Tom Clancy and "Red Crappit"

[CinaC]

What a waste of time and money! I'm talking about "Red Rabbit", but honestly, the description fits "The Bear & The Dragon", too.

Technical manuals with characters ... sums up his latest stuff pretty well. Next time I'm in the mood for a good spy story, I'm going back to the classics: "Hunt for Red October", for one. I think "Debt of Honor" was his last work I actually really, really enjoyed ... (don't get me wrong, Rainbow Six wasn't horrible, but it wasn't awesome, either).

[ 12-27-2002, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: C in a J ]

[RachelR]

I have like 6 TC novels but I couldn't through even the first one. Ugh, so boring!!

[drunkhunter]

Try Kyle Mills. His stories and characters are great. The only things that I don't like is his total lack of gun knowledge and sometimes he tends to put one or two too many plot twists in, but they are well worth the read. Be sure to read them in order.

I also HIGHLY suggest James W. Huston, and be sure to read the first two in order. After that they aren't connected.

[Bob A]

I can't believe it!! I've been posting things on this site for a few years and have never, EVER, until now been able to admit that I completely agree with CiaJ on anything. Christmas really is the time for miracles.

If you want to read a good spook story, try reading The Ransom of Black Stealth One by Dean Ing.

[CinaC]

I bought my dad one of Alan Furst's books -- I can't think of the title -- and he really enjoys it. Furst writes espionage type stuff, all set between '33 - '45 (it might be '38 - '45, I can't remember).

And I was hawking this in another thread, but I'll do so again. "Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey. Forget what that mukraking liar Shakespeare said, Richard the Third didn't kill his nephews!

[Leigh Harrington]

If you want an excellent read then try any of the novels by Andy McNab. He is an ex SAS soldier and his books tell it like I guess it really is. They revolve around the adventures of a retired SAS trooper, Firewall was my favourite.

[THE BRONZE]

I got a little over a hundred page into "Red Rabbit" and put it down a few days ago for Hackworth's "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts."

[kirch]

I'm currently about halfway through 'Executive Orders.' I've got 'Red Rabbit' and 'The Bear & Teh Dragon' on order at the library. I have to agree that Clancy's books seem to be getting very technical. He's always had a reputation as a guy that researches the he11 out of his topics, but maybe he's starting to go a little overboard. When two characters in EO start debating the merits of a 9mm Sig Sauer vs. a .45-cal. S&W, I had to wonder if I was reading a novel or a gun rag.

[Watchman]

One thing that I can say about Clancys novels are the fact that the details are very correct. Nothing is more distracting than reading an author and noticing that he dosent know what he is talking about when it comes to the technical details.
Clancy does get technical. My wife tried to read one of his books and the technical details pretty much turned her off, as she didnt understand most of them. I would think that that would overwhelm young people also.

Most of the ex military types that I know enjoy his stuff, some of it brings back old memories.

Clancy is a gun buff, that does relflect in his writings sometimes. He is a techo geek. Fact of the matter is, alot of his stuff is way over peoples heads.

[CinaC]

quote:

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and the technical details pretty much turned her off, as she didnt understand most of them. I would think that that would overwhelm young people also

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Watchman,

Clancy has, in his old age, begun to rely more on the technological aspect of his books and less on this little known part of fiction called "plot." In my opinion, this factor is what makes, say, "Hunt for Red October" a fantastic book ... and "Red Rabbit" a REALLY EXPENSIVE paper weight! In my opinion, he tends to overdo the technical aspect. Why do we need a chapter dedicated to how a nuke works in "Sum of All Fears?" How does it advance the plot? You don't need to know how a grenade functions or how a gun works to appreciate a World War II movie, it's completely secondary to the story. Clancy -- and Crichton, to think about it -- both fall into the category of writers who rely more on "wow, look how this works" through excessive exposition that tends to leave their target audience thinking "wow, I feel smarter for knowing how that does or might work."

Anyway, I'm rambling. However, if you're interested in learning how William Shakespeare is a mukraker Tudor loyalist, read Josephine Tey's "Daughter of Time." There's a damn good example of a work of fiction combining a compelling mystery (did Richard the Third kill his nephews to secure the throne?) with evidence of a conspiracy by Henry the Seventh to conceal the truth. Wow. Great book.

[ 12-31-2002, 12:29 AM: Message edited by: C in a J ]

[Sentinl6]

Try reading 'No Other Option' by Marcus Wynne. A very nice mix of plot, details and characters. He is a 'been there, done that' kinda guy who will have a lot more good books out in the future. Give it a read...

[shooter1201]

I'm partial to Richard Marcinko's...aka Demo Dick...Rogue Warrior series, myself......

[ 12-31-2002, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: shooter1201 ]

[THE BRONZE]

I find Marcinko's writing very entertaining. His first-person narrative often gets me laughing.