New Clancy Thriller Contains the Sum of All Characters

artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com ^ | April 7, 2010 | DAVE ITZKOFF

[Berlin_Freeper]

Super groups: They worked for Blind Faith, the Avengers, Them Crooked Vultures and the 1992 men’s United States Olympic basketball team, so why not Tom Clancy? On Wednesday, Penguin Group said it would publish a new thriller by Mr. Clancy that would bring together many of his best-known characters from his last-quarter century of literary output.

[RabidBartender]

I’m sort of glad the “Son of Jack Ryan” series never took off (Teeth of the Tiger). The book and story seemed kind of vague, yet forced.

[RabidBartender]

I’m sort of glad the “Son of Jack Ryan” series never took off (Teeth of the Tiger). The book and story seemed kind of vague, yet forced.

[cll]

Tom Clancy is still around? Last book of his was written by so many different ghost writers and was so incoherent that I had to toss it not even halfway through it.

[Jedidah]

I loved his early Jack Ryan books, but the last few have been awful.

I’ll read this one only after I hear it’s worth my time.

[Berlin_Freeper]

The Hunt for Red October (1984)
Red Storm Rising (1986)
Patriot Games (1987)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)
Clear and Present Danger (1989)
The Sum of All Fears (1991)
Without Remorse (1993)
Debt of Honor (1994)
Executive Orders (1996)
SSN: Strategies for Submarine Warfare (1996)
Rainbow Six (1998)
The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
Red Rabbit (2002)
The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)
Dead or Alive (2010)

[CrazyIvan]

Tom Clancy is still around? Last book of his was written by so many different ghost writers and was so incoherent that I had to toss it not even halfway through it.

No joke! I never went from being a fan to loathing someone
as fast as I did with Clancy. I was lucky enough to get a
tour by the skipper of a L.A. class sub in when “Red
October” was a big hit. He was a big fan also. Kept pointing
things out and prefacing his comments with, “remember in the book when.....”

[boss man]

Don't attack Clancy too quickly.

I suspect this book will be quite good. I ENJOY the fact young Jack is following the lead of his Dad. It adds a new character to develop. Clark and Daddy Jack are getting old; I would not be surprised if Clark is killed off in this book.

I suspect we will see the emergence of young Jack and Ding in this book.

[PapaBear3625]

His first few novels were very good. I especially liked Red Storm Rising. With fame and fortune, his desire to work at producing god books started to fade.

His last decent novel was Rainbow Six. Everything after that I found to be not worth reading.

[apocalypto]

Is he still married to his young and rich second wife?

[Ax]

Agree that “Red Storm Rising” was his best work, followed closely by “Red Rabbit.” The rest of them were all pretty exciting as well. I’d like to see Hollywood turn those into movies, as well as “Cardinal in the Kremlin.” I’m sure they’d ruin the plot lines, though.

[massgopguy]

I got The Hunt for Red October the day after Thanksgiving of 1984. Then I watch Doug throw the Hail Mary against Miami. What a day.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

Used to be a big Clancy fan and voracious reader of everything he wrote, but like many have opined, his books became boring and blah!

IF anyone wants to read a GREAT author and FANTASTIC books (especially for you ex Military types) I higly recommend anything by W.E.B. Griffin.

This guy makes all of his characters come to life and his "Men at War" (from the Lieutenants thru the Generals) is exceptional

Check his web site out as he has a whole different series and every one is better than the rest.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Kind of like one of those sucky ensemble-cast movies with fifteen name-brand actors and an imaginary plot and character development.

[libertyhoundusnr]

Bang for the buck and an enjoyable read I will take WEB Griffin over Clancy. Clancy and his ghost writers could learn a lot about character development from WEB Griffin (pen name), especially his series on the USMC. Unfortunately my entire hardbound collecion of WEB Griffin was wiped out during Katrina. Slowly putting it back together, not so with my Clancy’s or Ludum’s (why bother).

[buccaneer81]

I especially liked Red Storm Rising.

Probably as close to depicting what a real NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict in the '80s would have looked like as any genuine scenario.

[TLI]

it would publish a new thriller by Mr. Clancy that would bring together many of his best-known characters from his last-quarter century

Sweeeeet! That is what he has been needing to do for many years. The "community" of "operators" has always been pretty small, no reason why they would not have, after an entire career, knew of each other.

[apocalypto]

One reviewer called Matthew Bracken's “Foreign Enemies and Traitors” as a cross between Tom Clancy and George Orwell and was the pick of the month.

[libertyhoundusnr]

Based on your recommendation I will seek a copy today. Thank you....

[eeman]

Another good book about what a NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict would have looked liked is “Team Yankee” by Harold Coyle. I thought it was a great read at the time. However, with the fall of the Soviet bloc, I just cannot get into those type of books anymore.