother has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months- and being an avid reader, I gave her a Kindle so she would have something to read while she was recuperating. Mum loves Tom Clancy, he’s among her favourite authors, so I suggested reading this series as a buddy read- but, on the days she isn’t well enough to read for herself, I read them to her. We love to discuss the details of the books after each read and even though we’ve both read the series before, it has been just as enjoyable this time around. It’s also been a great bonding experience for us, and we have really enjoyed revisiting Mr. Clancy’s work.
Jack Ryan is an analyst for the CIA and even though he isn’t the typical James Bond type action hero, he’s just as successful. Jack is more the outsmart/out think the enemy type of hero and the situations he finds himself in are quite compelling to read. I love all the different Jack Ryan stories- they all manage to keep me interested in what is going on and completely invested in the outcome. There is always intrigue, suspense, a little mystery, drama, interesting and fully realised characters, a complex and well-developed plot with clever twists- which all blend together to produce a memorable read.
I can always count on Mr. Clancy and Jack Ryan to take me on an adventure that never gets old, no matter the situations or how many times I’ve read these books.
President Jack Ryan and son Jack Jr. fight off the Russians from taking Ukraine-very timely.
This is the first Clancy book I've read since Teeth of The Tiger back in the early 2000s. I wasn't really a fan so I kind of left the series and characters. This was Clancy's last book published while he was living. I don't know how much of the writing he did or didn't do, but I have respect for Mark Greany as an author and whomever did the bulk of the writing did an excellent job. This is an old school spy thriller with a heavy dose of geopolitical tensions and some action thrown in. This book is densely amd excellently plotted and I loved the old school cold war elements. This is a different style than modern action thrillers like the Rapp and Harvath series where the book just goes from one gun fight to the next. I like those as well, but this was a nice change of pace. The only thing I can't get over is how the series still has Jack Ryan Sr as President. Maybe real time doesn't pass between books or there is some other explanation, but as the series goes on it's less and less plausible to have him in that role even though I knkw they don't want to write out the character.