Customer Reviews (1)

Accion Pura
Es una novela increible de accion constante.Jack Ryan (el protagonista) es un tipo muy interesante en que es posible verlo como una persona normal de qualquier lugar.Tom Clancy hizo buen trabajo con los detalles de ponerjuntos todas las historias de gente diferentes en la novela.Pero tencuidado, porque es largo y al empezarlo, quieran leerla al fin.Tambienrecomiendo (Tom Clancy). ... Read more

Product Description
Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears appear together in a single hardcover volume of suspense, with stories as explosive and current as today's headlines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

If you saw the movies this is your chance to read the books

There certainly seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to how they throw together Tom Clancy novels together in these collections. Here we have the 3rd, 5th and 6th of Clancy's novels, which are the 2nd, 4th and 5th of the Jack Ryan novels (except that while "Patriot Games" was written 2nd it actually takes place before the "1st" Jack Ryan novel, "The Hunt for Red October"--are you taking notes?). However, the two common denominators are that of the first six Clancy novels these three are the three better ones and that all three books have been turned into films.

"Patriot Games" explains why the English keep calling Ryan "Sir John" in "The Hunt for Red October." I always fancied that Clancy had written this novel first (or, at least had the idea for the story first), but that having Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth be characters in a fictional novel was frowned upon; however, I consider the relationship between the Ryans and the Royals to be one of the most compelling aspects of the novel. Certainly "Patriot Games" shows a great leap forward in Clancy's writing style. The novel literally begins with a bang as Ryan thwarts an attack by a I.R.A. splinter group. What happens afterwards brings him into the fold of the C.I.A. The ending of the novel, decidedly different from that of the film version, refutes the idea that Clancy is a reactionary conservative.

"Clear and Present Danger" presents a scenario that remains one of the most attractive as a real world solution to a continuing problem, namely the use of the U.S. military to put the Columbian drug cartels out of business. The problem, of course, is that the President decides to make this a covert mission, which provides ample opportunity for things to go too far. This is the novel that introduces Ding Chavez to John Clark, and Clark to Ryan for that matter. In terms of the characters in the Jack Ryan novels, "Clear and Present Danger" is the one that probably has the most resonance with the rest of the series. Much is made of the way Clancy incorporates cutting edge technology into his narratives, but his strength has always been his characters. There is no better example of this aspect than in the beginning of "Clear and Present Danger," when Clancy introduces us to the character of Red Wegener with such wonderful detail that we are surprised to discover he ends up being a minor character in the novel.

"The Sum of All Fears" is one of Clancy's novels where you certainly hope that he is not prescient. Middle Eastern terrorists get a hold of a nuclear weapon and decide to detonate it at the Super Bowl. However, this is not a simple act of terrorism but part of a larger game that seeks to have the United States and the Soviet Union skip over a return to the Cold War and go right for a nuclear exchange. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan is caught in the switches as a new president comes into office and his National Security Advisor wants our hero's head on a platter. When the bomb detonates events escelate beyond the speed of those on both sides to process the information and make decisions than hurtle the world towards oblivion.

As always, you are urged to read all of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels in order even though what we have here qualifies as the essence of the first part of the Jack Ryan saga. After this point, following an interlude with the first John Clark novel, we move from Jack Ryan the CIA years to Jack Ryan the White House years. Although his recent novels have seen like they were written by rote, these three novels will more than evidence why Clancy has a devote following who love to consume his massive tomes as soon as they come out in hardback.

3-of Clancy's best, BAR NONE, a truly worthwhile buy
For sentimental reasons only, I view 'Hunt For Red October' as Clancy's best book, but these 3 cannot be far behind, especially 'Clear & Present Danger' and 'The Sum Of All Fears'.Absolutely riviting novels that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Clancy truly has his finger squarely on the pulse of what is going on in the world -- or what COULD go on.

'Patriot Games' is a phenomenal story of revenge from an IRA Terrorist who's plot to assassinate Charles & Di is thwarted by Jack Ryan, who is completely unaware of the horrific consequences of his actions.GREAT read.

'Clear & Present Danger' is a VERY complicated story of the war on drugs and a few people in high places making some pretty rash decisions that creates a completely incredible situation and Clancy ties it all together in one of his all-time best stories. Highly recommended.

'The Sum Of All Fears' is another Clancy rocket-of-a-novel with many plots and sub-plots, all of which are tied neatly together in the end revolving around a few middle-eastern bad guys who get their dirty fingers on an actual Israeli atomic bomb, converting it into a thermo-nuclear device, and their plans of actually using it on American soil.A true Clancy masterpiece.

All three of these books are worth buying, but if you can manage to grab this particular book with ALL of them, do NOT hesitate, just DO IT!Any Clancy fan worth his/her salt cannot call their collection complete without this.Just hours and hours of absolute thrilling reading.

Great Books, Great Value
This product contains three of the most action packed novels by Tom Clancy: Patriot Games, a book about Irish terrorists bent on killing Jack Ryan, which is far superior to the movie; Clear and Present Danger, which is deeper than the movie, but slower moving, and The Sum of All Fears, which is destined to the theater, has a plot of peace in the Middle East and an excellent ending. Well worth the price.

Great
This book has three excellent titles in one. A must buy and a great price too.

Outstanding
Great. Clancy's three best books in one. Impossible to put down as you never know what is going to happen next. ... Read more

Product Description

A half-dead Singapore pirate is plucked from the Celebes Sea in the Western Pacific, setting off alarms halfway around the world in Washington, D.C. Traces of radiation are found on the man, causing Australian officials to call in Op-Center for a top-secret investigation of nuclear disposal sights. When an empty drum from a recent drop-off is discovered near where the pirate's ship was destroyed, the Op-Center team comes to a terrifying conclusion: a multi-national corporation that has been hired to dispose of nuclear waste is selling it instead -- to a most unlikely terrorist...

A powerful profile of America's defense, intelligence, and crisis management technology, Tom Clancy's Op-Center is the creation of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik -- inspiring this and other gripping novels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Sea of Fire by Tom Clancy
I love Tom Clancy's novel on Op-Center novels. I highly recommend it to any fan of Mr. Clancy's writes especially in audio format.

About what I expected
Each of the Op-Center books has presented a crisis based on the current events and global political circumstances at the time of its writing. This one isn't different. The prospect of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear material is daunting, and the job of preventing such a disaster even more so. This book isn't quite as gripping as some of the earlier books in the series, but it did present a few surprises, and it wrapped up the story nicely. This book placed some of the Op-Center staff in new roles in the field, which was refreshing, and it introduced at least one new character that I suspect will return in future volumes. This was a fun, light read, perfect for any fan of espionage/political thrillers.

Nuclear hogwash
Among the countless and careless errors throughout this book, as attested to by several other reviewers, the one that bothers me the most is the author's horrendous misunderstanding of the terms "contamination" and "radiation." Being an ex nuclear submariner and nuclear engineer, I have always been impressed by the accuracy of Tom Clancy's research, whether it was the details of nuclear submarine operations or his insights regarding interactions among members of the officers and crew. Tom Clancy was a meticulous researcher. Tom Clancy understood the difference between "contamination" and "radiation" and never would have written a book based on such a misapplication of science.

Lee Tong, the "radiation man" who sets off the entire story, conceivably could have been irradiated by gamma rays from the nuclear cargo on his target ship but that exposure, no matter how intense, would in no way have made him radioactive. There would be no need for a lead shield as described in his hospital room. If on the other hand he became contaminated with radioactive material from the target boat as a result of the explosion, then the target ship and many of its crew members would also have been contaminated. But they weren't. You can walk away from a radiation source, but if you are contaminated with radioactive particles, it goes with you.

For those of us who have been conditioned to read anything with Tom Clancy's name on it, and who do so because we have learned to trust the authenticity of his work, this book is extremely disappointing. We used to read Clancy because we trusted him and because of this trust we had confidence that the technology described in the story was accurate, not science fiction. Apparently, that is no longer so, a sad finding for thousands of Clancy fans.

Much of the public fear about nuclear power comes from misunderstandings, such as Jeff Rovin's misunderstanding of contamination and radiation. Also, co-creator Steve Pieczenik, having a Ph.D. from MIT, would have easy access to the science that is at the heart of The Sea of Fire. He has no excuse to get it so wrong. For a ready reference, the difference is very clearly described on the Internet at:

Definitions Related to Radiation

or go to: http://www.orau.gov/reacts/definitions.htm

If you are looking for fairly good science fiction read, and don't care about its technical accuracy, or how big Australia really is, this book might do it for you. Otherwise don't be misled, find another book.

Thomas Banfield
tvbanfield@aol.com

Tom Clancy Obviously did not write this one!
I agree with the others who panned this.It is full of obvious errors, and they show the gross ignorance of the author.The one that got me and sticks is his description of the men in the Sampan using the oars to get close to the yacht.They 'oared' there.Oared is not a word.When men use oars to move a ship, boat, or any floating vessel, the term used to move it is ROW.You row a boat, you use 10 foot oars in a viking ship to ROW the ship.One paddles a canoe, but one does not OAR a boat.Obviously this book was thrown together in as short a time as possible, given minimal proof reading, and then published.Tom Clancy should be ashamed to have his name put on it.

Risible research
Before I reached page 50 I realised this author had confined his research on Australia (the setting for much of the action) to a Sydney Street Directory. Yes, you can see the Sydney Opera House from the Park Hyatt Hotel and that's the limit of his accuracy.

The protagonist travelled from Sydney to Darwin in 116 minutes?Not in a P3 Orion he didn't (unless it is unique among propellor driven aircraft in that it can travel at Mach 2. Maybe it was a Concorde in disguise.) The distance is more than 2000 miles (about equivalent of LA to Miami or New York to Phoenix).The offending yacht travelled from the Celebes Sea to Cairns (well over 2000 miles) in 30 hours. Australia's P3s are owned by the Air Force, not the Navy.In the RAN, a Warrant Officer is not a senior officer. A wommera is not a means of throwing darts, it is a means Aborigines used for throwing spears (it applies extra leverage as an extension to the length of the arm). In itself, a wommera would be about as useful a weapon as any other thin stick and it is hard to imagine why anyone would carry one, especially as that character was supposed to be half Aboriginal..

A willing suspension of disbelief in the interests of a good yarn is one thing, lamentable research and gross (easily checkable) error is quite another.Don't waste money on this dog. ... Read more

Product Description
Danger is right across the border--and so are the ghosts

• Complete campaign walkthrough
• Weapons stats
• Multiplayer tips, tactics, and maps
• Bids for the Ghost Squad
• Detailed campaign maps ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

ok
i have heard people bought this strategy guide for the PC version. This is a 360 version. that cleared, the info in the guide help you plan your movements and has great specs on the weapons. many dont like it because it dos not tell you how to beat the game. to that i say. than what the fun of beating the game!

Wrong platform
This guide won't be that helpful for PC users, since it is based on X360.
The game is actually very hard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Read
I have read several Clancy books.This is probably my favorite.If you like books on spec ops this is the one for you.The book is a little long at 895 pgs for the paperback.Definately worth it.

Good story
If you've read any of Tom's books, you would know that he can sure write a good thriller. In fact, he's considered one of the best thriller novelists in the modern era, often mentioned alongside names such as John Grisham and Michael Crichton.

Rainbow Six is a great testament to that.

Rarely did I stop turning the pages in this one. The prose was flowing, the action was fast and the plot was engaging. Being someone who had served in the army before, I was attracted by the details of the mechanics surrounding the anti-terrorist team named RAINBOW. It's clear Tom knows his stuff. All the facts on the weapons were spot on, and the plot was very believable; with the US government being a part of a bio-terrorism scheme to exterminate the world's population, holocaust style. The multi-national team RAINBOW takes center stage, and for much of the book we learn about their members, their individual roles in the team and their many characteristics. Which is good; having the members of RAINBOW drive the book was a good move by Clancy.

The plot moves on in many threads, much like Ted Bell's SPY where we see many threads moving on in a chronological sequence. It has a very gradual build-up that many thrillers typically employ. RAINBOW started off being formed in the first few chapters to being a serious threat to the main problem (the bio-terrorism problem) in the end. The book moves in and out between the team, the bad guys (Popov and the terrorists), the US government and the many external forces influencing the situation itself. And the plot threads move at a very fast pace, making it very enagaging and urgent.

All in all, I found it a very exciting read. And I recommend it to all looking for a good thriller to plunge into.

Great Present
This gift hooked its' new owner the first time he read it.Adventure, well written espionage and keeping the attention are just some of his mentions.Obviously a plot and book to enjoy.

A mixed and confused bag
Tom Clancy is at his best when describing military weapons systems and tactics. He does less well with his human characters who seem real enough during their missions, but become two dimensional when the action stops. The magic of a good book is that the characters come to life. Unfortunately, in Rainbow Six they never really do, and so I never really cared what happened to them. More disturbing is the amoral tone of the book. Tom Clancy takes the position that counter-terrorism teams have to crossover to the dark side in the service of the good.This seemed supportable until the final mission where I felt the "good guys" lost their humanity.If you give up the moral high ground and sink to the level of terrorists are you really any better then they are? ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times #1 Bestselling Phenomenon

The explosion of a Chinese freighter in Charleston Harbor is the first sign that someone is capping Chinese interests abroad. Now under the control of the Pentagon, Op-Center is unsure of its own future-but must root out the cause of the attacks before the entire world is affected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very good as always
This book breaks your mind right up front.
I have read and followed the op center series.
It's a great series.

Tom Clancy's Op-Center: War of Eagles
This is the best one yet of the bestselling Op-Center series! The leading characters are all there, and the action kept me on the edge of the seat. It ends in a way that leaves the reader even more hungry and anxious for the sequel to the story.

Changes in op center
The same characters are here, but they are assigned different roles. Altogether it held my interest throughout.

An marked improvement over the preceding book in the series
After the disappointment of the previous book in the Op-Center series, I was fully prepared to be disappointed by this one as well.Fortunately, this book is a significant improvement on the previous book, as well as several before that.Op-Center has a new director and Paul Hood has moved to the White House as a special envoy to the President, and is immediately faced with a crisis brewing in China.This story is well paced, with a credible crisis and great character interaction.Like the other Op-Center books, this book will never be mistaken for great literature, but it is entertaining and manages to avoid most of the flaws that marred many of the earlier books.

It's not that bad
This book may not be Tom Clancy's best, but I really didn't think it was that bad. I think he had some strong characters but the story dragged in some places. I'm not sorry that I bought and I would recommend it with a warning: It's a little hard to follow, so you have to read more than one chapter at a time. ... Read more

Product Description
Here comes a Clancy first: a new series of novels for young adults starring a team of troubleshooting teens--the Net Force Explorers--who know more about cutting edge technology than their teachers! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Virtual Reality
Tom Clancy's Virtual Vandals is a great book in an exciting series with lots of action in this future based military story. This book is about Matt Hunter, the main character, with his friends David Grey and Leif Anderson which are teenaged kids who can figure out computers better than their adult counterparts. Matt Hunter and his friends go to a baseball game when the vandals come and light the stadium up with their virtual proxy's Tommy guns. It takes Matt many clues to figure out all their identities when he uncovers the mastermind behind it all.
This book's got it all action, drama, suspense and pieces of comedy here and there. The Theme is Don't give up to me because the characters keep going even after they think it's hopeless. This book should be read from ages 10 and up.
Read it for yourself it's a great book that you are going to love.

Top Notch Book
Tom Clancy's book, Virtual Vandals, is one of the best. Matt Hunter is a young Net Force Explorer. When he and his friends, some in holo form, attend a virtual baseball game in Carmen Yards in the year 2025, they find themselves under fire! A group of 1930's gangster style holo's has appeared and are shooting at the holo's with virtual Tommy guns! This book is amazing. I found myself staying up late into the early hours of the mourning just to read Tom Clancy's Virtual Vandals. I really couldn't put it down! This book is a must read.

A good read for young science-fiction fans
Matt Hunter, an enthusiastic Net Force Explorer, and his friends are sitting in the stadium of Camden Yards watching a holographic baseball game. There are only a few people who are physically present at Camden Yards, because most spectators have bought a virtual seat and are watching the game from their home, while at the same time being represented as holographic images at the stadium. Suddenly four virtual viewers stand up from their seats and start firing at the audience with machine guns. One of Matt's friends is hit by a holographic bullet and struggles for his life. Matt starts to wonder how it is possible that people can get hurt by virtual bullets. With the help of the Net Force Explorer team he starts his investigations and soon reveals something that is much bigger than what that vandal's prank might seem at first sight.

Virtual Vandals is a decent and well-written science-fiction story that will definitely serve as an enjoyable read for many youngsters. The main theme is virtual reality, but as opposed to another Net Force book titled The Deadliest Game, this time the storyline is not entirely submerged into a virtual world. Typically of a virtual world is that everything can happen and nothing needs to be explainable. The authors have not stepped into this trap and have kept the suspense into the 'real' world, which is in my opinion the better choice. The story contains a few twists that might not all be as convincing, but they keep up the pace so that Virtual Vandals can be called a real page-turner.

Interesting YA Novel for Computer Geniuses
The year is 2025, and computers rule the world. Which is why the Net Force was formed. To protect the United States of America from all online criminal activity. But there is also a group of teenage computer geniuses who sometimes know more than adults, who are known as the Net Force Explorers.

While watching a holographic "old-timers" baseball game, Net Force Explorer Matt Hunter, and several of his Net Force Explorer friends are filled with excitement at seeing the legendary Babe Ruth come up to bat, but while doing his well-known routine of pointing to the stands, a group of four people dressed in outfits from the 30's, stand up and open fire on the entire stadium with Tommy guns. Everyone knows that virtual bullets can kill you, and Matt and his Net Force Explorer friends know that this group of vandals must be stopped. But the stadium shoot-out is just the beginning. Now Matt and his friends are worried that perhaps even the legenday Net Force Explorers will be unable to stop them next time.

I found that the first installment of TOM CLANCY'S NET FORCE was both intriguing and interesting. The fact that VITUAL VANDALS takes place in the year 2025 will gain fans from the futuristic and science fiction fans, and all of the talk about the Internet and computers will intrigue the so-called computer geniuses of the world. The characters are intelligent, and computer-savvy, who embark on numerous adventures throughout the novel, and will have the reader rooting for them from the very first page until the very last page. A must-have.

Erika Sorocco

Virtual Vandals is a great book!!!
Virtual Vandals is a great book! This book is a great thrill ride that will keep you an the edge of your seat. Virtural Vandals has plenty of mystery that will keep you guessing with its twists and turns. Your main character through this ride is Matt Hunter. He lives in a world where our present day computers are obsolete. Your computercan send you zipping through cyber space with a single voice command. The book starts off with our main character Matt and his friends watching a virtual baseball game when some people in the croud start ripping rounds and spraying everything with bullets. After this incident Matt sets of in search forthe virtual vandals that had hurt his friend Leif.If you enjoyed my review I would strongly recomend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
With Army bases under attack by terrorists, Net Force's own crack troops team up with Army intelligence and the National Guard to track down who is behind the deadly strikes. But they are countered at every move by a cunning opponent who thinks like one of their own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Archimedes Effect
The only pleasure I got from this was watching it catch fire and burn in my fireplace. What a crock of crap.

Decidely unremarkable
Not much to say about this book. Jay Gridley is front and center, but everyone else seems to be just thrown in as filler for a mundane plot. Definitely not the strongest of the series and probably is the weakest. This book isn't bad, it just isn't good.

How long can this series go?
I like the new character development; plots are the same, but great summer reading fare

Tripe
Spell check would have helped with the flow...aside from even just that trivial stuff the whole book is just one constant stream of 'yeah, thought that was gonna happen' or 'where did they come up with that?That makes no sense'.The constantly changing point of view and story telling means absolutly nothing even at the end of the book.Joe Blow A goes to visit the future in-laws... great...where does this fit in with the story?Oh yeah, it doesn't at all.You killed 3 trees to waste 6 pages and 2 minutes of my time... and that's only one of many instances of things like that.Notice that people are selling this thing used for $0.72...that should be a good clue for you...

The decline of The Clancey Novel Continues
This book is a knock off a formula writing based on the adventures of who cares. Partly dime store romance and partly computer geek without the computer knowledge.
There is a very week plot with hints of romance and sexual suggestion to attempt to get the reader interested.

By far one of the worst of the recent Clancey production line novel writing approach.
Save your money and buy a comic book instead. It will appeal to the same reader.

If I could have rated it -1 star I would have done so.

To sum it up. This book sucks.
... Read more

Product Description

On the surface it seems a simple case: a group of African militiamen have kidnapped a priest and ordered all Catholic missionaries to leave the nation of Botswana. But the Vatican thinks otherwise. At its urging, Op-Center investigates -- and finds that the real purpose of the crime is a plan by outside forces to destabilize the government and seize the nation's diamond mines. With its military team,Striker, out of commision, Op-Center must reinvent itself -- and head straight into the crossfire of an African war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

This book is dragging on longer than the OJ trial
I typically love Tom Clancy books.. but this one has been a sleeper since I started it.I don't think I've ever taken this long to read any book, especially not one of his.I've been reading this book for about 9 months now, and my wife keeps asking me why I'm still reading it if it's so boring - my response is that I'm "hoping" it will redeem itself.. not to mention that I'm committed to finishing it.I am about 80% done with it, and still waiting for it to grab my attention.

HO HUM
Book by book Clancy is slipping away from the "soul grabbing" action style of "The Hunt for Red October". Rather than being called a "techno thriller", it should be labelled a "red tape sleeper". The charactors are well designed but,we spend too much time listening to phone calls and reading E-mails. I look forward to the return of the "old" Tom Clancy.

Terrible, boring, long.
This is one of the worst books I've read in a long time. It was a struggle to get though it.
Too many characters to keep track of. None of them all that interesting. The chapters in DC were tedious, the chapters in Botswanna were enough to keep me trudging along.
It was too long at 418 pages and had lousy ending.
Very disappointing with Tom Clancy's name on it. Jeff Rovin authored it and barely held my interest.
I would've stopped reading this book but once I start reading a book I finish it come hell or high water.

MISSION OF HONOR -NOT
THIS IS AWFUL.THIS IS NO TOM CLANCY BOOK.EVER READ A WHOLE BOOK AND AT THE END THOUGHT WHAT WAS THIS ???
WHAT WAS THIS ABOUT?WHAT WAS THIS AS A STORY?WHO CARES? THIS IS AWFUL, MORE THAN AWFUL. IF THERE WAS AMINUS MINUS MINUS I'D PUT IT ON THIS MISERABLE BOOK.I LOVE CLANCEY AND I THINK THIS "FRANCHISE IDEA" THAT HE HAS ONLY WORKS IF THE AUTHOR KNOWS HOW TO WRITE, HOW TO TELL A STORY...THIS IS STUPID. I'M GOING TO TOSS IT IN THE TRASH SO NO ONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY OR GROUP OF FRIENDS GETS CAUGHT READING IT, HOPING FOR SOME PAYOFF AND GETTING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...THIS REMINDS ME OF A BOOK WRITTEN BY A COMMITTEE...OF IDIOTS.

Mission of Honor by Tom Clancy
Jeff Rovin is, unfortunately, not in the same league as Tom Clancy.The overlong descriptions of the landscape, the wildlife and the sunrise plus the private thoughts of the characters tend to obscure what could be a good story if written by Clancy himself.
I regret to say that advertising this book as a "Tom Clancy " book is, in my view, very misleading.One expects a tautly written action story with many twists in the plot typical of Clancy.Mr Rovin's style is far removed from this. ... Read more

Product Description
Completely revised, updated, and expanded-the ultimate book for Tom Clancy fans.

Here, with Tom Clancy's cooperation and approval, is a fascinating, in-depth look at his powerful and influential work.

This newly revised, updated, and expanded guide features:

- Information on his blockbuster novels, bestselling series, and major motion pictures
- Clancy's controversial essays on current issues
- A complete, updated concordance-a comprehensive, alphabetical guide to Clancy's characters, weapons, hardware, and more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A handy guide to first 6 Clancy novels
Over the past 20 years, Tom Clancy has gone from a successful insurance salesman to best-selling novelist whose books about American intelligence and defense agencies are read by millions of readers all over the world.Some of his novels, particularly 1986's Red Storm Rising, are even required reading at some of our prestigious military academies.Four of his novels have been adapted into popular films, and a vast array of books (nonfiction as well as his novels), video games (Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell), board games, and computer simulations is available in many marketplaces, including malls, used bookstores, and, of course, right here.

The Tom Clancy Companion, edited by Martin H. Greenberg (the brain behind the seven volume Guided Tour series of non-fiction books about the U.S. armed forces) is a 1992 reference book that explores the Clancy phenomenon at the popular and critical zenith of his career.Although it covers only the first five Jack Ryan novels and Red Storm Rising, The Tom Clancy Companion not only gives the reader an insight into Clancy's creative process and writing career, but also delves into the author's mostly conservative political views, both in the interview he granted to Greenberg and in a selection of newspaper columns written by Clancy.

To most of Clancy's legions of fans, perhaps the best feature is the A-Z concordance of characters and weapons systems that appear in each of the first six novels (The Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising, Patriot Games, Cardinal of the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears).The entries are brief but nevertheless informative, and it is this feature that new Clancy readers would find most useful.

Want to know, say, about an A-10 Thunderbolt II and its close support mission? Or what a Typhoon-class submarine's dimensions are? The concordance answers those questions and others, although it is not as complete as one would like.The "caterpillar" device that allows the Red October to pass Soviet vessels while running silent, running deep using a nearly silent propulsion system is nowhere to be found.Such a glaring error is why I gave this otherwise excellent (if badly outdated) reference book four rather than five stars.

a must for serious Clancy fans
If you follow Jack Ryan closely, you'll enjoy having a copy of the Tom Clancy companion handy.This only covers through The Sum of All Fears (his sixth novel), so it's a little dated.But it's still worth taking a look at since this first group of books is certainly Clancy's best.It begins with an analysis of each of those first six novels.Next comes a big section of Q&A with Clancy where he gives his views on foreign policy, gun control, and all sorts of issues.Then there's a glossary/reference section which defines important characters, military equipment, technology, etc. in his books.Everything from "Ryan, John Patrick" to "KH-12."

Great companion, but not a replacement for the books!
This is a very good summary of all of the books from The Hunt for Red October to The Sum of All Fears in publishing order. It gives a good summary of these books, and perhaps providing an easy to see link betweenevents which may become lost in the actual book. It also has several shortessays written by Tom Clancy, including one about the life of Kyle Haydockwhich was deeply moving. The Companion also includes a concordance of keywords from the novels. I would hope that a revised version or a sequelwould be in the works.

Dated data;what has happened since?
Although I have read all of the Ryan Saga in print, from (in Ryanchronological order) Patriot Games to Executive Orders, I feel that theCompanion gives an honest account of the Ryan lifetime.A questionexists:in Red Storm, what has happened to the major characters since theevents of the (thank God, unfought on our timeline) WW3?Assuming the lineexists, I'd like to know what has happened since.

A Must-Have for ALL Tom Clany Fans
The Tom Clancy Companion is absolutely vital to any and all Tom Clancy fans, because it contains references to every character and weapon, every piece of equipment used in Clancy's novel, plus much more such as in-depth interviews with Tom Clancy ("TC"), and essays by TC on issues such as nuclear proliferation and gun control. The book also contains detailed summarires and cririques of TC's books. The only thing is that The TC Companion was written in 1991 so it only encompasses the Clancy universe up to and including The Sum of All Fears,which means there is obviously no reference to Without Remorse, Debt of Honor, Executive Orders, his non-fiction works or the Op-Center series. Which makes me ask: WHEN IS THE 2ND EDITION OF THE TOM CLANCY COMPANION GONNA BE WRITTEN ... Read more

Product Description

In the year 2010, computers are the new superpowers. Those who control them control the world. To enforce the Net Laws, Congress has created the ultimate computer security agency within the FBI: Net Force.

Minor viruses are eating away at the Net Force computers. The e-mial shut-downs and flickering monitors are hardly emergencies -- but they've been keeping the tech department hopping. Same with the sudden rash of time-consuming lawsuits. No one in the Net Froce has a moment to spare, which is exactly the way Mitchell Townsend Ames wants it. Because when the shadowy mastermind launches his master plan, he wants Net Force to be looking the other way...

Customer Reviews (20)

A good installment in the Net Force book series
As you probably guessed, I really like Tom Clancy and specially enjoy the Netforce series (yep, I have already done 1-6 and now 7). I enjoy the on-going characters in the series and how each book adds to their story.

This installment is about a key member of the evil Cybernation group who hires a hacker to release a series of viruses upon the net. Netforce (cops for the net; kinda FBI-like) use "VR" (Virtual Reality) to track down their subject and they use VR to do various analysis and data mining. Jay Gridley is my man!

Yep, I will queue book 8 for the near future.

State of War
As usual Mr Clancey's books are top notch and I am waiting for the next one in this series.

Clancy - State of War
I love audio books while traveling long distances. This is the third audio book listened too in the series. Passes the time.The story was entertaining.

Net Force: State of War
Book did not disappoint. Have followed the Net Force series from beginning and this was in line with previous ones.

Force Feed 10 Books
After hearing about Tom Clancy's newest business venture with the Net Force series, I needed to check it out for myself. Unfortunately it is not very good.

I am a huge Tom Clancy fan, not only his early books but his other good works, like minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles. Maybe I missed something by starting in the middle of the series with State of War, which is apparently #7 in the line. You would think they would do better in their seventh attempt at this.

Here is the trite premise. A super-secret government agency investigates cyber-bad guys, employing a combination of high-tech and old-school methods. Their antagonist here is a super-genius lawyer/doctor/businessman/criminal much like the Christopher Walken character in the (Roger Moore) Bond movie, although I dont think our guy here owes his condition to Nazi experimentation.

The Net Force gang is a random collection of geeks, working wives, retired military officers, martial arts and shooting trainers, and some guy having a mid-life crisis. The story bounces from one unexplained location to the next, with the bad guys doing crimes that even they dont understand the reason for. None of the story lines get resolved, but maybe they are saving that for the next 50 of these books.

An interesting twist is that in the future (this is set in 2010), computer programmers will spend their time building elaborate virtual reality scenarios to entertain themselves as they work. Clearly better than just writing code, generating reports, or manipulating unfriendly databases.

Actually they are a few well-thought out views on technology hidden in here. For example, we often think that crime will be solved by DNA and electronic traces. Clancy and friends indicate that the bad guys will find ways around that, so crime is solved by data base analysis, e.g. facial recognition software analyzing every surveillance video in the world. For example, our anatagonist uses software that tells him when databases are being searched to information on his associates. Cell phones are so cheap that they are bought with cash and disposed after one use, to leave no trace.

I recommend dusting off Red Storm Rising or Cardinal of the Kremlin instead of kicking around this series. ... Read more

Product Description
It is 1999. The death of Russia's president throws the Federation into chaos. The whole world watches when a deadly attack stuns the US - and evidence points to the Russian parliament. Amidst this turmoil is American businessman Roger Gordian who finds his multinational corporation in jeopardy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Missing key elements of a story
There were aspects of this book that were entertaining.The action sequences were well written. The overall plot is intriguing.It has the elements that would make a great start to a series of action novels.

But it's missing a few things.It's missing a central character.There were several candidates, from the head of the Sword organization, to some of the team leaders for Sword.The police commissioner from New York was also a good candidate.But none of these characters were ever fleshed out enough to be considered the protagonist.The story moved in an orderly fashion, but the conflict that was central to the book was rather bland.There were no surprises and it was generally very predictable.

In addition, the language and adult content simply detract more from the book.This has the potential to be a good series, but after reading the first novel, I'm not hopeful.

Not up to usual standards
Very dull. Was unable to connect with any of the characters in this story. Did not find the plot to be very creative.

Zzz... Zzz...
I had high hopes when I bought this novel.The concept immediately enthralled me; the idea that the death of Boris Yeltsin creates a power vacuum, which resurrects the old Cold War hostilities between the west and the east.It is such a compelling concept that I couldn't help but buying it.

The first few chapters did not disappoint, as the plot moved quickly and set up much suspense.After the beginning, however, this disintegrated and the novel degraded into a sleep stimulator.By half way through this garbage it became a tedious snooze fest only useful for inducing a catatonic like sleep or as an ineffectual paperweight!

This novel was such a disappointment, mainly because it had so much potential.Shame on you Tom Clancy for getting my hopes up and then crushing them!

Not worthy of Tom Clancy
The best part about it is that it is short.Shame on TomClancy for allowing his name to be put on this worthless novel.

Interesting
This book was a good book to read in an afternoon, but it needed some more length. It was great but it was to short. It had awesome details and action. It is very interesting about what might happen if the president of Russia did die. I recommend this book to anyone who has an afternoon to not do anything. ... Read more

Product Description
To save a prominent scientist and his son from a corrupt government's agents, the Net Force Explorers embark on a terrifying virtual hunt for their enemies--before it's too late. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GREAT!
This book was, once again, a great Net Force book.Maj, a net force explorer, gets a visitor from a different country, whose dad works for the government.to keep his invention of a microp that destroys harmful micro-organisms out of the wrong hands, he sends it to america with his son.Now, the people who are trying to capture his dad, reverse the programming of the microps through the net. now maj and the other net force explorers are in a race against time to save their friend from the harmful microps.this book is a lot of fun and i highly reccomend it!

The future of the Net we know?
These Net Force books are all short, easy to read, and interesting.Like the others that I have read, this one fulfills the promise of the creaters.In this book, Maj's life becomes even more interesting than usual when ayounger visitor comes to her home - as an escapee.Her interaction andwork with other Net Force Explorers adds character and excitement to thebook.Creative design on the Net and action-adventure combine to make thisone more in a good series to get and read, for both parents and children. If this is how and what the 'Net' will become, I am all for it.Iespecially like the values transmitted by the authors in these books.Ionly wish that I had, again, a younger child to share these with now.Iplan on keeping them for my future grandchildren.Maybe by then thesebooks will read like 'history'.Keep it up, authors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bland
Pretty bland writing here. The plots are so-so and do not keep the readers interest. ... Read more

Product Description

Bestselling author, Tom Clancy, provides us with an extraordinary series of nonfiction audiobooks that look deep into the art of war, as seen through the eyes of three of America's outstanding commanders.

INTO THE STORM
Into the Storm tells us how leaders learn and grow, and how they forge people, elements and forces together into a campaign of power and precision. We hear how General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. commanded the armor and infantry of VII Corps, the main coalition force that broke the back of Iraq's Republican Guard. Into the Storm describes the transformation of an army traumatized by the Vietnam War and the metamorphosis of a man devastated by the loss of a leg in that war.

EVERY MAN A TIGER
Combining a broad experience of all aspects of aerial warfare with a deep respect for, and knowledge of Arab culture, General Chuck Horner commanded the U.S. and allied air assets during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was responsible for the design and execution of one of the most devastating air campaigns in history. Never before have the Gulf air war and its planning -? a process filled with controversy and stormy personalities -? been revealed in such rich, provocative detail.

SHADOW WARRIORS
General Carl Stiner was only the second commander of SOCOM, the U.S. Special Operations Command responsible for the readiness of all the Special Operations forces of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including the Green Berets, Navy SEALS, Rangers, Delta Force, Air Force Special Operations, PsyOps, and Civil Affairs. Together, he and Tom Clancy trace the transformation of the Special Forces from the small core of outsiders of the 1950s through the cauldron of Vietnam and to the rebirth of the SF in the late 1980s and 1990s as the bearer of the largest, most mixed, and most complex set of missions in the U.S. military. ... Read more

Product Description
Clear and Present Danger:
The sudden and surprising assassination of three American officials in Colombia.
Many people in many places, moving off on missions they all mistakenly thought they understood.
The future was too fearful for contemplation, and beyond the expected finish lines were things that, once decided, were better left unseen.
Tom Clancy's thriller is based on America's war on drugs . . . and the covert - and shocking - U. S. response.
"The issues raised are real ones, and a jump ahead of the headlines." The New York Times
"Rousing adventure...A crackling good yarn." The Washington Post

The Hunt for Red October:
A deadly serious game of hide-and-seek is on.The CIA's brilliant young analyst, Jack Ryan, thinks he knows the reason for the sudden Red Fleet operation: the Soviets' most valuable ship, the Red October, is attempting to defect to the United States.
The new ballistic-missile submarine's defection is high treason on an unprecedented scale and nearly the entire Soviet Atlantic Fleet has been ordered to find and destroy her at all costs.If the U.S. fleet can locate her first and get her safely to port, it will be the intelligence coup of all time.
The nerve-wracking hunt goes on for eighteen days as the Red October tries to elude her hunters across 4000 miles of ocean.The rousing climax is one of the most thrilling underwater scenes ever written. ... Read more

Product Description
The war in Afghanistan has given the public an unprecedented look at what America's special forces can do--their extraordinary skill and stamina and the sacrifices they are willing to make. Now, Tom Clancy and Carl Stiner--the second commander of SOCOM, the U.S. Special Operations Command--take readers deep inside the history, training, resourcefulness, and creativity of the Special Forces soldier.

These are first-hand accounts of soldiers fighting outside the lines: counterterrorism, raids, hostage rescues, reconnaissance, counter-insurgency, and psychological operations-from Vietnam and Laos to Lebanon, from Panama to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, to the new wars of today...Amazon.com Review
Shadow Warriors is the third of Tom Clancy's commander books, and this time around Clancy teams up with General Carl Stiner, retired, to recount the recent history of U.S. Special Forces. Clancy notes that while Special Forces played important roles in World War II and Vietnam, the U.S. military has always been uncomfortable with "elites" and their unconventional methods and thus tended to view them primarily as a "sideshow." However, in 1980 when 53 Americans became hostages in Tehran, it became painfully clear that the conventional military tactics of the day, aimed at countering the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, simply could not deal with this new kind of threat. Most of the book revolves around Stiner's military career: its beginning in the late '50s, his tour in Vietnam as a Green Beret, various assignments in the Middle East, and his final stint as commander of SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command). Particularly interesting are Stiner's firsthand accounts of the Achille Lauro hostage rescue, the invasion of Panama, and operations in Desert Storm. Clancy fills in and adds context to Stiner's career and to the Special Forces themselves, including short stories of the Jedburgh teams in World War II and the formation of the Green Berets in the early '60s. Though at times disjointed, the result is a fascinating and timely glimpse into the evolution of U.S. Special Forces. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Makes you proud of our Special Forces soldiers
Written with substantial contributions by General Carl Stiner and Tony Koltz and read by Jonathan Marosz, this is the story of America's Special Forces. The stories include the US embassy bombing in Beirut, the hijacking of TWA 847, the murder of political officer William Buckley, the Achille Lauro, Egypt Air 648, operations in Afghanistan and Somalia and the capture of Noriega. General Stiner and the Special Forces are tough customers and you'll be glad they're on our side. This book makes you proud of our Special Forces soldiers.

Interesting read, but misleading title
This book is an odd mix of fascinating stories, boring detail about some irrelevent off-subject matter, and lots of other stuff piled into one.I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not because there were some geniunely exciting stories related here, but also a lot of junk that casual readers would want to skim over.Probably the worst part is that it's title is misleading, this book is not dedicated to special forces.It's more about what Carl Stiner did during his military career.

Boring!
I labored through about half of this book, anticipating that it would begin to relate in some way to its title. The first part about the origin of SF was interesting. But it went downhill once it commenced with the biography of a former Green Beret without any special ops combat experience, and with only a very short time spent in that community. Stiner's command experience in the spec-ops world seems overstated in this book. None of the other numerous historical books I've read on spec-ops - many by the operators themselves - ever mention Stiner. Clancy seems to know what a good story is, but somehow completely missed it on this one.

This book is a joke!
The book is boring. Stiner is a joke. Clancy is a joke. Clancy has no military background so why is it that he writes so much about the military? Get a life Clancy. We don't want to read boring stories about pencil pushers like Stiner.

insight of new troop
Why this book? You can understand why they are called special forces not only commando. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest, greatest, high-tech thrill ride for Tom Clancy's legion of young fans.

The amateurs are beating the pros in this year's spatball playoffs-and some big bettors plan to lose a fortune. When they threaten a star player, the Net Force Explorers are called in to protect America's newest pastime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Death Match
Haven't Had time to read it Yet. Book was new so it is in very good contition

Tom Clancy's Net Force Death Match
I am a great fan of Tom Clancy. I just cannot believe he wrote this. Truly terrible. In the bin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Teeth of the Tiger
During times where many people fear another terrorist attack, we need a book that transmitts hope.The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy surely fulfills that purpose.Even though it is a fiction book, a little imagination lead me to hope that someone somewhere is doing something to take care of the bastards.

If you've read some of Clancy's earlier books you'll be familiar with some of the characters.The main players in The Teeth of the Tiger are Jack Ryan, Jr. and his twin FBI and Marine cousins.Very early in the book you learn about their character and what kind of people they are.

Their careers are going great, so when both of the Caruso twins get called to do training for some secret organization, they are both a little skeptical.As training goes on they get put to the test when terrorists hit the mall where they are shopping.Almost immediately they have no more second thoughts and are ready to accept their new jobs.

Clancy does a very good job of helping people realize how terrorists feel about us and what this country needs.It's a great book and I would recommend it to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
In this novel, a near disaster prior to a space shuttle launch provides the first evidence of a global terrorist plan to bring the USA to its knees. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

The International Terrorists Game.
This series of POWER PLAYS created by Tom Clancy and Martin Greenburg include Ruthless. com, Politika, Wild Card, Cutting Edge, Zero Hour, and Cold War.SHADOW WATCH is based on an interactive computer game by Red Storm, woned by Tom Clancy, Virtus Corp. and Pearson plc. The cover of this one has the "all-seeing eye" blown from the top of the pyramid used in the movie 'National Treasure' as a space shuttle.

Orion, an international space station had been developed, and on April 15, 2001 (this novel was printed in 1999),a spacecraftfrom the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was sabotaged a few seconds before lift-off.The disaster was the death of the mission commander, Jim, as it exploded and burned.This had been achieved by terrorists who wanted to install an electromagnetic pulse generator which was capable of destroying major American cities from space.

Mr. Clancy has written man other books including RED STORM RISING, WITHOUT REMORSE, THE TEETH OF THE TIGER, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, PATRIOT GAMES and series called OP-CENTER AND one featuring Jack Ryan.His non-fiction books include SUBMARINE, MARINE, CARRIER, AIRBORNE, FIGHTER WING, and ARMORED CALVARY.

Half-Way Decent
As this is the first Tom Clancy read, although I have several movies based on his books, suck as The Hunt for the Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger.

Although I thought his writing was good and was a cliff-hanger like feeling throughout the book, as I read other reviews I guess his other books must have been alot better.

Anyways some of the sub-plots were well written and were interesting (urchin diving with Tom Ricci), they only showed he was tough and the man for the job, but took to many pages to show it. Also the train wreck took to long to explain with insignificant people who just died in the end. It was important to the fact that the Terroists weapon was ready for use, but the extant to the wreck was explained was un-necessary.

The whole part in Russia where the guerrilas buy the HMD or whatever is still kind of hazy as to what actually happened.

I quit after an hour of it as a book on tape
This was a 3 hour book on tape and after being regaled for more than half an hour with all of the details of a battle in which I neither knew who was fighting or why they were fighting I decided that I'd had enough.

These Clancy rip-off story lines only go to show that Clancy has a special talent for developing characters when he actually writes the books. It also shows that he has a special talent for soaking up the cash wherever he can. What a con - let Clancy creates the characters and let hacks write the books for him!

Please, don't waste your time!

Another Clancy Rip-off
I bought the Abridged CD version.There were no tracks on the CD.Therefore, if you stopped listening, you would have to search the entire CD to determine where you left off. A 70 minute disk needs several breaks.

The story was abridged.Whoever did the production should look for another job.The first third of the novel was almost impossible to comprehend.I read/listen to approximately 5 books per week.This one was one of the worst editing jobs I have come across.

The story itself was a major reach.There was little or no character development.

I will not waste my time on any more series inspired books by Clancy.

Somewhat disappointing
Well, this book wasn't terrible, but it could have been much better. Definately doesn't live up to Politika or Ruthless.com, let alone the plethera of other Clancy novels. The biggest problem I had with this book was the fact that the characters never seemed to get their act together. They spent all but the last 60 or so pages of the book doing almost nothing. It seemed like for the first 250-300 pages, maybe two hours had passed in the world. To make matters worse, the ending wasn't even very glorious, for lack of a better word. It was like the good guys foil the plot, and a low monotonous "yay" murmers from the audience. An entire chapter was also spent describing a train wreck that should have been summed up in about 3 paragraphs tops. He basically described a couple hundred innocent people dying, and it had no real impact on the story WHAT-SO-EVER.

I don't really know much about how Clancy is doing buisness, but I see people saying he fathered the series and sold it out to other authors. All I have to say is that it doesn't speak very highly of Clancy as an author to let authors nobody has heard of write books in his name and not even check to see if they're on par with his original works. I found it disappointing overall.

However, if you've never read any Clancy novels, the Powerplay series might be a good one to start out on. You may expierence disappointment from Politika and Ruthless to Shadow Watch and other books in the series, but you definately won't be disappointed when you start reading other Clancy novels like Without Remorse and Clear and Present Danger. ... Read more