Don’t Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!Tom Clancy reveals Jack Ryan’s origins in this electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling thriller that pits the former Marine turned family man against a vicious group of international terrorists.As an American in London on vacation with his family, Jack Ryan never imagined his quick thinking would prevent an … imagined his quick thinking would prevent an assassination attempt on Britain’s royal family and earn him the gratitude of an entire nation—and the scorn of an ultra-left-wing faction of the IRA. Irish terrorist Sean Miller and his followers in the Ulster Liberation Army intend to make sure Ryan pays for his interference in blood. But he’s not the only one they’re after…
With the lives of his pregnant wife and young daughter in mortal danger, Ryan accepts a role as a CIA analyst in order to find Miller and shut down the ULA. Going head to head with a ruthless terrorist is a fool’s errand, but Jack Ryan is the kind of man who will do whatever it takes to protect his family.
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I love Tom Clancy and this is one of my favorites. If you think you know this book because you saw the movie….Hah! The book is richer, more vibrant, more action, more nuanced. If you love suspenseful, spy thrillers then this is the book for you.
MUCH better than the movie. And middle-aged bureaucrat Jack Ryan does NOT win a fistfight with a younger stronger terrorist in the last chapter.
This is a terrific read!! Very realistic and current issues are spot on. If you like action and tension- this is the book for you!
One of Clancy’s best!
Boring ,not Clancy at his best
Great book, and, suprisedly, a good movie
Great classic Clancy book.
I had a hard time putting it down.
I haven’t quite finished it yet, but it’s hard to put down and I’m getting very little else accomplished!
Clancy paints a vivid picture and epic drama in this novel. Mystery and intrigue, subplots abound, How will Jack Ryan get through this in one piece?
Great read. Everything Clancy wrote, I love.
I finally got a chance to read this one and am I glad I did! All the Jack Ryan series is compelling and this one gives plenty of insight into the man and his wife as well as introducing characters that will show up again later in the series.
Fantastic read, that I pick up to read again over time. THAT good.
A good story fast moving
This was a reread of a book I read when it first came out, and several times since then. It starts with a bang as Jack, on a working vacation in London with his family, witnesses a kidnapping attempt on the royal family. His instinctive reaction stopped the attack and put him in the bullseye of revenge.
One of the things I enjoy most every time I read this book is the deft mixture of action, darkness, and humor. The opening attack sucks me into the story immediately, on the edge of my seat as Jack rushes into action. Clancy’s descriptions are vivid enough that I can picture the events as they happen. The confusion at the scene felt realistic, and I could feel Jack’s worry that he’d end up “stuck like a pig” when the good guys showed up. I always laugh at the scenes in the hospital as Jack deals with the doctors (including his wife) and other medical personnel. The scenes with various law enforcement personnel show Jack what he inadvertently got involved in and reveal his razor-sharp mind as he processes what he learns. The scenes with multiple members of the royal family are good, but my favorite is when he helps the prince work through his feelings about what happened. Though not particularly realistic, it is still a great scene.
As the book continues we get the viewpoints of both the bad guys and the good guys. Jack and his family return home, secure in the knowledge that the bad guy is in jail and terrorists have never attacked on American soil. But the tension ramps up as the bad guy escapes and assorted good guys get a bad feeling about what might happen. Jack is lured into the CIA’s sphere as he tries to get a handle on the group behind the attack. Their fears are realized when Jack’s wife and daughter are nearly killed in an attack, and only luck prevents Jack from being attacked too. I ached for Jack as he dealt with his feelings of guilt and fear by getting more involved in the case. Jack goes through a lot of self-examination as he tries to reconcile his need for justice with the anger and desire for revenge that he also feels.
The tension continues to build as the book follows the terrorists as they make plans for their next attack. The attention to detail was intriguing and as were the insights into the various players’ motivations. At the same time we see the good guys as they try to assemble the pieces of the puzzle in time to stop whatever is planned.
The final confrontation was a nail-biter. It started easy, with the royal visit and some amusing banter between Jack, Robby, and the prince. The chaos of the attack was described so vividly that I felt as though I was there. The escape by boat was exciting, and their arrival at the Academy was tense but also had a few lighter moments. The pursuit of the last of the bad guys had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over. Jack faced a crossroads in his life, and it was interesting to see how he handled it. I loved the ending.
One of my favorite lines is as the Superintendent asks Robby who is aboard the ship: “Chief Znamirowski and the duty boat section, Captain Peters and some Marines, Doctor Ryan, and, uh, Captain Wales, sir, of the Royal Navy” “Is that where he is?…”
Attention to technical detail and inside knowledge are unrivaled!
This is the thriller action packed stuff Hollywood makes films from. Although the movie is not as good as the book.
Great read
Clancy captured me from the first page. What a great adventure!
Thought provoking, ‘what if”