"Debt of Honor"

(Reviewed by Judi Clark MAY 3, 1998)

I'm not a military buff, but I like many of Clancy's novels.  Clancy is like a good teacher, even though the subject is not your favorite, you enjoylearning about it. However, I do find that if I see the movie before I read the book, then I don't ever read the book.  For example, The Hunt for Red October is one of my all time favorite movies, but I don't feel that I have a need to read the book.  (Maybe it's because I've seen it at least hundred times...)  On the other hand, if I read one of his books then I look forward to seeing the movie.  If you have not read a Clancy novel yet, I think Debt of Honor is a good one to start with since the battle field is clearly understandable: the American-Japanese economies. Clancy has a way of shrinking the world to make an understatement of the term global village.

Note: I recently received an e-mail saying that another reader also had similar thoughts as to why she didn't bother to read The Hunt for Red October - until a friend told her that the book was even better than the movie. And now that she's read it, she says the book is better than the movie. Now that really shouldn't surprise anyone, after all when isn't that the case?

• Amazon reader rating: from 200 reviews

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"Op-Center: Balance of Power"

(Reviewed by Judi Clark JUN 17, 1998)

For this political thriller we follow the Op-Center team to Spain as they try to prevent the many ethnic factions from throwing the whole country into a civil war.  While reading this book, I had mixed feelings as to how much I liked it and would willingly recommend it. It has been awhile since I read a "Jack Ryan" novel so maybe I'm wrong about how good they are, but the Op-Center series seems more like a male's version of a Danielle Steel novel, than anything else. I mean, I enjoyed it well enough for a fast read, but I can't in good consciousness recommend it as a great read.  From what I understand, the Spaniards are none too pleased with this book and say that Clancy/Pieczenik are way off base. So if that is the case, don't read for educational purposes.

• Amazon reader rating: from 59 reviews

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Bibliography: (with links to Amazon.com)

Jack Ryan series:

• The Hunt for Red October (1984)
• 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 (1997)
• Rainbow Six (1998)
• The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
• Red Rabbit (2002)
• Dead or Alive (December 2010)

Jack Ryan, Jr. series:

• The Teeth of the Tiger (August 2003)

Other:

• Red Storm Rising (1986)
• SSN (1997)

Written with Steve R. Pieczenik:

• Op-Center (1995)
• Op-Center: Mirror Image (1996)
• Op-Center: Games of State (1996)
• Op-Center: Acts of War (1997)
• Op-Center: Balance of Power (1998)

Movies from books:

• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• Patriot Games (1992)
• Clear and Present Danger (1994)

 

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Book Marks:

• The official Web site for Tom Clancy
• Salon Magazine interview with Tom Clancy (rehashes some of Gulf War)
• Time Magazine interview with Tom Clancy (Kind of a cranky guy)
• sonic.net's review of The Hunt for Red October
• Tom Clancy on writing Rainbow Six
• Red Storm Entertainment Center
• Blogcritics.org review of Red Rabbit
• BookReporter review of Red Rabbit
• New York Times review of Red Rabbit
• ReviewOfBooks.com collection of reviews for The Teeth of the Tiger

 

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About the Author:

Tom Clancy has dined and conferred with Presidents, given speeches to the CIA and has been debriefed by top Pentagon officials. He is welcomed upon naval craft and military grounds. All this without being a former naval or intelligence officer. He used to be a insurance broker, but had always dreamed of writing military fiction.