Tom Clancy - Creator of Jack Ryan and John Clark, CIA Agents

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Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy (1947)

CREATOR OF
JACK RYAN & JOHN CLARK

Tom Clancy is a U. S. author of bestselling political thrillers, best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science storylines. The main characters in his novels are Jack Ryan and John Clark. Jack Ryan is a multi-talented character, a CPA, officer in the Marine Corps, a stock broker, a CIA agent and eventually becomes the President of the United States. John Clark is a Navy SEAL hero and CIA agent.

Jack Ryan was introduced in his first novel in 1984, The Hunt for Red October , which was made into a movie as well as video games. John Clark a.k.a. John Kelly was introduced in his third novel, The Cardinal of the Kremlin in 1988.

Against All Enemies was published June 2011 which introduced a new Navy SEAL, Max Moore. A terrorist bombing in Pakistan wipes out Max Moore’s entire CIA team. As the only survivor, the former Navy SEAL plunges deeper into the treacherous tribal lands to find the terrorist cell, but what he discovers there leads him to a much darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe—the US/Mexico border. Here a drug war rages between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels. The landscape is strewn with bodies, innocents and drug dealers alike, but is there an even deadlier enemy lurking in background? Into this deadly brew, Moore leads a group of specially selected agents whose daring actions reveal shocking answers and uncover an unholy plan—a strike against the very heart of America.

The Jack Ryan/John Clark series include:

The Hunt for Red October (1984) Jack Ryan assists in the defection of a respected Soviet naval captain, along with the most advanced ballistic missile submarine of the Soviet fleet. The movie, The Hunt for Red October stars Alec Baldwin as Ryan and Sean Connery as Captain Ramius.
Red Storm Rising (1986) War between NATO and USSR. The basis of the submarine combat game of the same name, this is one of two Clancy novels to date not set in his Ryanverse, (although the protagonist of the story has many similarities with Jack Ryan). He co-wrote it with Larry Bond.
Patriot Games (1987) Ryan saves the Prince of Wales from terrorists, who go after Ryan and his family. The 1992 movie, Patriot Game, stars Harrison Ford as Ryan, and has a fictional lord instead of the Prince of Wales. (John Clark later tells Jack Ryan in Clear and Present Danger that he was on the helicopter that had to turn back when attacking the terrorist camps in northern Africa.) It should be noted that the events of Patriot Games are mentioned as part of Jack Ryan's past in The Hunt for Red October, and therefore is a prequel to that story.
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988) First appearance of John Clark and Sergey Golovko. Secret anti-satellite lasers (SDI), high-stakes diplomacy, spies and computer geeks. Major Gregory is introduced here and shown later as updating SAM software in The Bear and the Dragon.
Clear and Present Danger (1989) Drug war in Colombia involving American military forces in a covert war against the Medellín Cartel. Ryan and Clark finally meet; first appearance of Domingo "Ding" Chavez who is one of the scouts in the special forces teams and Clark's protege in later novels. The movie, Clear and Present Danger stars Harrison Ford as Ryan, Willem Dafoe as Clark and Raymond Cruz as Chavez.
The Sum of All Fears (1991) Israel loses a nuclear weapon, which Islamic terrorists use to foment war between U.S. and Soviets, which is averted by Ryan in a cliffhanger. The 2002 movie, The Sum of All Fears stars Ben Affleck as Ryan, Liev Schreiber as Clark, and changes the identity and motivation of the terrorists to neo-Nazis.
Without Remorse (1993) Chronologically the first book featuring John Kelly/John Clark, detailing Clark's life before joining the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Set during the Vietnam War era, it tells about the past of John Kelly, how he assumed the Clark mantle, and tells how Clark became a CIA officer. Jack Ryan's father (Emmett Ryan) has a key role; Jack Ryan has a tiny cameo.
Debt of Honor (1994) Ryan as National Security Advisor, and John Clark and Domingo Chavez as agents with Russian cover, help win a military and economic war with a nuclear-armed Japan. Golovko makes a cameo here. The Indian navy threatens Sri Lanka but invasion is prevented by two US carrier battle groups.
Executive Orders (1996) Sequel to Debt of Honor. Ryan, propelled into the presidency as a result of events in Debt of Honor, survives press hazing, assassination attempts and biological warfare—Clark and Ding trace the virus to a Middle Eastern madman, and the U.S. military goes to work.
SSN: Strategies of Submarine Warfare (1996) Follows the missions of USS Cheyenne in a future war with China precipitated by their invasion of the disputed Spratly Islands. Also not a Ryaniverse book, SSN is actually a loosely connected collection of "scenario" chapters in support of the eponymous computer game.
Rainbow Six (1998) Released to coincide in with the computer game, Rainbow Six. John Clark and Ding, who is now John's son-in-law, lead an elite multi-national anti-terrorist unit that combats a worldwide genocide attempt by eco-terrorists motivated by radical environmentalism and sponsored by a global biotechnology corporation and its 'Gates-like' founder. (Jack Ryan is the U.S. President and only mentioned or referred to as either 'The President' or 'Jack'.)
The Bear and the Dragon (2000) War between Russia and China. Ryan recognizes the independence of Taiwan and the United States Armed Forces help Russia defeat the Chinese invasion of Siberia.
Red Rabbit (2002) Back when he was a humble CIA analyst, Ryan aids in the defection of a Soviet officer who knows of a plan to assassinate the Pope.
The Teeth of the Tiger (2003) Features the rise of Jack Ryan's son, Jack Ryan Jr., as an intelligence analyst, and then a field consultant, for The Campus, an off-the-books intelligence agency with the freedom to discreetly assassinate individuals "who threaten national security", following the retirement of Jack Sr. from the Presidency. Note: This is the latest book of the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy, introducing his son and his two nephews as heirs to his spook-legacy.

For more information on this author, click on this link Tom Clancy

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