Author Topic: Tom Clancy  (Read 1560 times)

Offline branch37

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Tom Clancy
« on: January 08, 2015, 12:21:00 PM »
Ok I figure many people on this board have read his books, so I figured it would be a good place to ask this question. I have read rainbow six and the hunt for red October. I want to read another clancy book but i do not know which one. Any suggestions.

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Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2015, 12:23:42 PM »
Ok I figure many people on this board have read his books, so I figured it would be a good place to ask this question. I have read rainbow six and the hunt for red October. I want to read another clancy book but i do not know which one. Any suggestions.

Red Storm Rising.
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Offline Gman

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2015, 12:44:17 PM »
+1 for Red Storm Rising.

It's one of his first books, co written with another author, Larry Bond.  Outside the Jack Ryan universe, but still his best book, even though it's a collaboration, IMO.  One of the best cold war/WW3 fiction novels out there, still.

If you want to stay in RyanVerse, I would say Without Remorse is the next best book to read, set mostly in the time of the Vietnam War, fantastic book. 

Or, you could always start at the beginning - read Red Storm, then since you've read Hunt for Red October, read Patriot Games next, then just go down the line of the Jack Ryan series, skipping or re-reading Rainbow 6. 

I prefer his earlier works, from Hunt to around Bear/Dragon, after that, not so much.  I remember as a kid, touring about the world with my Pipe Band, in every airport or plane cabin during the 80s and early 90s, it seemed as though every 2nd person was reading a Tom Clancy paperback.  The year Patriot Games came out, I swear there was nothing but that blue colored book on board a long flight or two that summer.

I think after his divorce he became disinterested with writing, and had a lot of ghost written series, and even his "main" line of books were often co-written with little participation from Clancy, and it showed in the writting.  Post 2000 or so after the Bear and the Dragon = sharp decline in quality, at least IMO.

Offline Oldman731

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2015, 12:49:30 PM »
+1 for Red Storm Rising.

It's one of his first books, co written with another author, Larry Bond.  Outside the Jack Ryan universe, but still his best book, even though it's a collaboration, IMO.  One of the best cold war/WW3 fiction novels out there, still.

If you want to stay in RyanVerse, I would say Without Remorse is the next best book to read


Agreed on both points.  Oddly, neither one is a "Jack Ryan" story.

Of the Ryan books, "Patriot Games" was my favorite.

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Offline Rob52240

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2015, 01:01:27 PM »
Red Storm Rising was a fantastic book.

My favorite Clancy Book, by far was Without Remorse.   It's Clark's back story and it is a great back story.

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Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2015, 01:01:50 PM »
I remember reading without remorse outside in one sitting one warm summer day. We have 24 hours of light during summer. By the time I was finished the color had worn off the covers :)

It was my first Clancy book and still my favourite.
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Offline Rob52240

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2015, 01:08:07 PM »
I remember reading without remorse outside in one sitting one warm summer day. We have 24 hours of light during summer. By the time I was finished the color had worn off the covers :)

It was my first Clancy book and still my favourite.

It's the only book besides Forrest Gump that I've ever read in less than 3 sittings.  I would definitely suggest reading Forrest Gump as well.  I've you've seen the movie you'll notice that the movie only covered a handful of the things he did and didn't give away anything as far as spoiling the book. 
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Offline Tinkles

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2015, 01:12:47 PM »
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Offline wpeters

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2015, 01:51:46 PM »
Ok I figure many people on this board have read his books, so I figured it would be a good place to ask this question. I have read rainbow six and the hunt for red October. I want to read another clancy book but i do not know which one. Any suggestions.
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Offline shotgunneeley

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2015, 01:53:23 PM »
I was about to head out for a 9 hour car ride to Atlanta with either "I-Boat Captain" by Zenji Orita or "Money: Master the Game" by Tony Robins. Thanks to you guys I'll be reading "Without Remorse".  :aok

I've read Cardinal of the Kremlin, Red Storm Rising, Red Rabbit, Rainbow Six, SSN, and several of his later collaborations. Been several years since I last read a Clancy, I'll have to get back into it.

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Offline Devil 505

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2015, 01:54:12 PM »
You've got all the great Clancy novels covered here already - but I'll add emphasis to Without Remorse. Since you also read Rainbow Six I'll also recommend Clear and Present Danger so you can see the origin of Ding Chavez. The book itself I think is just OK, too much political "bla-blah" even though it's the whole point of the book.
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Offline branch37

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2015, 03:06:32 PM »
Another question I had was about John Clark. Who exactly is he?  It talked a bit about his story in rainbow six, but reading the book descriptions has me confused. I assume Clark is his code name that stuck after the events of Without Remorse, and he is the John Clark in Rainbow Six?

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Offline pipz

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2015, 03:29:22 PM »
Red Storm Rising.

I just read that one a few months ago. Pretty neat stuff.
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Offline Gman

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2015, 03:31:43 PM »
Yes, same John Clark in RB6.

His original name was John Kelly IRRC, he was with the UDT/SEAL team units that operated in Vietnam, and worked with the Phoenix program, or a unit in Clancy/fiction representing Phoenix at least, same sort of deal.  I won't spoil the rest of his story, it's mainly covered in Without Remorse, but he obviously ends up working with the CIA for many years, then instructing at the CIA's various schools, and then on to RB6, which you've read and know the story from there.

I'd also say don't forget about the non fiction series co written with John Gresham - some interesting, although dated in most cases books.  SSN is another fiction novel I forgot about that isn't in the RyanVerse.  If you like sub novels, it's pretty decent, a little mechanical, but still a good sampling of sub stuff versus the Chinese Navy, which turned out to be fairly prophetic, like many other Clancy ideas (using airliners as a poor man's strategic weapon and so on).

« Last Edit: January 08, 2015, 03:39:58 PM by Gman »

Offline eagl

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Re: Tom Clancy
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2015, 05:51:42 PM »
Red Storm Rising.

This.

His later stuff gets a little wonky, and I have found his spin-off books titled "Tom Clancy's whatever" written by other authors to be largely garbage.  The sum of all fears and Debt of Honor are ok, and with debt of honor you get to read his somewhat prescient vision of what 9/11 would have looked like if they hit DC first or chose a large political gathering instead of the twin towers as the symbol of the western great satan.

Without remorse was pretty good too.

I had the old PC game red storm rising, and it was super fun.  I wish it would run on current PCs but it talked directly to the video card so I couldn't even find emulators that would run it.  Then I lost the floppies :(



« Last Edit: January 08, 2015, 05:54:17 PM by eagl »
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