Would you recommend Tom Clancy to someone who has never read military/spy novels?

rahulm · 06-14-2010, 09:06 PM

Hey guys,

Tom Clancy is a prolific writer and a lot of people seem to love his work, so I'm curious more than anything. I feel neutral about the genre and I suppose that stems from being inexperienced with the material.

I usually read scifi and fantasy with a little bit of political non-fiction every once in a while.

Is he a good writer? Would his stuff interest someone like me?

leebase · 06-14-2010, 09:29 PM

I surely would. I love the Jack Ryan series. Might as well start with the first (Hunt for Red October)

Lee

Belfaborac · 06-14-2010, 09:49 PM

I second that. Clancy is certainly among the very best of the genre and I can't think of a better author to begin with if you want to check out political/military thrillers. And yes, The Hunt for Red October is the perfect place to start. Good film too.

CathrynLouis · 06-14-2010, 09:51 PM

Great books. I've worked on a couple of the projects in his books. We loved to read them for the 'shout outs'. Jack Ryan's a great character.

guyanonymous · 06-14-2010, 09:54 PM

I only read The Hunt for Red October - reluctantly - because I'd enjoyed the movie years earlier. I'd avoided Clancy thinking - guns, boats, planes shooting each other, yawn. But after reading THfRO, I realized that at, least until the last few of the series, his Jack Ryan series is about characters and relationships - and it wasn't just a series of "Jack Bigguns banked his plane 38.47 degrees while increasing throttle 8.3% resulting in him shooting everyone."

I was glad to expand my horizons.

KNI · 06-14-2010, 10:16 PM

Clancy's early books are very good indeed. Hunt For Red October is gripping and brilliant. Red Storm Rising was not as good; a little too overreaching. Patriot Games is very good, Cardinal of the Kremlin in my opinion one of his two best, along with "Hunt for Red October.
Without Remorse and Debt of Honor are very good. After that in my opinion he went downhill a lot, and indeed I suspect he used ghost writers. Rainbow Six is so bad I lost interest in his further efforts.

rahulm · 06-15-2010, 09:36 AM

Thanks folks. I'll check The Hunt for Red October after I'm done reading my current book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)

rhadin · 06-15-2010, 12:08 PM

No, I wouldn't. I have read and enjoyed the Jack Ryan books, but I think for someone new to the genre he is much too detail oriented.

wayspooled · 06-15-2010, 03:49 PM

I very much enjoyed the Tom Clancy's starting with Hunt For Red October, Dale Brown's starting with Flight Of The Old Dog and Harold Coyle's starting with Sword Point. All 3 authors I eventually got a little tired of but the first 4-5 of each I thought were excellent. (and the first Clancy was Red Storm Rising, an excellent book)

The spy stuff, you can't do better than trying out Robert Ludlum's Bourne Identity or Trevanian's Shibumi. John Le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if you like less adventure, more realistic.

Belfaborac · 06-15-2010, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhadin

No, I wouldn't. I have read and enjoyed the Jack Ryan books, but I think for someone new to the genre he is much too detail oriented.

Surely that depends on the reader's preference.....? To say Clancy is unsuitable simply because he includes a lot of detail seems rather nonsensical to me. My first book of the genre was Red Storm Rising and I loved it, detail or no detail.

Guns4Hire · 06-16-2010, 01:36 AM

Without Remorse is one of my favorite books. I think its his best.

HarryT · 06-16-2010, 03:21 AM

"Red Storm Rising" is excellent. Of course, it's been overtaken by history (no more Soviet Union), but as a thriller, it's still one of my favourites.

Billjr13 · 06-16-2010, 02:50 PM

The Rainbow Six books were good reads too. Good Special Ops stuff where he didn't get too bogged down in the heavy techno details

rahulm · 06-16-2010, 03:35 PM

I think what I would like is maybe stories about the psychology of the special/black ops soldiers and what goes through their minds when they are involved in high-stakes missions at the behest of their government. I don't really want pulpy nonsense action just for the sake of pulpy nonsense action.

Already planning on getting Red October, but anything like this from Clancy (or any other author really)?

cbarnett · 06-16-2010, 09:51 PM

Red Storm Rising is still a cracking good yarn about what could have happened if the Cold War had gone they way a lot of us expected it to in the 80's. Can't recommend it enough!

06-14-2010, 09:06 PM	#1
rahulm Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 22164 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: None	Would you recommend Tom Clancy to someone who has never read military/spy novels? Hey guys, Tom Clancy is a prolific writer and a lot of people seem to love his work, so I'm curious more than anything. I feel neutral about the genre and I suppose that stems from being inexperienced with the material. I usually read scifi and fantasy with a little bit of political non-fiction every once in a while. Is he a good writer? Would his stuff interest someone like me?

06-14-2010, 09:51 PM	#4
CathrynLouis Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 40000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: CA Device: iPad	Great books. I've worked on a couple of the projects in his books. We loved to read them for the 'shout outs'. Jack Ryan's a great character. __________________ Cathryn Louis, published at Smashwords.com in Kindle, EPub, PDF and other formats. Also download for your iPad from iBooks.

06-15-2010, 12:08 PM	#8
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 2,968 Karma: 11090339 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Sony PRS-950, Nook Tablet	No, I wouldn't. I have read and enjoyed the Jack Ryan books, but I think for someone new to the genre he is much too detail oriented. __________________ Richard H. Adin www.freelance-editorial-services.com when only the best will do www.americaneditor.wordpress.com musings about books and editing

06-15-2010, 03:49 PM	#9
wayspooled Bibliophile Posts: 429 Karma: 4580 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	I very much enjoyed the Tom Clancy's starting with Hunt For Red October, Dale Brown's starting with Flight Of The Old Dog and Harold Coyle's starting with Sword Point. All 3 authors I eventually got a little tired of but the first 4-5 of each I thought were excellent. (and the first Clancy was Red Storm Rising, an excellent book) The spy stuff, you can't do better than trying out Robert Ludlum's Bourne Identity or Trevanian's Shibumi. John Le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if you like less adventure, more realistic. __________________ “Honor has not to be won; it must only not be lost.” - Arthur Schopenhauer Last edited by wayspooled; 06-15-2010 at 03:51 PM.

06-16-2010, 01:36 AM	#11
Guns4Hire Reading...Since 1970 Posts: 497 Karma: 701 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nook Simple Touch, Pocketbook 360, HP Touchpad	Without Remorse is one of my favorite books. I think its his best. __________________ Currently Reading: EVERYTHING!

06-14-2010, 09:29 PM	#2
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 1,386 Karma: 3934847 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad, iPhone 4S	I surely would. I love the Jack Ryan series. Might as well start with the first (Hunt for Red October) Lee

06-14-2010, 09:49 PM	#3
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5197233 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	I second that. Clancy is certainly among the very best of the genre and I can't think of a better author to begin with if you want to check out political/military thrillers. And yes, The Hunt for Red October is the perfect place to start. Good film too.

06-14-2010, 09:54 PM	#5
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	I only read The Hunt for Red October - reluctantly - because I'd enjoyed the movie years earlier. I'd avoided Clancy thinking - guns, boats, planes shooting each other, yawn. But after reading THfRO, I realized that at, least until the last few of the series, his Jack Ryan series is about characters and relationships - and it wasn't just a series of "Jack Bigguns banked his plane 38.47 degrees while increasing throttle 8.3% resulting in him shooting everyone." I was glad to expand my horizons.

06-14-2010, 10:16 PM	#6
KNI Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 3574 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oregon Device: Sony PRS-650	Clancy's early books are very good indeed. Hunt For Red October is gripping and brilliant. Red Storm Rising was not as good; a little too overreaching. Patriot Games is very good, Cardinal of the Kremlin in my opinion one of his two best, along with "Hunt for Red October. Without Remorse and Debt of Honor are very good. After that in my opinion he went downhill a lot, and indeed I suspect he used ghost writers. Rainbow Six is so bad I lost interest in his further efforts.

06-15-2010, 09:36 AM	#7
rahulm Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 22164 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: None	Thanks folks. I'll check The Hunt for Red October after I'm done reading my current book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)

06-16-2010, 03:21 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 54,661 Karma: 26165759 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Touch, PW, Fire HD, iPad 3, iPhone 4, Samsung Tab 2 7 + More	"Red Storm Rising" is excellent. Of course, it's been overtaken by history (no more Soviet Union), but as a thriller, it's still one of my favourites. __________________ Harry Currently proofreading The Poison Belt, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

06-16-2010, 02:50 PM	#13
Billjr13 Addict Posts: 362 Karma: 550002 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Colorado Device: Sony PRS 700 & 650	The Rainbow Six books were good reads too. Good Special Ops stuff where he didn't get too bogged down in the heavy techno details

06-16-2010, 03:35 PM	#14
rahulm Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 22164 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: None	I think what I would like is maybe stories about the psychology of the special/black ops soldiers and what goes through their minds when they are involved in high-stakes missions at the behest of their government. I don't really want pulpy nonsense action just for the sake of pulpy nonsense action. Already planning on getting Red October, but anything like this from Clancy (or any other author really)?

06-16-2010, 09:51 PM	#15
cbarnett MR prodigal son Posts: 1,084 Karma: 1083739 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Australia Device: Galaxy Note, Nexus7	Red Storm Rising is still a cracking good yarn about what could have happened if the Cold War had gone they way a lot of us expected it to in the 80's. Can't recommend it enough! __________________ Craig Barnett "Abort or Retry, there is no Ignore..." - Yoda DOS

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