Background Info
on novels

First Published	August 2000
ISBN	0 718 14337 X
Page Count	1028 h/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

Jack Ryan is now President in his own right after winning the election. The world is still far from settled although it's getting there.

In Russia a terrorist attack results in a high profile pimp being killed, but was he the target or was it for minister Golovko. The resulting investigation aided by the FBI seems to be leading nowhere fast.

In China Chester Nomuri has been tasked with the setting up of a spy ring, a seemingly impossible task until he meets with Minister Fangs secretary. The first point in obtaining high level intelligence which will have far reaching consequences in the near future.

Events start to turn when a minor event, becomes a major diplomatic firestorm, with the death of the Vaticans' envoy whilst trying to prevent an abortion in a Chinese hospital. From this one minor event, a major international crisis turns into all out war as China decides the gold and oil in Siberia should be 'liberated' for Chinese benefit.

The Chinese invade and look certain to obtain there objectives, but reckon without USAs intervention. Can America and Russia defeat the Chinese before the final global nuclear war is started?

Review

There are elements to this book I really enjoyed, others that I wasn't keen on. The book is weighty (over 1000 pages). The early parts of the story is heavy on politics and quite slow moving. The trade negotiation parts, certainly do drag on. The parts concerning the murder investigation and Nomuris' exploits in China however are interesting and are well written, and feel like Clancy at his best.

The political parts are probably what lets the book as a whole down, with Clancy waxing lyrically on how the world should be, (Nothing wrong with this but it does get a bit tiring), and its this putting the world to rights that slows the basic plot of the book down. It's only when the politics fail and the soldiers move that the book really starts to motor. The 3-400 pages describing the war really show Clancy in full flow, with his understanding of tactics, and military hardware.

The newsgroups have been full of criticism for Clancy including some 'sex scenes'. In my opinion they are not that bad (nor graphic), and to an extent necessary for the story. If you want sex in your stories, I don't think Clancy would be that high on my list of authors. I get the feeling that it was something new for Clancy to try, and who would want to stop an author expanding his skills?

The main failing of the book, I feel is that the ending is rushed. The war and the whole story fizzle out just as the Russians are on the point of dismantling the Peoples Liberation Army. The climax involving Ryan, is poor and I feel the pages devoted to this escapade would have been better spent on the battlefield. The sudden appearance of the Chinese students I don't think would happen following previous events in China.

As to Ryan, I have to admit that towards the end I was getting fed up with his Holier than thou attitude, and would have been quite happy to have seen his demise. In Executive Orders, his constant complaining and bitching could be expected as he was literally forced into the job of President. In this story, he has willingly allowed himself to be re-elected, so why the complaining?.

In summary the book is far better than Rainbow 6, but let down in one or two areas. It certainly doesn't match his masterpiece Debt of Honour, but in places certainly comes close, and is definitely worth the money.

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