Book Review - Clear & Present Danger by Tom Clancy
Synopsis
Columbian drug lords, tired of being harassed by US Law Enforcement agents, have assassinated the American Ambassador and the visiting head of the FBI. Their message is clear: leave us alone.
But they have pushed too far. The decision is made to send undercover teams into Colombia. Back in the USA, men armed with the most sophisticated tools their Country can devise prepare to take the fight to the enemy. But does anyone know who the real enemy is?
Jack Ryan and CIA field officer John Clark must find the answer. They expect danger from without - yet the greatest danger of all may come from within…
Review
Time magazine described this book as “Clancy’s most politically sophisticated and philosophically complex thriller”. Who, after reading this book can possibly disagree. From the beginning of the story in the Oval Office to the end of the story at Andrews Air Force Base this highly charged politically motivated thriller has you on a rollercoaster ride all the way.
Clancy’s mastery of this writing form is well demonstrated as, yet again, he provides the reader with a story you just can’t put down. Primary Character Jack Ryan continues his CIA career as acting Deputy Director of Intelligence following the terminal illness of his mentor and surrogate father James Greer. From Washington to Columbia, Ryan once again finds himself in the thick of the action.
I’m not going to ruin the plot, so you’ll just have to read the book to see what I mean. The story itself was adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, Willem Dafoe as John Clark and James Earl Jones as Admiral James Greer. A synopsis of the film is available here. In my humble opinion though, the adaptation does not do the book justice and leaves a few holes in the story.
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