Clear and Present Danger

Rating:
Summary: "Present Danger" Clearly a Clancy Classic
Review: The fourth installment of the Jack Ryan series (its plot overly simplified in the 1994 movie) moves its stalwart protagonist, CIA analyst Jack Ryan, into new and more dangerous territory as he rises up the chain of the Agency's command structure.

It's also a new challenge for Clancy as his novels shift their focus from U.S.-Soviet confrontation and international terrorism to the more shadowy worlds of drug smuggling and the nature of covert operations. It also explores such notions as the rule of law, the proper application of military force, the niceties of international law, and the need for good men to stand up for their beliefs, even if it means standing up to the President of the United States.

Clear and Present Danger is a very complex work. It starts with the interception of a drug-carrying yacht whose rightful owners have been murdered viciously by two Colombian "sicarios" employed by the Medellin Cartel. From this seemingly routine event, a chain of escalating events culminating with the Cartel's bold attack on three American envoys in Bogota (Colombia's capital)leads to a Presidential decision that will have dire consequences both at home and abroad.

Here, too, Jack Ryan must face the pitfalls of his ascent up the ladder at Langley. His mentor and surrogate father, Admiral James Greer, is suffering from cancer and Ryan must step into his post, not knowing that the President's new and shifty National Security Adviser, Adm. James Cutter, has dragooned the Directorate of Operations and CIA Director Arthur "Judge" Moore into carrying out a covert and illegal scheme to combat the drug cartels using military assets and the talents of CIA paramilitary operative John Clark. By the conclusion of this novel, Ryan, too, will be caught in the tangled web of Cutter's scheme, and the repercussions of the "Colombian Affair" in both Ryan's professional and personal lives will linger on in later novels of this series.

Rating:
Summary: A Nice Change of Pace...
Review: This novel was a nice change of pace for Clancy. Rather than attack the Russians (though I did miss Sergey Nicolaovich Golovko), he chose to go to a problem that is still around after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end o the cold war. So, just to begin, if you are not a Cold Warrior or up to history in USSR/USA relations, don't worry, this novel is more for you.

The thing I greatly enjoyed about this book was, although John clark appeared in the Cardinal of the Kremlin (by far my favorite Clancy novel), he does not interact with Jack Ryan until now. This novel also builds up more of Clark's past as we can see more of teh fact that he does have a military backround and that he does covert missions.

To further go along with Clark, we are introduced to Domingo "Ding" Chavez in his military days - Ninja's rule the night! I enjoy the way Clancy writes about Ding because it seemed as if his initial idea was to only have Ding in this novel, so most of Ding's history is revealed now, including his LA backround.

Now, to an okay character in this novel, Jack Ryan. This novel places Ryan in a more political role. Unlike the Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and the Cardinal of the Kremlin, Ryan is not the hero of this story. Of course, Ryan helps guide the story along, but Aside from giving the reader access to the CIA, Ryan is only here to demonstrate that people in new posistions are generally used to cover the [bottoms] of the people in the posistions above them.

I think that the only down side of this novel is Admiral James Greer. What Clancy does to this character is this aweful. I really wish the Greer could have continued on into later novels, but most of CIA's upper people don't go past this book, as you will find in reading the Sum of All Fears.

All in all, I would really give this book good marks. As always, even if you have seen the movie, the book is a different story. The only thing that might deter people is the langauge. This book deals a lot with soldiers, so you will get the lingo of the soldiers.

Rating:
Summary: Jack Ryan probes a secret campaign against drug cartels
Review: This is another solid Jack Ryan novel by Tom Clancy. It's probably not quite as good as the previous ones but there's really not much of a dropoff. It is important for the development of Jack Ryan and what makes him tick, so it is worth reading if you want to follow that. It also is in line with the maxim that "the book is better than the movie" - the movie version doesn't even come close in this case.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible tale by 4.6 stars, best is yet to come.
Review: This had a big difference from the movie. The movie kills off Jack FBI buddy. But this book and future books he is still alive and ends up a director. Also, chavez and clark meet up here.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book I have ever read!!!!!!!
Review: I'm not the biggest clancy fan but I could not put this book down. The action just never stopped moving and continued to escalate throughout the book. The last hundred pages kept me on the edge of my seat. I'd recommend this book to all readers even if you're not the biggest clancy fan

Rating:
Summary: Truely a great Clancy novel
Review: The fact that the whole basis of this book is actually very possible makes you want to keep going and going as Clancy jumps from scene to scene, and interweaving all the plotlines into one larger scheme just makes it that much better. His description of the characters and events makes you feel as if you were really there with Chavez and the rest of his unit in the Columbian Jungle. Of the two Clancy novels I have read this is a lot better, the other being Rainbow Six, and I feel if you liked that book this will help you better understand the relationship between Clark and Chavez better. I recomend this book to anyone who would like to read or already has read any Tom Clancy novels.

Rating:
Summary: Believable premise keeps you going...
Review: The fact that the whole basis of this book is actually very possible makes you want to keep going and going as Clancy jumps from scene to scene, and interweaving all the storylines into one larger scheme. This book introduces the character Ding Chavez who appears sparingly during the series and, along with John Clark, is a main character in 'Rainbow Six'. If you have seen the movie, disregard it. While the movie was very good, the plot was changed drastically in comparison to the book. Some people don't seem to like Clancy's almost insane attention to detail, but it keeps me deep into the story...the more detail the better. Imagination only enhances the experience of a great book. At times you'll wonder why something is important, but before you know it it becomes abundantly clear. 'Patriot Games' is still not only my favorite in the series but also my favorite but all time. That being said, 'Clear and Present Danger' is another classic Clancy.

Rating:
Summary: One of Clancy's best
Review: Clear and Present Danger is one of Tom Clancy's better Jack Ryan novels. The character development and story of Clark and Ding overshadows even the always interesting Jack Ryan. The action is almost constant (as is typical with Clancy books, the details can bog a reader down at times), and even though the book is very long, it is a quick read.

Rating:
Summary: It was hard for me to finish
Review: After the first three books of the Jack Ryan series, I came to expect something better from Clancy. The storyline is plausible, but I had to force myself to finish the book. It never got me involved in the storyline and I had a lot of trouble understanding what was going on from chapter to chapter. I finally did force myself to finish the book and I'm still bitterly disappointed. The last punch was how late in the novel Jack Ryan was introduced. It was way too late for my attention span, and I have a long one. It is the only Clancy book that I have read that I do not recommend. Rent the movie and don't waste your money, effort, or time on reading the book.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: Great thriller, the only Jack Ryan book ive ever actually sat down and read. Basically it is the movie with a lot of little extra thrown in. It is these extras that make the book that much better. Go ahead and buy it and see what I mean.