I've enjoyed everything I've read by Clancy, and "The Sum of All Fears" was no exception. Despite its narrative sprawl and occasional lack of focus, it is good Clancy: a well-paced plot with a long dramatic peak that lasts about 100 pages and ushers in a fairly satisfying ending.

We know the basic plot: missing weapons-grade nuclear material gets made into a huge, multi-stage bomb by German and Middle Eastern terrorists. It is taken stateside, and Jack Ryan and his government buddies must overcome bureaucracy and their own disagreements in order to keep this act of terrorism from throwing the world into total chaos.

At its best moments, "The Sum of All Fears" exhibits Clancy's trademark rapid-fire shift of scene; I can think of few authors who can orchestrate, as well as Clancy does, the sort of globally organized tension that caps off this novel. From submarines in the Pacific to hotel rooms in Denver, from the Pentagon to the Middle East, Clancy pushes the plot forward surely, vignette by vignette, in a manner that usually manages to keep from feeling choppy or disjointed. This strategy helps to create HUGE tension, as the scene flits from back-room to front line and registers the immediate reaction and counter-reactions of all involved.

"The Sum of All Fears" was also prescient in imagining the possibility of a major terrorist attack on American soil. 9/11 proves Clancy's imagination terrifyingly adept. And although his novel delivers the requisite demonized evil-doers, the Native American terrorist Marvin Russell is painted surprisingly sympathetically, giving fuller and more shockingly human shape to the horrible act in which he unwittingly participates toward the novel's end.

My reservations about the novel are few but important. First, there are meanderings, especially the annoying football conversations, which are neither illustrative nor interesting. Their dialog is stilted, as if Clancy himself is forcing the subject, and this is only partially redeemed when the sport of football becomes, by novel's end, peripherally related to the plot. Like the detailed technical profiles of military hardware that one has come to expect from Clancy, the football arguments halt the movement of the story. But at least the technical details are interesting.

Then there's the opening premise--the adoption of Civil Rights-era peaceful resistance by Palestinians--which is a real whale of a hypothesis (no less an authority than Jack Ryan claims "the Arabs have figured out how to destroy Israel" [62]). After this imaginative 100-page introduction, though, Clancy more or less drops the entire idea; it disappears completely, and I could almost hear him saying, "Wait, I can't do that--who wants to read a novel about peace?!?!" Left in at the beginning, it sticks out like a spare part and a crass simplification of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Despite my problems with "The Sum of All Fears," though, it was a fairly enjoyable read, and the pay-off at the end was good, since Clancy builds tension masterfully. But it's by far not his best work. "Patriot Games," for example, is tighter and better written; if you're looking to read your first Clancy, I'd start there.

When the movie The Hunt for the Red October was shown in my country, Brazil, I thought "Man, the guy who wrote this book is a genius!". Then I started to look for Clancy's books on the bookstores shelves, and I found that he's more than a genius. No one else in the world can write this kind of book better than him. And "The Sum of All Fears" is here to prove what I'm saying: it's the kind of book that you just can't stop reading. Once you started, you won't want to do anything else than reading it, if you know what I mean... The last chapters alone are worth its price, and if you like Clancy's books but you haven't read this one yet, I have to ask you: what is taking you so long? If you read "The Cardinal of the Kremlin" and "Clear and Present Danger", you shouldn't miss this: it's Clancy at his best, as never seen before. Here you'll see our hero, Jack Ryan, as the Vice-Director of the CIA, going against some politicians and even the President of the USA to avoid a nuclear war

One of the best Clancy books, though it is hard to compare them all. Suddenly Jack Ryan's career doesn't look so great anymore, not all his enemies are foreigners. The crisis Ryan had was good, particularly in the cryptic remarks he used towards the end about if it wasn't for him Elliot and Fowler wouldn't be there, referring back to Clear and Present Danger, it was great. It was also really good to see another submarine adventure, where the crew aren't quite happy with their captain, and a Soviet submarine captain looking to be the best captain ever. The book was really good in the way it involved so many people and different section of the armed forces towards the end, the battle in Berlin, the sub battle in the Pacific, the carrier skirmish, truly great. And the scene at the end when Fowler wanted to do something he shouldn't have, and good old Jack Ryan was there to stop him, that was done brilliantly. It was also very interesting reading about how the terrorists made the device, a great read. Now the plot is a little far fetched, how the device fell into enemy hands, how the one guy who survived at Denver knew about the TV van, how so many military advisors were unavailable, but the scenario present at the end is terrific. If you're looking for a good reads, this is it.

Fans of poorly drawn, vaguely racist old west humor should look no further than this example of ultra-depressing mediocrity. Move over Momma's Family, for the bowel-evacuating intensity enjoyed by this brand of surgically precise anti-humor is simply amazing. T.K. Ryan's studyhall F-Troop imagery rivals that of what a fifth year rehab patient etches into his nightstand with a pair of tweezers.

T.K. Ryan is a comic genius. His cartoon Tumbleweeds blends witty, hilarious prose with a disciplined hand. This collection contains many gems and is highly recommended.

If you go to [website] you can get daily cartoons, plus have a chance to buy this book from the Author himself (signed!).

In Debt of Honor we are left hanging with the country recovering from a 'war' with Japan, most of the triad of Government dead and Jack Ryan is President of the United States. Tom Clancy continues the heroic saga of President Ryan as he brings a leaderless country back from disaster. We get a glimpse of the life of the Commander in Chief in his self described prison. It is through the thoughts of Ryan we can extrapolate and emphasize with the great burden the job contains. This is a must read for new and old Clancy fans with continuations of many of the story lines start as far back as Without Remorse. The only criticism of the book is in the last 100 pages. Clancy turns to too much of the mechanics of warfare from the compelling human portraits he paints. Many pages of small print will keep you up well into the night

While having to drive about an hour a day for work, I decided to give Clancy a try to help pass the time (NPR can only do so much after about a month <30 hrs of radio time>). The audio CD was wonderful and really helped pass the time. The story is interesting - lots of twists, turns, Clancy techno-battles, and interesting characters - without the volume issue that makes the reader decide what sections to skim.

As well, I really enjoyed the reader for the book (even though I panned Mr. Hermann in 'A Beautiful Mind', he did a wonderful job here). He paced the desert war, the gun battles, and the moments of intrigue (the lead-in and standoff with the rogue secret service agent comes to mind) well, keeping interest and at times causing me to sit in the car for an extra 5-10 mins waiting for a scene to play out. All in all, a solid 4 stars.

I read this book quite a while ago, but am just recently rereading many of Clancy's works. I think this book, though long, is a great read and often hard to put down. I have noticed recently that several of Clancy's books have recieved criticism (this book and Debt of Honor especially) pertaining to the attacks on September 11. I too, admit that I thought this was pretty eery, but come on guys, give Mr. Clancy a break. His job is to write fiction, not read the minds of terrorists. Trust me, the terrorists can figure out how to attack our nation by themselves, and they do not need Tom Clancy's help. Does this mean that since the news have been blabbering on about biological attack, if one really happens thats the new agencies faults? I don't think so. My only hope is that this real horror story comes to a conclusion of justice just as Executive Orders.

I've skipped around the Jack Ryan series of Clancy books -- skipping one or two, reading them out of order, etc. Debt of Honor was typical Clancy -- very heavy on the logistics and technical details of modern political and military conflict, light on character development. I guess there may be men like "Saint Jack" Ryan in political life, but sometimes you just want him to kick his dog or cuss someone out. Some may enjoy the financial details of this book, but I found myself skipping through large chunks of this one. The build up to the military conflict -- the real meat and gift of Clancy's writing -- seemed interminable. I just kept waiting for *something* to *happen.* I'll probably read Executive Decision just to find out what crisis Jack lands in as president of the US of A, but in the meantime, I hope Clancy comes out with another entry to the Op Center series of books

This Clancy novel, part of the Jack Ryan saga, follows the protagonist through his reluctant but moralistic attitude through the American political landscape. Jack is the National Security Advisor for a President bogged down within a increasingly hostile relationship with the Japanese and the unfortunate embargo on Japanese products after a Japanese made car destroys the lives of an average American family. Thus fueling an escalation of political sparring between the countries.

The leader of the Japanese economic contingent contrives a plan to cripple the US economy and somewhat achieves its goal, with the intention of bringing Japan to the forefront of the global economic community.

The book ends in an incredible scenario in which reality truly imitates art. I was reminded of this book today that I read 4 years ago, while watching CNN coverage of the planes that deliberately collided with the World Trade Center in New York City causing its collapse and thousands possibly dead. You will see once you're done reading this novel the similarities between the Clancy novel and the World Trade Center travesty resembles one another. For this reason, it is worth reading the political thriller to feel the "behind the scenes" happenings of this horrible tragedy that has befallen the United States. I hope we can all learn from the World Trade Center tragedy by possibly paying closer attention to the political fiction writers that prophesy these horrible circumstances.

Insofar as the books literary value, it is an average Clancy thriller, but definitely worth reading after the circumstances in New York City.

Debt of Honor has the political and military insider knowledge that other authors can't compare too. Tom Clancy goes inside the system and explains everything in layman's terms. His personal knowledge of the military makes the novel accurate, but his writing style doesn't let you put the book down until the last page is finished. With this combination of knowledge and writing, Debt of Honor proves itself to stand beside Clancy's other novels, Rainbow Six and The Hunt for Red October. The has familiar characters such as Jack Ryan, a character starring in previous novels, along with John Clark and Domingo Chavez.

The book follows the story of Jack Ryan, the president's National Security Advisor, as he attempts to stop a war with Japan due to a single auto accident. The clever writing and suspenseful action combines to create very entertaining reading. Though Clancy won't stun the world with a literary "classic," he will deliver one of the most compelling novels of today. Everything in Debt of Honor will strike you as eerily plausible, from an attack on the American economy to Japan's secret nuclear weapons program.

Debt of Honor should not be mistaken as a book selling off the Tom Clancy name, such as the Op-Center series. Besides global warfare, the ideas are original and exhilarating. The novel was actually written entirely by Tom Clancy, which makes it a definite read. This book is recommended for any Clancy or action fan.

I can't believe they've started slapping the Dr. Suess name on crappy knock-offs and trying to suck the children's book consumer dry. (Well, Ok, I can.) This is the first of two books I've read so far in the "wubbulus world" series, and the absolute worst. Not only does it have all the problems already described by the intelligent reader from Australia, but there is something else terribly wrong with it: The message that it is Ok, even noble, to defy, ignore, and dismiss the directives, opinions, and desires of your parents and family. Not something the average toddler needs to hear. Your two year old may love the rhymes, but what are you teaching them?

My son absolutely loves me to read about Ms. Susan Bock Dutter Docks Burklummer Snue. He loves all the different careers she can have and the chance at the end to say that she is going to be just who she is an no one else. I love the book because it makes my child laugh. At 2 he as memorized the entire book.

I, personally, enjoyed this book and so does my son and my niece. Children are always asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" How can you know when you are so young? Little ones, like the rest of us, are trying to figure out where they fit in the scheme of things. Does she want to be a baker, a candlestick maker, or something else? She says that she wants to be herself and I say 'Hooray!'. It's nice for girls and boys to know that it is more than fine to be themselves.

I agree with the reviewer below who contrasted this book with Hunt for Red October. That was a masterful story, and it shares little with this one; the story was much more concise, Ryan had not yet evolved into Superman -- it was superior in every way.

I have come to realize that Ryan is an excellent storyteller, but not much of a writer. For example, all of his good guys talk the same way. Who said this to President Ryan, when he said he hated his job: "Ain't supposed to be fun, Jack." Was it Robby Jackson, Arnie Van Damm, George Winston, Cathy Ryan, Ding Chavez, Mary Pat Foley, etc.? My point is that the words fit all of them perfectly, because they all talk with Clancy's one "good guy" voice.

I could give lots more criticism, but I'll close by agreeing with another reviewer who complained about the Foley's "baby-honey bunny" act. Are they the two top intelligence agents, or sitcom characters?

Tom -- take a break, stop writing, and enjoy all that money.

The Bear and the Dragon is average for Tom Clancy, but it's certainly better than Rainbow Six, which preceded it. There's more Jack Ryan in this one by comparison to Rainbow Six, but The Bear and the Dragon just does not quite get to the level of Clancy's better books. Still worth reading and enjoyable though.

It's impossible to read all 700+ customer reviews, but I see the point of many of the folks slamming Clancy over this one. My take on this book, is that it is highly entertaining, how Clancy has continued the saga of Jack Ryan & Company through his series of books. There are numerous references to previous Clancy books that are substantial enough to create a parallel Clancyian universe. President Ryan speaks of the Fair Trade Act as history, and it takes some sorting out to remember, "no that's just previous fiction." Ryan semi-mutates into President Bush, with references to the previous corrupt president (Clinton?). Clancy's world is populated by military and ex-military types, so the insensitive acpects of their world-view that was not appreciated by other reviewers comes from that culture (Joe Ch--k, the swearing, the smoking) When facing enemy fire on the battlefield, one certainly does not care about the ill effects of second-hand smoke, or any other issue not related to immediate survival on the field of fire.

It's important to realize that Clancy is fashioning his own version of Planet Earth, which definitely departs from the reality we know. Unlike this book, the Chinese in real life recently demonstrated restraint in the Hunan reconaissance plance incident (as did President Bush). It certainly does not seem today, that the Chinese are headed toward a military confrontation with us or the Russians.

I think the real way to appreciate Clancy is to recognize that his world is a fiction, and then enjoy the ride. The details of the Siberian War, and of the air war, especially relating to the Dark Star technology, were breathtaking. This book accelerates as you read it, from a stroll in Dzherzhinskii Square to the 14,000 fps speed of the ICBM at the book's climax. The war turns what was a page-turner, into a page-riper... Once I got to the war at page 870, I had to continue nonstop until the end (1000+ pages). The book was breath-taking, and way too large-scale for a 2 hour movie to do it justice. Clancy in Bear & Dragon underscores why there is no substitute for reading a great book.

Without a doubt, this book is a must for fans of Jack Ryan, the character who dominates most Tom Clancy novels. The story in "Red Rabbit" fills a gap in our knowledge of Ryan's life. However, Clancy could have done a lot better by Ryan. This novel is talky to the point of being tedious. The characters, American, British, and Russian, seem to say the same things again and again. And talk is about all the story consists of.
That snapping, twisting action and suspense that we have come to expect of Clancy is missing here. Part of the problem, of course, is that we already know that the Pope, who was attacked in the nineteen-eighties, survived the assassination attempt. The other part of the problem is that Clancy does not create any real suspense in the process of giving us his fictional version of how it all occurred.
In fact, the plot is ponderous and stretched far too thinly. Clancy wrote an extremely good novel once about the spy game between America and Russia. It's called "The Cardinal of the Kremlin." If you are not a big Jack Ryan devotee, but you want to read Tom Clancy when his writing and plotting crackled with tension, try "Cardinal of the Kremlin." You won't regret it.

Much like The Bear and the Dragon, Red Rabbit is another mediocre book. It just doesn't give the reader what Clancy has been able to give in the past. Like Without Remorse, Clancy takes a character (this time Jack Ryan himself) and goes back in time to probe one of the episodes in his career. The episode in question is an assassination attempt on the Pope before the end of the Cold War, which is somewhat interesting to read with historical hindsight, but does not deliver the kind of suspense that Clancy delivered in his early novels.

I personally liked it but clancy is really getting carried away with the profanity. It suddenly showed up in Bear and the Dragon and it disturbs me. Its as if he cant find a more colorful word to describe the situation.

Before Marvel relaunched this book, the Fantastic Four was on the verge of being cancelled for many years. This story can show why. It is full of plots that always contradict each other and the artwork is even worse then what you find in the Sunday newspaper cartoon strips. I think comics as a whole are dying as an artform and this book was just another example of it.

You want to know the reason why the Fantastic Four has not been all that fantastic for the last decade or so, read this book and you will see why. It's so convoluted that ou will not have a single idea what's going on from the first page to the last.

I couldn't agree less with the other guy. The art and writing in "Nobody Gets Out Alive" were great. 'Nuff said.