Tom Clancy Books

"Executive Orders" is 1358 pages long. Yes, you read that correctly 1358 pages long! No one has ever praised Tom Clancy for the brevity of his prose, but 1358 pages is one audaciously long book. The only thing that could keep reading a novel of this length from being an overwhelmingly tiresome exercise is for it to contain an audaciously good story. Fortunately for Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan fans, this book resoundingly succeeds on this count.

Now, please be forewarned [IF YOU HAVE NOT READ "DEBT OF HONOR" YET, THEN GO NO FURTHER WITH THIS REVIEW]:

Now, if you have read "Debt of Honor", you will remember the absolutely shocking way it ended, with a rogue Japanese commercial airline pilot crashing his 747 into the Capitol Dome during the President's speech to a joint session of Congress, killing all of Congress, the President, the Cabinet, and the Supreme Court justices (among others). This all happened after the sitting Vice President has resigned in disgrace and Jack Ryan was just approved to be the new VP by acclimation vote of Congress before the plane struck.

So, now Jack is President and he has rebuild a devastated government while facing a political threat from the former VP who thinks he should be president; a foreign crisis brought about by Middle East upheavals (one of which is proving to be quite prophetic); and a domestic crisis brought about by a biological terrorist attack. It's just another day in the life of Jack Ryan.

The real appeal of this book is that every different plot thread is extraordinarily well thought out and set up. In most books this ambitious, you will find certain plot lines boring, making you anxious to get to more exciting portions of the story. In "Executive Orders", Clancy never falls into that trap. You can feel each different thread building upon the others, instead of running in opposition to them. The payoff is a tremendous climax (or rather a series of them) which rewards the reader for their efforts throughout this magnum opus.

"Executive Orders" is a crowning achievement in the Jack Ryan Universe. There are so many fabulous books in the Ryan series, but this one is its apex.

Executive Orders is the story of American survival after the government is decapitated. Enemies sense weakness and use terrorists to strike with biological weapons. The rest of the page turning story is about American survival and retribution. Another great, huge, Tom Clancy novel.

Another book with a similar theme is Behold, an Ashen Horse. The attack is more severe, and the president a more pragmatic and hard man than Clancy's Jack Ryan. Retribution is also much more sever than what President Ryan dispenses.

Both books are excellent reads, deal with real world problems, contain interlocking subplots, and will scare the you know what out of you with their realism.

Having been a Clancy fan from his beginning, when I picked up Executive Orders, I hoped to find the same class of writing and pleasant presentation as had been the mark of (most) of his prior work.
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Unfortunately, it seems he had either reached that pinnacle where he could demand he get paid on a "per word" basis, thus the incredible and completely unnecessary length of this work - or he had offended all possible editors of skill, and been left with a very inferior pool to choose from. I'd find it hard to explain this ineffective work otherwise, clearly published on the hope of the merit of the Clancy name and not on any intrinsic merits of its own.
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This is one ponderous book...one that I had a very hard time working through. It could have been fully and effectively covered with half the size, resulting in a much more readable and productive Clancy gripper...easier to follow, more demonstrative of the points he wanted to make, and more conducive to continuing his future unblemished.
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Though I must say I thought I saw it coming in a couple of his works leading up to this one, at least they were still effecive and noteworthy, though beginning to be somewhat needlessly long.
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It is my hope that we don't have a repeat of this exercise in literary back-sliding, and that Mr. Clancy continues to use other writers to assist him in putting his works together as he's been doing since, to keep him from the mistakes he made here.

If you are a fan of Tom Clancy you will love this book. It has all the aspects a book require to make it a great read. Twist after twist this book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. The events in this book are so realistic you might as well be reading a non-fiction book, that's part of what makes this book so good. If haven't read the books leading up to this I would definitely recommend that you read the other jack Ryan books first. You will fall in love with Jack Ryan in this book and all of Tom Clancy's other books.

Let rate each of the major plotlines in the book in true U.S. Navy fashion, of Outstanding, Excellent, Good, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. SPOILER ALERT -- spoilers abound.

The Asia Minor war with the United Islamic Republic. First off, I must note that Jack Ryan is not a good president. His unpresidential conduct (e.g., maudlin funeral service) made him, and by extension his country, look weak. Something to think about when we elect the next president. Second, we now know that Iran taking over Iraq in a matter of days is not something that could happen. Iran can barely control itself, let alone another country. The land, air and sea battles were fairly well done, however. Rating: good.

Ebola terrorism. Well done with the exception that Ding and Chavez pop up, Zelig-like, to provide crucial information about who has been experimenting with monkeys. The retribution at the end was fantastic (JDAMs on the mullah-in-chief's house especially), and my only question is, Why not use a high-level nuclear bomb to destroy the lab, instead of a low-level one? Rating: excellent.

The assassination attempt on Jack. The idea of a Mohammedan sleeper agent is certainly plausible, post- 9-11, post-Lackawanna Sleeper Cell. I didn't like the fact that catching the rogue Secret Service agent depended in part on luck, but it was certainly presented in a plausible way. Rating: excellent.

The assassination attempt on SANDBOX. I'm getting tired of "kids in jep." Clancy skillfully played that card in "Patriot Games" but I'm a little annoyed to see it come up again here. The only thing that saves this plotline from Unsatisfactory rating is the vivid description of the assault and the takedown of the bad guys. Rating: satisfactory.

The Mountain Men. Didn't go anywhere and was unnecessary. Unsatisfactory.

Edward Kealty tries to muscle back into the presidency. A little absurd but does present interesting legal issues. Rating: good.

Running the government. Clancy obviously took the chance to tell us everything he would change if he were president, but it wound up being just a series of political speeches that any competent editor could have stopped. Two hundred or more pages could have been taken out of the book in this part alone and it would have been far better. Clancy needs an editor with some backbone, for his sake as well as ours. Rating: unsatisfactory.

Debt of Honor is the next book in the Jack Ryan series, after The Sum of All Fears, and it was so much better. The book has a faster pace and the suspense builds up nicely from the beginning. The book is pretty long, more than 900 pages, but the story moves along quickly and it was very hard to put down.

In this book, a wealthy Japanese industrialist decides it's time for Japan to be a superpower and bring America to her knees. He convinces a small group of his peers to his scheme for dominance and power for Japan, takes control of the Japanese government, and goes on the offensive, first economically and then militarily. For this man, crippling the United States as a superpower is a personal revenge (that goes back to World War II and his family's death on the Mariana Islands), and it's this debt of honor he feels obligated to deliver payment by sowing chaos in America.

I read some of the negative reviews and some complained about going into too much detail on the financial side of things, how Wall Street operates, and using Japan as the main (although not the only one, India and China play minor roles) enemy was incredulous.

I didn't find reading about the financial markets and how they worked to be tedious and dull, it was quite fascinating to read how complex and intertwined the global markets were and how a disaster in one country, in this case America, could lead to a snowball effect in Europe and elsewhere. That is all very realistic and Clancy being the type of writer he is, he goes into meticulous detail about how the financial markets work. I thought the background information was necessary, because it makes more sense when you later learn about how the Japanese were able to intentionally hurt the American economy.

Then there was Clancy's decision to use Japan as the enemy in this book. Of course, if one were to compare this fictional world to our own real world, it does sound pretty crazy that a staunch U.S. ally such as Japan, a major trading partner, would suddenly become America's number one enemy. Well, if we look at a few of America's allies today, Germany and Japan are good examples of how not too long ago both countries were enemies. So while I'll admit Clancy's premise sounds outrageous, a strong U.S. ally becoming an enemy later, it's naive thinking to think it could never happen. I thought Clancy did a superb job of showing a "what if" scenario. Something that could happen as the world is always changing, leaders come and go, and no one can accurately predict who will be an enemy or an ally tomorrow.

This was a highly entertaining political thriller and Clancy sets up the story for the next book, Executive Orders, very well (there are certain parts where I could see some minor players that were introduced in Debt of Honor playing a key role in the next book). The ending of Debt of Honor ends on a major cliff-hanger so you best have the next book handy.

I have read every Clancy book and this one has got to be one of my favorites. A complex tale that reads so quickly, it is an interesting, plausible tale of how one man's dedication and determination to right how he was wronged, or at least thinks so, can loose hell upon the owrld. Again, Clancy seems to know what is going to happen, or at least I think bad guys get their ideas from him.

I am a big fan of Clancy's novels, and although I have to say that he's had a lot of great ones, "Debt of Honor" is one of my favorites. Clancy's plot development is superb, always giving you just enough information to both keep your interest and pique your curiosity about what will happen next. As always, the tactical details and elements of setting (economic, political, etc.) are impeccable.

As to those readers who criticize Clancy for "picking on" Japanese culture or government, I've lived in Asia for several years and happen to think he's not that far from reality. But that discussion aside, keep in mind that this is a work of fiction, not a predictor of imminent political developments. The subject matter shouldn't be too much of a problem for anyone who's not a pedantic scholar of East Asian studies.

This is an awesome read! I disagree with any reader who claims it's length is imposing! This is typical of Clancy but his page count is always justified. His writing is so well-researched and dependent on finely crafted intricacies that it has to be this way!

I love that Clancy chose an unlikely enemy. It's extremely unsettling to think of Japan as an antagonist for many obvious reasons. Clancy is extremely bold and you have to love him for it!

If you like Clancy you will likely enjoy up and coming author Richard Friar's futurist vision, "The Keepers: WWIII." The Keepers: Part 1: WWIII

Years ago, my friend, a hard-boiled conservative militarist, suggested I read Debt of Honor after I made some Panglossian statement about what a safe comfy world we live in. The world is grown less safe, so several months ago, I finally took his suggestion.

Other reviewers poke holes in Clancy's logic, his understanding of East Asia, and his alleged stereotyping/racism. None of these things are unreasonable, but the truth is, we have a great book here.

'People don't always act rationally' is the theme, and it is borne out again and again, both in the book and in the real world. I saw the book not so much as a what-if attempt at being a crystal ball, but much more a character peice about induvidual failings that can lead to disaster.

One thing, though- Clancy, intentionally or not, paints his heroes as near flawless people of virtue, service and sacrifice. While I suppose such people are out there, it would make for better fiction of Jack Ryan and the other heroes had more personal problems, more moral failings, and generally, were more like the rest of the muddled lot of us. If I wanted superheroes, I could have them in capes.

The book is excellent in the first half, and a bit longwinded in the third quarter. Plot and subplots are sort of mashed together in the last quarter of the book, and, like so many novels, the climax doesn't quite deliver all one would expect given the buildup.

But be sure you read through to the very end. Clancy paints a lot of scenarios in the book, and some that can't be mentioned in a spoiler-free review are well worth considering.

This was, I must say, my first Tom Clancy read. The plot was quite good involving a missing nuclear device from Israel; Terrorists of Arab and German extraction as well as a Native American accomplice. Many side plots including a duel between a U.S. and Soviet submarines. The book definitely shows how a real War could escalate out of control due to much confusion. Alot of good spy activity between the major players. The characters were well developed.The hero was CIA Deputy Director Jack Ryan. For my taste, though others may disagree, I found him to be a bit too much of a good guy and superhuman to be believable. I liked the book and found it to be a good -but even with the fine plot, at 914 pages- it was a ponderous read.

The movie with the same does not follow Clancy's original plot however the movie is also worth seeing.

The Sum of All Fears is one of Clancy's best stories. A plot based on the loss of a tactical nuclear bomb, an event that could occur in the fog of war. A somewhat similar event occurred recently involving a B-52 ferrying six supposedly unarmed cruise missiles that had nuclear warheads installed.

My only criticism is Clancy's description of how the terrorist rebuilt the old nuclear warhead. He went off the deep end describing very complicated technology. That said, I have read the book twice and a copy resides on my bookcase.

Can a terrorist really place a nuclear device in a city. The answers is yes, they can. But the device will probably be a gun-type, not an implosion device. The Rings of Allah, a story of such an attack. Set in the 21 Century, it is a tale of what can really happen. The reader is introduced to gun-type nuclear weapons technology in a realistic, accurate manner. Implosion weapons are also explained.

I could not get into Ben Affleck playing the role of Jack Ryan. I thought the movie was mediocre and just didn't do it for me. In my mind stick with the novel and pass up the movie.

If you like Harrisson Ford as Jack Ryan then Ben Affleck is surely going to disappoint in my mind. Doesn't live up to Ford's persona on the big screen.

Don't let the massive size of this book deter you from reading it (it is 912 pages in the paperback version). This is one incredible book, very detailed and a very good political suspense thriller that was fascinating to read.

There were a few negatives about the book I'll get through right now. The book has little action in the majority of the book. The action, the "thriller", doesn't appear until page 713 or 714. The book is told from several perspectives, Jack Ryan's character being one of them (the main character of the story), and all of the viewpoints do tie into the story (there's one from the Russians, a few from military officers one aboard a missile submarine), but it got tedious at times trying to read through scenes with little action. For instance, one side story being told is from the terrorist perspective, and just trying to read through pages of how the terrorists made a hydrogen bomb got very boring, technical, and I felt my eyes glazing over. Some might find detailed descriptions on how to make an H-bomb exciting, but it was all I could do to keep reading during these parts.

Other than that negative, the book was still a good read. I will say one good thing about the very slow build-up of tension and anticipation ("What's around the corner?") is it keeps you reading for more to see what happens. I also think the portrayal of politicians, government officials, and the military, and the interaction between various players was intriguing to read about. The inner-workings of the government and military was described in very accurate detail, not to mention the geographical area (being a resident that lives outside the Beltway I got a laugh out of reading about DC during the winter, like Clancy writes, the city and surrounding area screeches to a dead halt when snow hits the ground, no one can drive here in snow).

Anyways, this book was frightening in that the disaster depicted in this book (a terrorist detonating a nuclear device in a U.S. city) is something that could happen in the real world. Great read, Clancy is known for the technical accuracy and realism in his fictional books, and I recommend it for any fan of political/military thrillers.

Once again, Clancy has proven he cares more about trash than truth. This book is full of meaningless profanity and disrespect for Christianity (with a strange love for Islam.) The book also speaks quite disrespectfully of America in general, especially it's government. To top it all off, I read a review somewhere that this book had mature sexual themes in it too. So what's one to do? I quit this book... and I advise anyone who cares about their purity and soul do the same.

I recomend this book because of Gen. Horner and in spite of Mr. Clancy. (I think "The Hunt For Red October" is great but its been down-hill from there...) I'm sure Mr. Clancy brought organizing talent and expertise in formatting chapters, paragraphs and pages to this book, but I felt I could tell when Horner, or Clancy, was the primary writer, and I'd have been happier with the General's own voice the whole time.

General Horner comes across as a full character, with a story to tell. I'd rate his part 5 stars.

The "there I was" parts about planning and carrying-out the air-war in Desert Shield and Desert Storm are illuminating, and the description of the troubled USAF trying to find purpose, meaning and funding, after Viet Nam, are interesting. But the heart of the book for me are Horner's two tours in Viet Nam. Actually, in Thailand, but over Viet Nam when flying. By the end of his first tour, Horner realizes that the USA, his country, and the USAF, his service, doesn't actually want to win in Viet Nam, and isn't willing to do what it takes to win. Its not the left wing media, or the protesters, its the chain of command, from Johnson down, and he makes this point directly.

And then he goes back for a second tour, flying Wild Weasel missions at great personal risk. Why? He says its because this was "the war he had". He doesn't dwell on it, but it seems that having signed up, and being willing to serve, so far, he's willing to risk his life to do what he's been trained to do, in the persuit of foolish, pointless, even counter-productive things. I'd say immoral things, once you know you can't win, many might disagree.

But there, in a real officer's words, more or less, is why our nation must take (more) care in choosing its leaders, and give great thought to its citizens in uniform, volunteer or otherwise. People, all people, our people, are amazing, and they will try to do every job they are given to the best of their ability.

Give them a stupid job that hasn't been well thought out and they will die trying to make it happen. If its a military job and it involves killing, they'll kill. Not from blood lust or to be evil, but because that's what they've been asked to do.

Its no use blaming the soldiers- after a very brief time at war, soldiers have more in common with each other, with the soldiers of the other side, than they do with the folks at home. Its the leadership, which, in a democracy, is US, which is responsible. We cannot casually send out the Marines, or the 82nd Airborne, or the carrier battle group, and assume all is well. We have to be damn sure we know what we want before we ask our service people to risk their lives for it. They may do what we ask, and it may not work, it may not be the right thing, it may not be what we actually want.

This book is rather technical (about the level of "The Naval Institute Procedings", NY Times or Aviation Week, more so than "Air Force Review" or one of Clancy's books. Having a background in the subject helps, having an interest in the subject is a must.

Its hard to keep reading when Horner steps out and Clancy lets his fingers sing on the keyboard. But its worth it, at least through the first third, and after that, its like "Day of the Jackel"- you know how it ends, but you want to know this version anyway. Skim if you have to.

This is a far *better* book than Richard Hallinon's "Storm over Iraq" (Hallinon, the "Offical USAF Historian", is too rah-rah, with too little critical thinking or self awareness) and provides an interesting 50,000 foot view to contrast with, for example, "Warthogs", the first-person, 15,000 feet and under, stories of A-10 pilots & squadrons.

Great book. General Chuck Horner is a real character and I enjoyed his insights immensely. Tom Clancy does a great job explaining military technology although some of his graphs' Xs & Ys axises needed to be labeled. Overall a great book. I enjoyed it more that "Enter the Storm" which was based on Fred Franks.

The best part of Every Man a Tiger is the compelling voice of General Horner revealing the inside story of a revolutionary air campaign as it unfolded. General Horner, the man, the tiger, allows the reader to climb inside his head as he choreographs the human aspect of critical air operations while managing a multi-national coalition, freely admitting that the burden of failure rested with him. Indeed, destiny put the right man at the right place at the right time. All his prior training, assignments, and experiences in Vietnam and the Middle East coalesced during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In future conflicts, we will need tough, compassionate, selfless, military leaders like Chuck Horner if we are to overcome the daunting challenges that lay ahead. Read it.

I've read other negative reviews on this book but it was definitely worth the read, and I'd highly suggest it to anyone in the armed forces or anyone intrigued by their inner workings. I doubt someone with little interest in the Air Force would really get much out of this book but, like I said, if you are in the armed forces you'll love it and it'll make a lot of sense to you.

This is on the U.S Air Force's list of recommended reading for a reaon. If you have an interest in what the USAF is and how it does what it does, this book is a must.

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.

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.

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 computer can 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 for the virtual vandals that had hurt his friend Leif.If you enjoyed my review I would strongly recomend this book.

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.

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

As a vet, I love the brilliance of this author. I served aboard and the facts are right - on...

just like his book on the marine expeditionary unit or the rangers, tom clancey gives you every bit of information you wanted to know about a subject.

If we are to believe the article "Paperback Fighter" by Scott Shuger, Clancy should be approached very critically, and his adolescent attitude "we are the coolest and the toughest" is very irritating. I was hoping to get some factual information from these books, and in fact they have lots of technical details, but a reference to the "Osiris nuclear reactor" in Iraq and a claim that a signal processor on an F-22 can do "700 Mips (700 million operations/sec-equivalent to four Cray supercomputers)" (a 3GHz Pentium IV can do about 10000 MIPS) made me wonder about Clancy's reliability in areas where I am not qualified to judge it. But then I am not a member of Clancy's target audience.

interesting tour inside a nuclear submarine, with great histories,the perisher course is a big history. you can't loss the book

I have read a lot of different types of submarine stories over the past few years like Blind Man's Bluff, The Silent War and the most recent biography of Rickover. I wanted some background information on exactly how these machines work.
Well this book does more than supply that. The first section of the book tells about all the systems on a Los Angles class attack sub. It explains all the systems that are used on the craft with the exception of the nuclear power plant. It also tells why the US Navy has had no reactor accidents.
The most interesting part I found out was when they launch Torpedoes that have a wire attached to them that is almost 2 miles long that they can send messages correcting the guidance to the target. I had never heard of this before or ever seen it in a movie. I suppose they could use them like sonar buoys too. There were other things that surprised me too but I don't want to tell too much.

The next part talks about a United Kingdom Trafalgar class attack submarine. It was smaller but quieter than the US boats because instead of having a screw in the back for propulsion it used a pump jet which was the wave of the future. It also explained the differences between the US and UK's programs in the US Navy engineer skills are more important whereas in the UK it is command skills that are emphasis. The other thing is the UK brings along more beer with them mostly because of tradition.

The next part, which I thought was the best, was the mission section of the book. This was broken up into six sections describing the different kinds of roles nuclear submarines could be used for. There were some true life scenarios along with what we could have done in various situations. The emphasis here is stealth; the tomahawk mission and the mining mission of North Korean ports show the best example of this. The weapons are much more sophisticated than I had thought.

The final section on the other nations with submarines surprised me. I would have never thought that Italy and Norway would have a submarine force and that France had no nuclear submarines at all just diesels.

This was very interesting material to someone who is interesting in how nuclear submarines work and the kind of men who run them along with their possible missions. Some of it will amaze you.

well, i havent finished it yet, but from what i've read its very good. It provides an understanding of the military comprehensible to civilians. Kudos to Clancy.

This is an excellent in-depth view of how our USAF is run. The capabilities of our aircraft. If you enjoy military non-fiction then you'll love this book.

Loved the way this book was written. You really get a sense of what being in that FW is really like. Im already in the Air Force, but for me it was a nice look from the outside in, and getting to know the history of the unit, what action they have seen, and where the Air Force is heading. Great information and a great tour!!

The third book in The Guided Tour series, Fighter Wing is a non-fiction book devoted to an Air Force Composite Wing. (Why it's called "Fighter Wing" escapes me, since the 366th Wing includes a wide range of combat aircraft!) Like the other books in this seven-volume series, Fighter Wing gives the readers a reasonably interesting look at the U.S. Air Force since its restructuring in the early 1990s. Here, for instance, is where I found out the Air Force had renamed its major commands; Strategic Air Command (which controlled the bombers, particularly the B-1, B-2, FB-111, and B-52 aircraft) and Tactical Air Command (which controlled the smaller fighters and fighter-bombers) merged and became Air Combat Command.

The book discusses the theory and history of air power, the training of the men and women who fly for the Air Force, and, of course, the planes and weapons of a typical Composite Wing. As in most of the books in the Guided Tour series, photographs, graphics, an interview with a senior flag officer, and a fictional scenario depicting the combat roles of a Composite Wing are included.

The book is informative without getting too technical, and one comes away with a bit more inside information about how the modern Air Force works.

In the updated and expanded version,Tom Clancy goes into great detail of why air superiority was and remains key to U.S. armed forces. For instance, the f-15 originally developed to combat Russian Migs, is now becoming obsolete. Third World contries can now rival the fighter. This is now why the U.S. developed the f-22. The radically advanced fighter has stealth, advanced avionics, and radar. This was SUPPOSED to fight new Migs and Sokui aircraft, but the Cold War ended. With Russia as our ally the U.S. has endured many cuts an reformation of airforces. Why hasn't the f-22 replaced the f-15? Why has the b-2 not become the U.S.'s primary bomber? This is a must read for all those interested in answers to these questions. Plus, analysis on why the U.S. is developing the Joint Strike Fighter!

You know, every now and then, something occurs that really gets the mind thinking. These generaly raise questions that range from little "Huh, I wonder why..." to the massive "Why, in the name of all that is good and pure don't we..." Well, this is one of those books. And I know you probably don't want to have to sit and read a super-long essey of a review, so I'll cut to the chase: Why, in the name of all that is good and pure, hasn't one of our presidents picked Tom Clancy as their National Security Advisor>

I read his book on Marines and then the book on the Airborne. The problem that I have with Clancy is that he must hang out with the Public Relations officer where ever he goes. He gets the best possible answers and explanation for everything. So he is kind of right on just about everything but exactly right on just about nothing. I checked with a buddy from the Marine Corp. He had the exact reaction. Clancy should get down with the troops and find out what is really happening.

I spent 4 years with the 1st Brigade at the 82nd. LGOP to us meant "Lost Group of Paratroopers." This was pre GPS mind you. As for the 82nd taking shots from our Legged bretheran in the 101st. Notice it is they who feel the need to denigrate the real Airborne. In the 82nd we were always too busy to worry about what the legs were doing or what they thought.

Being a former 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper I was very disapointed with the contents of Mr. CLanceys book. For all the history that the 82nd has very little of it was covered in this book. He also failed to cover much of the 82nds current capbilities and possible uses. In fact at times I felt like I was reading a book on COSCOM, or the Airforce instead of an Airborne unit. There is much more depth that could have been given to this book had he taken the time, but instead you get the impression that Mr. Clancey saw Ft. Bragg from a tour bus going down Ardennes street. If you've never been in the military or an Airborne unit then this will give you "some" insight, but if your interested in military history, or have been a paratrooper then this ones not for you. Mr. Clancey may be good at fiction but there's alot he could learn from historians like Stephen Ambrose or Shelby Foote.

Tom Clancy and John D. Gresham's Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force is the fifth entry in Berkley's "Guided Tour" series of non-fiction books about U.S. military units. As one might expects, the book zeroes in on the elite paratroopers of the "All-American" 82nd Airborne Division, their "tools of the trade," training, history and roles and missions.

The 82nd Airborne is America's last true paratrooper division; its XVIII Airborne Corps partner, the 101st Air Assault Division ("The Screaming Eagles") traded in its parachutes for helicopters long ago. Along with the 101st, the 82nd Airborne is teamed with the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, giving the XVIII Airborne Corps both a powerful punch and flexibility.

Clancy and Gresham describe practically every weapon, tool, uniform and aircraft employed in modern airborne warfare today in a clear and concise fashion. The authors also discuss the proud history of the 82nd Airborne (and airborne warfare in general) from World War II to Operation Restore Democracy (the 1994 mission to remove the military junta in Haiti) and the various aspects of life for the modern-day paratrooper, particularly the arduous training regimen involved in getting young men and women to jump out of, as Clancy wryly observes, "perfectly good airplanes."

Airborne also includes an interview with the then-incoming commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Gen. John B. Keane and a Foreword by retired Gen. Gary Luck, who commanded the corps during the first Persian Gulf War in 1991.

As in all the books of the Guided Tour series, Clancy includes several short vignettes to illustrate what the 82nd Airborne's roles and missions are. Of course, now that we are in a major conflict in Iraq (in which the 82nd and 101st Divisions are engaged) Clancy's choices for settings (Sudan and Belize) seem odd, but they make for good reading and explain how the XVIII Airborne Corps is used in combat situations.

Tom Clancy must be the world's number one fan of the USA Military.

And vice versa.

"Airborne" is another in the series of mutual admiration society books written by Tom beginning with Submarine, and progressing on through Fighter Wing, Marine, Armoured Cav and others.

Each one is an in depth look at the men, equipment, training, tactics and history of a segment of the US Armed Services. Tom doesn't give a dry list of statistics, a few cutaway diagrams and photos, no this is hands-on stuff, straight from the people who use the weapons, supplemented by Tom's observations on a guided tour of the facilities and attendance at a training exercise.

I'd give this a top rating, but for the graphics, which aren't up to the standard of earlier books. Many of the photographs, for instance, are literaly the size of a postage stamp.

But that's a minor niggle, and there are some excellent photos, and diagrams.

What comes across very strongly is the awesom esprit de corps of the Airborne. Far more than any other units, Airborne soldiers fight alone without the direct support of other arms, excepting maybe the airforce. But if an airborne force goes into action on the far side of the world, where friendly runways are few and far between, then they are very much on their own until reinforcements win through.

The unique tactics of the airborne units are highlighted. The "LGOP" mentality, where Little Groups Of Parachutists form up and fight through to the objective. The way that subunits are divided up amongst aircraft so that if one aircraft doesn't make it, it doesn't take out an entire platoon or company.

There's more, a lot more, and I particularly liked the historical chapters. Right at the end of the book is a glossary, almost de rigeur for the acronym-laden world of the military, and most valuable of all for those wanting yet more, a very comprehensive bibliography.

This is a book that belongs on the shelf of any military buff, alongside Tom Clancy's other works. Highly recommended.

As always, Tom Clancy's research into a subject is beyond reproach. As a veteran of 28 years involved in Naval air (and the son of a Naval officer with the same tenure), it's good to be brought up to date by someone I respect in this arena. Clancy does a great job of getting one through the "An Officer and a Gentleman" Pensacola experience, and into the ready room.

Carrier, the sixth book in Tom Clancy's Guided Tour non-fiction series about America's armed forces, is a detailed look at the Navy's grande dame, the aircraft carrier and associated battle group (CVBG). Even 63 years after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor ended the reign of the big-gun battleship and despite the lethality of nuclear attack submarines, the carrier, with its 70+ plane air wing and assorted escorts, is still the most powerful, versatile, and visible symbol of American sea power.

Once again, Clancy and series collaborator John D. Gresham take the reader where no ordinary civilian can easily go. From the Pentagon office of Admiral Jay Johnson (who at the time was Chief of Naval Operations) to the bustling -- and dangerous -- flight deck of the Nimitz-class USS Harry S Truman, the authors explain the role of the modern carrier group in today's world, as well as describing each ship -- from carrier to guided missile escorts -- and aircraft that makes the CVBG the "big stick" of American foreign policy.

At the time of publication (2000), the Navy was still in the midst of the transition from large 90 aircraft carrier air wings (CAW), and strike pilots were completing the handover of air-to-ground attack missions from the venerable A-6 Intruder to the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. Other changes discussed by Clancy and Gresham are the eventual phasing out of the F-14 Tomcat, the long-range interceptor made famous by Tom Cruise's 1986 mega-hit Top Gun. Although still a formidable aircraft, the Tomcat -- which has never fired its prime long range missile, the Phoenix, in combat -- is now a 32-year-old design and due to be replaced by late generation F/A-18 Hornet variants and the new Joint Strike Fighter now in development.

As in all the Guided Tour books, there are chapters devoted to all the elements that make a CVBG such a valuable fleet asset. Much of the book focuses on the Nimitz-class carrier's design, construction, power plant (or at least as much as the Navy will allow the authors to divulge for security reasons), and the embarked air wing. However, Clancy emphasizes the human element and describes the training and daily lives of the sailors and airmen that operate the various ships and aircraft of the CVBG.

Clancy also continues the tradition of ending his Guided Tour books with a short but entertaining fictional account of a unit in action. In this case, the author looks forward at the world in 2016, pitting the United States in a short but fierce confrontation with India after "the world's largest democracy" has a nuclear exchange with its Muslim neighbor Pakistan and becomes erratic in its foreign policy.

Although Clancy is hardly objective when writing about the military -- he clearly loves the services -- he does provide the public valuable insights into what the Navy does and the tasks our men and women in uniform perform daily in times of war and peace. Carrier, therefore, is an informative and entertaining primer on today's Navy...and tells the reader exactly why every President since World War II has asked, in times of crisis, "where are the carriers?"

This is just a wonderful book on the topic. Clancy and co. have done a great job of taking the reader through the ships in question and really explaining the different types, parts, and jobs associated with an Aircraft Carrier. Clancy also does a good job in explaining what it is like to live and work on one of these ships. He also takes us through some of the training that takes place to get into the job. He also adds a good amount of detail of what the typical types of missions these ships and battle groups have today, what they did in the cold war and the possible missions upcoming.

I was surprised at the number of countries that also have aircraft carriers not to mention the different types the U.S has. Clancy takes us through a long inventory of all the different countries that have aircraft carriers today, what kind of ships they are and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the model. Another interesting part of the book was the description of all the countries currently making the aircraft carriers and how good / bad they are at it. I enjoyed the fact that the catapult technology really only comes the U.S. as no one else has mastered it.

Overall this was an interesting, easy to read and very informative book. If you are interested in aircraft carriers then this should be your first stopping point. A good book well worth the money.

This is one of Clancy's best. Not only is it interesting and fun to read, it is very informative and the information is accurate with a few exceptions. These include the misnaming of certain carriers.

As good as this book is, there are many things I simply didn't like about this book. First of all, the book was very idealistic and was more of a propoganda work rather than some kind of reference book. For example, when Clancy explains the air wing layouts, he claims that a certain air wing with less fighters but more striking ability can hit more targets on land and the older 90 plane air wing's land-attack capability was much more limited. He doesn't know that, does he? He never took into consideration that the carriers during the Cold War never actually fought, so it can't be safely said that such and such an air wing is more capable than the other. He also doesn't consider the amount of threats in the world today when talking about the less ships and planes, the more effective. He even says that the current naval aviation structure is much better and is less complicated, when he doesn't even know how effective the previous standings were and how bad things are getting in the world. Also, when talking about the new carriers, he doesn't consider the complications such a program would make and believes carriers are simple "help the needy" machines when they are actually powerful weapons of war. Nor does he ever mention anything about the serious costs that future programs will take and just goes rambling about how cool things will be and how much better things will get. All this, in a way, insults the Navy, because it shows them as a group that simply just buys expensive stuff and doesn't care about their task at hand.

Another thing that was seriously flawed was the explaination of missions and tactics and the fiction. The missions are well shown, but they are not fully explained. They are also described in a way as being"totally effective," which is not true. it takes more than just a carrier to win a war. The tactics are also shown as being 100% effective, also not true. Finally, as someone from India has stated, the fiction was not only short and screwed up, it totally defaces what India is really like. It shows them as ruthess, evil conquistadors, without ever really considering everything to the story. The news report showing the destruction of the Indian ship was totally unreal and propogandic. No such thing would take place, especially when sensitive information is present and would surely have been censored.

Overall, this book was pretty good, but there were many errors and was very biased, propgandic and based on the authors mind. next time, Clancy should write it like a real reference book, accurate to the last detail, unbiased, realistic, or never write non-fiction again. Maybe he jsut didn't know what he was talking about.

This is a most unusual book in that it goes into excruciating detail about the Navy, the Air Force and carriers. In fact, even though I found it fascinating reading, it's more than most people would want to know unless you're a real fanatic. At times I felt that a foreign power could learn how to duplicate our success by reading this book -- hopefully Clancy left some military secrets a secret!

The most enjoyable parts of the book for me were the descriptions of the pilot training (and the amazing prowess of Navy flyers who have to catch a "string" upon landing so they don't fly right off the deck), life aboard a carrier and the interview with the navy official. The chapters devoted to the layout and structure of the carriers were less interesting from my point of view.

A very detailed approach to carriers and their role in protecting our role in world affairs.

I've been a long time fan of the Splinter Cell games but this was the first book I've read relating to the character. It was really an exciting and gripping storyline full of interesting twists and exotic locations. You could imagine playing as the character, sneaking into highly secure residences and playing with new cutting edge electronic toys while at the same time invisibly saving the world. You feel right in the scene when five North Koreans are walking towards your flipped Jeep with assault rifles at the ready and you have to act. It was great to combine my love of the games (not Double Agent) with the enjoyment of reading.

This is the first and last time I will use Amazon and pay full list price.

Truly a wonderful book. Keeps you glued to the pages chapter after chapter. Great story line, too!

How do you stop an entire country from dying by a deadly chemical? 2 words, Sam Fisher. Splinter Cell Fallout by Tom Clancy and David Micheals is an action-packed novel! This is a mystery novel for anyone who wants a thrilling book! This book is my favorite book and could be yours also! There are surprises around every corner. This book takes place in the Middle East, Far East, and the US. It is around 2010 when this all happens so it is for more of the futuristic readers.

Colonal Irving Lambert is Sam's leader and a close friend of his. Anna Grimsdottir is another one of Sam's workers and is a good friend also. This is written in third person so when it says Fisher it means Sam.

How do you stop an entire country from dying by a deadly chemical? 2 words, Sam Fisher. Splinter Cell Fallout by Tom Clancy and David Micheals is an action-packed novel! This is a mystery novel for anyone who wants a thrilling book! This book is my favorite book and could be yours also! There are surprises around every corner. This book takes place in the Middle East, Far East, and the US. It is around 2010 when this all happens so it is for more of the futuristic readers.

Colonal Irving Lambert is Sam's leader and a close friend of his. Anna Grimsdottir is another one of Sam's workers and is a good friend also. This is written in third person so when it says Fisher it means Sam.