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John Clark #2
Operation Rainbow
Für viele Leser verkörpert Jack Ryan die Essenz des modernen amerikanischen Helden. Moralisch gefestigt, diszipliniert, bescheiden und doch stark, hat Ryan (wie auch seine Leinwanddarsteller Alec Baldwin und Harrison Ford) Tom Clancy zu einem der populärsten Autoren der Welt gemacht. Doch während Clancy den Ryan-Mythos konstruierte, hat er leise Ryans Schatten-Gegenstück, John Clark, geschaffen. Clark -- der bereits in Der Kardinal im Kreml, Der Schattenkrieg und Gnadenlos aufgetreten ist -- hat viele von Jack Ryans positivsten Wesenszügen. Er ist aber auch eine dunkle Gestalt, die die eher paranoiden Sensibilitäten der späten neunziger Jahre verkörpert. Wie auf den ersten Seiten von Operation Rainbow klargemacht wird, glauben Ex-Marinekampfschwimmer Clark und seine Kollegen, daß brutale, tödliche Gewalt das beste Abschreckungsmittel gegen Terrorismus ist.
Clark (alias Rainbow Six) hat den CIA verlassen, um in Großbritannien eine Organisation mit dem Decknamen "Rainbow" aufzuziehen. Ihre Aufgabe: ein Elitekommando, bestehend aus amerikanischen Agenten in Verbindung mit handverlesenen britischen, französischen und deutschen Agenten zu entsenden, um dem Terrorismus Einhalt zu gebieten. Die Entstehung von Rainbow kommt gerade zur rechten Zeit: kurz hintereinander vereitelt die Truppe drei versuchte Terroranschläge. Clark wird jedoch mißtrauisch, als sich plötzlich russische Agenten für die Arbeit von Rainbow interessieren.
Operation Rainbow ist ein ansprechender Roman auf allen Ebenen, die sich Clancy-Fans wünschen können. Die Rainbow-Agenten, vom Marinekampfschwimmer bis zum ausgebildeten deutschen Bergführer, beeindrucken mit ihrem körperlichen und geistigen Können. Die Geschichte zeigt eine Faszination für Geräte zum Chiffrieren, Übermitteln und Dechiffrieren von Geheiminformationen. Und, in einem vorsichtig gesponnenen Handlungsfaden, der gleichzeitig die Spuren der Rainbow-Mannschaft, eines früheren KGB-Agenten namens Popov, der olympischen Sicherheitsmannschaft von Australien und einer finsteren Gruppe von amerikanischen Wissenschaftlern verfolgt, lüftet Clancy kunstvoll das Geheimnis von "Shiva" im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte.
Wie schneidet Clark im Vergleich mit Jack Ryan ab? Er ist möglicherweise der perfekte Held in einer Welt voller versteckten Bösewichte. --Patrick O'Kelly
1003 pages, Paperback
First published August 3, 1998
4087 people are currently reading
17639 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clancy
977 books9,058 followersThomas Leo Clancy Jr. was an American novelist and military-political thriller pioneer. Raised in a middle-class Irish-American family, he developed an early fascination with military history. Despite initially studying physics at Loyola College, he switched to English literature, graduating in 1969 with a modest GPA. His aspirations of serving in the military were dashed due to severe myopia, leading him instead to a career in the insurance business.
While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as “the best yarn.” This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.
Clancy’s works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.
In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.
Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.
Clancy’s financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.
Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers.
While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as “the best yarn.” This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.
Clancy’s works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.
In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.
Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.
Clancy’s financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.
Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,557 reviews
October 4, 2011
Tommy Clancy is an impressive story-teller and I really like his work....BUT he’s also a major word glutton and very promiscuous with regards to the sheer volume of prose he pours into each tale. The man loves, loves, looooooooves him some letters and it seems he will do nothing in 5 pages of text if he can possibly coax 10 or 15 out of it. A bit more brevity if you please, sir.
That said, Clancy is a grandmaster of the big, global threatening, spy-guy thriller and he packs plenty of worthy into the narrative despite the occasional bout of overabundance. Just make sure when you pick up one of his tomes that you’re prepared for a massive, sprawling epic that spends considerable time just enjoying the surroundings before marching into the promised land.
It’s a good trip, but it travels the scenic route to get there.
PLOT SUMMARY
John Clark (aka Super Spook Extraordinaire) has been tapped by his buddy, President Jack Ryan, to head up a new top secret, multi-national, counter-terrorist group called Rainbow to deal with post cold war threats to the good people of Earth. Headquartered in the U.K. and comprised of the crème-de la crème of elite, mega badasses from the U.S. and Europe, Rainbow is the ultimate squad of no-nonsense, life takers out to bring the pain to those that would dare cause trouble for the freedom loving world.
On the other side of Rainbow is an ex-KGB heavy working for an extreme group of gaia-loving, radical Eco-terrorists looking to perpetrate some real nasty on the Planet’s most environmentally offensive species (...and no, we aren’t talking farting cows here). I don’t want to spoil the central goal of the bad guys are but it is well-planned, well-funded and seriously scary. It is also complex and includes as part of the overall scheme some “old guard” terrorist operations that spotlight the new Rainbow group, some secret medical experiments on the homeless people and security at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
MY THOUGHTS
After reading a bunch of Clancy around the time the movie version of The Hunt for Red October was released, this was my first novel of his in over 10 years. I liked it. I wasn’t quite as blown away by this one as I have been in the past and I think that is less a reflection of the story (which was among his best) and more an indication that my reading tastes have evolved and that the thriller genre has caught up to Clancy who at one point was miles ahead of the crowd.
My only real gripe goes back to my introductory reference to Clancy’s word whoring and page count promiscuity. The book was just toooooooooooo loooooooooong for me given the events of the novel. Tommy could’ve written a 500 page book (rather than almost 1000) and lost none of the plot or narrative detail. It never got so bad that I was actually frustrated, but it got close a few times.
That page bloat cost the book a star from me.
However, despite the plot plod, the story is still wonderfully done and Clancy has a real gift for complex, well-thought out scenarios and both the good and bad guys do some very interesting things. His attention to detail is also as sharp as ever. My favorite this about Clancy’s stories are his characters which stand out among others in the genre for their perfect balance between true blue patriotism, inner decency and the willingness to take the gloves off and put a fatal hurting on the baddies. Nobody does this kind of character better and both Jack Ryan and John Clark are among my favorite literary leading men of all time.
Overall, a good solid thriller that could have been made more enjoyable with a reduced thickness. Thus 3.0 stars for what in many respects was a 4 star story.
Still, recommended for fans of the genre.
That said, Clancy is a grandmaster of the big, global threatening, spy-guy thriller and he packs plenty of worthy into the narrative despite the occasional bout of overabundance. Just make sure when you pick up one of his tomes that you’re prepared for a massive, sprawling epic that spends considerable time just enjoying the surroundings before marching into the promised land.
It’s a good trip, but it travels the scenic route to get there.
PLOT SUMMARY
John Clark (aka Super Spook Extraordinaire) has been tapped by his buddy, President Jack Ryan, to head up a new top secret, multi-national, counter-terrorist group called Rainbow to deal with post cold war threats to the good people of Earth. Headquartered in the U.K. and comprised of the crème-de la crème of elite, mega badasses from the U.S. and Europe, Rainbow is the ultimate squad of no-nonsense, life takers out to bring the pain to those that would dare cause trouble for the freedom loving world.
On the other side of Rainbow is an ex-KGB heavy working for an extreme group of gaia-loving, radical Eco-terrorists looking to perpetrate some real nasty on the Planet’s most environmentally offensive species (...and no, we aren’t talking farting cows here). I don’t want to spoil the central goal of the bad guys are but it is well-planned, well-funded and seriously scary. It is also complex and includes as part of the overall scheme some “old guard” terrorist operations that spotlight the new Rainbow group, some secret medical experiments on the homeless people and security at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
MY THOUGHTS
After reading a bunch of Clancy around the time the movie version of The Hunt for Red October was released, this was my first novel of his in over 10 years. I liked it. I wasn’t quite as blown away by this one as I have been in the past and I think that is less a reflection of the story (which was among his best) and more an indication that my reading tastes have evolved and that the thriller genre has caught up to Clancy who at one point was miles ahead of the crowd.
My only real gripe goes back to my introductory reference to Clancy’s word whoring and page count promiscuity. The book was just toooooooooooo loooooooooong for me given the events of the novel. Tommy could’ve written a 500 page book (rather than almost 1000) and lost none of the plot or narrative detail. It never got so bad that I was actually frustrated, but it got close a few times.
That page bloat cost the book a star from me.
However, despite the plot plod, the story is still wonderfully done and Clancy has a real gift for complex, well-thought out scenarios and both the good and bad guys do some very interesting things. His attention to detail is also as sharp as ever. My favorite this about Clancy’s stories are his characters which stand out among others in the genre for their perfect balance between true blue patriotism, inner decency and the willingness to take the gloves off and put a fatal hurting on the baddies. Nobody does this kind of character better and both Jack Ryan and John Clark are among my favorite literary leading men of all time.
Overall, a good solid thriller that could have been made more enjoyable with a reduced thickness. Thus 3.0 stars for what in many respects was a 4 star story.
Still, recommended for fans of the genre.
March 27, 2012
What a trip! Tom Clancy, arguably (along with Larry Bond) the biggest game-changer in the history of the technothriller, proves that he can deliver comedy gold with this droll self-parody. Ex-Navy SEAL and super-duper CIA legend John Clark, still hurting under his warrior's iron-hard facade from the brutal and plot-driving death of every woman he has ever known in his entire life, is put in charge of a top-secret NATO counter-terrorist team. Clark, his demeanor increasingly reminiscent of Uncle Duke from Doonesbury, assembles a crew of multinational stereotypes so flat they could fit into business envelopes. Clark starts with his son-in-law "Ding" Chavez, a veteran of other Clancy novels who used to be interesting but seems to have gotten over it.
Clancy cranks up the hilarity by allowing this team to launch cross-border operations with the eager blessing of every government involved... just like real life! Additional comedy comes from the notion that the Rainbow project is "blacker than black" on the U.S. side of the pond, a secret known only to gods and Ubermensch, and yet can be called in by the governments of Switzerland, Spain, and Austria at the drop of a hat. Oh, the trenchant sarcasm of Clancy's portrayal of these helpless Euro-wuss bureaucrats, pathetically eager to let a team led and dominated by American personnel run around shooting things up on their own turf! The way the terrorist scenarios play out in a ludicrously linear fashion, ramping up in challenges and complexity like video game levels, is also a deft parodic touch.
All in all, this book is so thunderously dull, its moral questions so elementary, its politics so spavined, its protagonists such jut-jawed spelunkers up their own buttholes, I have to applaud the author's divine sense of irony and... wait, what?
This book wasn't meant to be satire?
Clancy cranks up the hilarity by allowing this team to launch cross-border operations with the eager blessing of every government involved... just like real life! Additional comedy comes from the notion that the Rainbow project is "blacker than black" on the U.S. side of the pond, a secret known only to gods and Ubermensch, and yet can be called in by the governments of Switzerland, Spain, and Austria at the drop of a hat. Oh, the trenchant sarcasm of Clancy's portrayal of these helpless Euro-wuss bureaucrats, pathetically eager to let a team led and dominated by American personnel run around shooting things up on their own turf! The way the terrorist scenarios play out in a ludicrously linear fashion, ramping up in challenges and complexity like video game levels, is also a deft parodic touch.
All in all, this book is so thunderously dull, its moral questions so elementary, its politics so spavined, its protagonists such jut-jawed spelunkers up their own buttholes, I have to applaud the author's divine sense of irony and... wait, what?
This book wasn't meant to be satire?
February 9, 2011
This is a terribly lazy book. It is 900 pages and should be about 200. And while there are long descriptions of gun cleaning and men's showers, the thing that got me most was the repetition. Every time Clancy comes back to a character, he gives us the same details about him. "Tim Noonan had come to Rainbow from the FBI. He was a tech guy but he wanted to get in the field and he spent a lot of time at the range. He was as good with a handgun as any of the other men." (x4!) This tremendous repetition isn't limited to characters, either. It is as if he designed the book to be skimmed: "Don't worry if you miss anything, you'll have four or five more shots at it." Rainbow Six needed an editor.
Then there is the dialogue. British characters have been known to say more than "Quite". The characterization of the terrorists is laughably thin. There are lots of true believers out there, and it would have been fairly easy to craft some authentic seeming terrorists, but he couldn't be bothered. Seemingly every line of terrorist dogma is appended with a wink as the they constantly contradict themselves. It seemed as if his anti-environmentalist message got in the way of his characterization. And there is no need for that - it is possible to write believable ecoterrorists. Then again, the military people I've known don't talk like Clancy's characters either. "Who's running that?" "Johnson out of Fort Bragg." "Good man." "Sure is."
The set pieces are engaging however, but they are just too few and far between. Someone should really release an abridged version of Rainbow Six.
I plan to read one of the earlier books -- Hunt For Red October or Red Storm Rising -- before I write him off entirely. This one is not recommended.
Then there is the dialogue. British characters have been known to say more than "Quite". The characterization of the terrorists is laughably thin. There are lots of true believers out there, and it would have been fairly easy to craft some authentic seeming terrorists, but he couldn't be bothered. Seemingly every line of terrorist dogma is appended with a wink as the they constantly contradict themselves. It seemed as if his anti-environmentalist message got in the way of his characterization. And there is no need for that - it is possible to write believable ecoterrorists. Then again, the military people I've known don't talk like Clancy's characters either. "Who's running that?" "Johnson out of Fort Bragg." "Good man." "Sure is."
The set pieces are engaging however, but they are just too few and far between. Someone should really release an abridged version of Rainbow Six.
I plan to read one of the earlier books -- Hunt For Red October or Red Storm Rising -- before I write him off entirely. This one is not recommended.
February 22, 2022
Towards the end of this book I went back and looked at my review of Without Remorse. I found the vigilante-ism in that highly unrealistic in that any legal issues were quickly swept under the rug. This time around the vigilante mind set is back, but it's a large group effort with government backing. I guess I can believe that a bit more (if you can believe governments do questionable things in secret). I think realism aside, this novel simply had a much more exciting plot. I was on the fence of continuing the series, but boy am I happy I did.
John Clark takes a back seat this time around as he is pretty dang old. Instead of being at the front lines, he is in charge of a new team of experts with one goal in mind: take down terrorist scum. Take them down they do! This book is overflowing with terrorist situations. The action-to-story-telling aspect ratio here is considerably stacked in favor of kicking ass and taking names. There are way too many popular reviews for this book claiming it's alphabet soup with no content. Did they even read the same book? It's highly unlikely. This is the most exciting book I've ever read. Easily a Hollywood blockbuster from start to finish. It's so obvious why Rainbow Six has become such a long-lasting popular franchise. More stuff happens in the first 20% than the entire Game of Thrones book (talk about needing an editor to cut the length in half).
Was The Great Reset based of this novel? The similarities are terrifying. Swap out the Shiva virus for Covid-19. Swap out 1 filthy rich corporation to many thinking they know what's best for the Earth (hint: it's lowering the human population to rescue mother nature). I think Billy Gates is a big Clancy fan. Even how in the book they create a vaccine before the arrival of the virus and in real life the vaccine was nearly done before the need for it.
Anyway... ignore the reviews and read it. This will probably be my favorite read of 2022. Heavy on gun play, light on drama.
John Clark takes a back seat this time around as he is pretty dang old. Instead of being at the front lines, he is in charge of a new team of experts with one goal in mind: take down terrorist scum. Take them down they do! This book is overflowing with terrorist situations. The action-to-story-telling aspect ratio here is considerably stacked in favor of kicking ass and taking names. There are way too many popular reviews for this book claiming it's alphabet soup with no content. Did they even read the same book? It's highly unlikely. This is the most exciting book I've ever read. Easily a Hollywood blockbuster from start to finish. It's so obvious why Rainbow Six has become such a long-lasting popular franchise. More stuff happens in the first 20% than the entire Game of Thrones book (talk about needing an editor to cut the length in half).
Was The Great Reset based of this novel? The similarities are terrifying. Swap out the Shiva virus for Covid-19. Swap out 1 filthy rich corporation to many thinking they know what's best for the Earth (hint: it's lowering the human population to rescue mother nature). I think Billy Gates is a big Clancy fan. Even how in the book they create a vaccine before the arrival of the virus and in real life the vaccine was nearly done before the need for it.
Anyway... ignore the reviews and read it. This will probably be my favorite read of 2022. Heavy on gun play, light on drama.
December 8, 2019
Rainbow Six marks a refreshing return to the military action formula for Clancy after he made some unfortunate tangential departures in his John Ryan canon, straying into revenge fantasies (the myopically unremarkable Without Remorse) and conservative/libertarian political fantasies (the all-but-unreadable Debt of Honor and Executive Orders). Rainbow is most similar to Clancy's Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears in both pacing and content. 400 pages of story crammed into 900 editing-be-damned pages, with a terrorism scenario that is as unlikely as it is plodding, interwoven with numerous lengthy pages of ponderous and oversimplified explanations of political issues not to mention technical details of military weaponry that are best skimmed until you get to the good parts, usually where something blows up.
September 30, 2017
Extrajudicial murder for fun and profit. I've been a longtime fan of Tom Clancy, even though he never met an adjective or adverb that he didn't like. Each of his books is exactly 1/3 too long. In some respects this is the best written book of the Clancy canon. On the other hand, the resolution of this story turned my stomach. The resolution of the plot left a tricky legal problem to deal with. Rather then solve the issue, Clancy uses his characters to murder everyone involved. This one has put me off Clancy for good. Good riddance.
October 25, 2011
Rainbow Six has one of the most amazing plots I've ever seen in a book. Tom Clancy bends the seemly irrelevant beginning all the way around to ultimate climax of the story. My mind was truely blown when I got to the end of this absolutely stunning book. Now, Rainbow Six isn't a page turner all the way through, but there are some very suspensful chapters.If you keep with it for about a hundred pages, you won't be able to put down. Clancy is an amazing writer, and with all his military access, he was able to make the book really authentic. All the equipment and training the soldiers do is right on the mark.I It was very enjoyable and hard to put down. Clancy really nailed it this time around.
I would recommend this book all mature young adults, but it is not for people who can't handle graphic violence. The author is very descriptive, and it is a counter-terrorism book. Besides that, Rainbow Six was a wonderful and exciting story that kept me reading until the end.
I would recommend this book all mature young adults, but it is not for people who can't handle graphic violence. The author is very descriptive, and it is a counter-terrorism book. Besides that, Rainbow Six was a wonderful and exciting story that kept me reading until the end.
August 29, 2020
This book is butt.
Clancy initially got into the techno-thriller genre with the Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger...books that largely focused on the espionage and tactical aspects of the Cold War world. After setting Jack Ryan up as President and probably due to his fame, Clancy's editors all but disappeared just as the novels got longer and longer, less accessible, and begin to read as neo-con diatribes praising the military-industrial complex. Where the series was once fun, or at least fun-adjacent, it's now fully a Reagan-era conservative wet dream. Chock full of extra-judicial military killings, military arrest of civilians (?????), complete and utter disregard for international law or state sovereignty, and tired stereotypes, and that's Clancy's GOOD GUYS.
Of course, Clancy also takes the opportunity to take aim at the LGBT community, decries countries that don't have an American 2nd Amendment equivalent, and praises and propagates grossly outdated toxic masculinity ideals of "big strong man protect family from cold dark world." The irony is that Clancy's worlds are entirely black and white; there's no nuance. A few times, I came close to identifying with the terrorist organizations, as their ideas are largely based in logic and then twisted, not unlike actual terrorists. But Clancy can't resist turning them into caricatures and the plot goes reeling off the page yet again.
This is to say nothing of every character getting a pages-long soliloquy waxing poetic about how the world has changed, or what does this all mean. Where I normally wouldn't mind if a character takes time to think on something, there are several passages where a character can't figure out what's happening despite trying to logic it out. This is incredibly tiring and frustrating because we, as readers, DO know what's happening. It's not interesting or helpful to have the characters go "gee, I wonder what this all means" when the audience ALREADY KNOWS.
And then of course the ending. Arrest the entire Rainbow organization. Christ, what absolute nonsense.
Clancy initially got into the techno-thriller genre with the Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger...books that largely focused on the espionage and tactical aspects of the Cold War world. After setting Jack Ryan up as President and probably due to his fame, Clancy's editors all but disappeared just as the novels got longer and longer, less accessible, and begin to read as neo-con diatribes praising the military-industrial complex. Where the series was once fun, or at least fun-adjacent, it's now fully a Reagan-era conservative wet dream. Chock full of extra-judicial military killings, military arrest of civilians (?????), complete and utter disregard for international law or state sovereignty, and tired stereotypes, and that's Clancy's GOOD GUYS.
Of course, Clancy also takes the opportunity to take aim at the LGBT community, decries countries that don't have an American 2nd Amendment equivalent, and praises and propagates grossly outdated toxic masculinity ideals of "big strong man protect family from cold dark world." The irony is that Clancy's worlds are entirely black and white; there's no nuance. A few times, I came close to identifying with the terrorist organizations, as their ideas are largely based in logic and then twisted, not unlike actual terrorists. But Clancy can't resist turning them into caricatures and the plot goes reeling off the page yet again.
This is to say nothing of every character getting a pages-long soliloquy waxing poetic about how the world has changed, or what does this all mean. Where I normally wouldn't mind if a character takes time to think on something, there are several passages where a character can't figure out what's happening despite trying to logic it out. This is incredibly tiring and frustrating because we, as readers, DO know what's happening. It's not interesting or helpful to have the characters go "gee, I wonder what this all means" when the audience ALREADY KNOWS.
And then of course the ending. Arrest the entire Rainbow organization. Christ, what absolute nonsense.
December 14, 2012
I chose Tom Clancy's Rainbow six because of my favoring of books militaristic in nature. Rainbow six was no let down; The story features John Clark, an ex-Navy SEAL, leading a multinational group of counter terrorist experts from different countries. The group encounters multiple terror attacks, dealing with each one with precision and professionalism. Later, they learn that one Russian agent was responsible for these attacks. The Russian agent Popov soon defects after learning about his client's business with biological weapons of mass destruction, used to wipe out earth's populace just because of their harm to the environment, and decides to warn Rainbow. My favorite quote is "My name's Clark and I suppose I'm the boss here." This quote gives of a supposed feeling of control that a group like Rainbow has over things. The book is written in third person omniscient point of view. The writing style is extremely descriptive and offers constant point of view changes. I enjoyed this book because of it's pure action and suspense. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves action books/movies/games.
September 5, 2018
ABANDONADO al 82% (casi 800 pags según mi Kindle)
¿Y por qué abandona uno tras esa burrada de horas sin saber el final? Conste que el planteamiento de la historia está bien. Un poco manido, pero bien.
La cosa va de un grupo de elite anti-antiterrorista compuesto fundamentalmente por americanos, ingleses y un francés, un alemán y un israelí (por eso de que sea “internacional”). Y “malos” que organizan atentados terroristas y un grupo ecologista, Earth First, que quieren cargarse a todo quisqui para dejar la Tierra hecha un paraíso llenos de animales, árboles…y ellos, claro. Y allá que van estos supersoldados “maquinasdematar” (pero más buenos que el pan, ojito), frustrando los planes a los malotes.
Y yio me quedo sin saber el final, tan cerquita de llegar a fin…porque, a pesar del interés de la historia, no hay guapo que aguante el machismo, militarismo, anti-ecologismo, ultra-americanismo y devoción a las armas que exuda toda la novela. Y los personajes planos y clichés a mas no poder.
Machismo : las mujeres en la novela son solo esposas (nada de miembros del grupo antiterrorista, claro) y con los roles tópicos a las cuales hay que cuidar, y proteger. Ejemplo : “y decidió dejar las tareas femeninas en manos de las mujeres de la casa”.
Militarismo : ni os busco textos, pero todo se arregla metiendo miembros de grupos de elite de todos los países para cargarse a malos : SAS, SEALS, GSG, etc, etc.
Antiecologismo : no es que sea yo un fan a ultranza de los grupos ecologistas, donde creo que hay de todo, pero en el libro se les califica de “abraza-árboles” y otras lindezas por el estilo.
Americanismo : mira, que me canso de que hasta el ex-espía ruso que sale en la novela vea que todo lo de Estados Unidos es maravilloso. Cansa ver esa exaltación de lo americano tan exagerada (y no tengo nada contra USA, conste. Sí contra Trump, pero eso creo que cualquier persona sensata).
Amor por las armas : el autor –y sus personajes- casi se corren de gusto cada vez que hablan de los modelos de armas. Lo siento, tal vez les pase a los estadounidenses, pero al menos este españolito ve con desagrado ese furor por los modelos de armas de fuego.
Y para acabar, los personajes son planos y sin interés. Maniquíes que cada vez que abren la boca dicen lo que se espera de su rol. Y lo estaba leyendo en español latino y, con todo mi aprecio por nuestros primos de allende el Atlántico, las expresiones me resultaban muy extrañas de leer y eso tampoco ayudaba al agrado de lectura.
Resumen : Ale!, tras mi segundo intento con Clancy no me vuelvo a acercar a él. Y mira que alguna de sus obras, pero en cine, me han gustado bastante. Supongo que la adaptación al cine estaba “suavizada”.
¿Y por qué abandona uno tras esa burrada de horas sin saber el final? Conste que el planteamiento de la historia está bien. Un poco manido, pero bien.
La cosa va de un grupo de elite anti-antiterrorista compuesto fundamentalmente por americanos, ingleses y un francés, un alemán y un israelí (por eso de que sea “internacional”). Y “malos” que organizan atentados terroristas y un grupo ecologista, Earth First, que quieren cargarse a todo quisqui para dejar la Tierra hecha un paraíso llenos de animales, árboles…y ellos, claro. Y allá que van estos supersoldados “maquinasdematar” (pero más buenos que el pan, ojito), frustrando los planes a los malotes.
Y yio me quedo sin saber el final, tan cerquita de llegar a fin…porque, a pesar del interés de la historia, no hay guapo que aguante el machismo, militarismo, anti-ecologismo, ultra-americanismo y devoción a las armas que exuda toda la novela. Y los personajes planos y clichés a mas no poder.
Machismo : las mujeres en la novela son solo esposas (nada de miembros del grupo antiterrorista, claro) y con los roles tópicos a las cuales hay que cuidar, y proteger. Ejemplo : “y decidió dejar las tareas femeninas en manos de las mujeres de la casa”.
Militarismo : ni os busco textos, pero todo se arregla metiendo miembros de grupos de elite de todos los países para cargarse a malos : SAS, SEALS, GSG, etc, etc.
Antiecologismo : no es que sea yo un fan a ultranza de los grupos ecologistas, donde creo que hay de todo, pero en el libro se les califica de “abraza-árboles” y otras lindezas por el estilo.
Americanismo : mira, que me canso de que hasta el ex-espía ruso que sale en la novela vea que todo lo de Estados Unidos es maravilloso. Cansa ver esa exaltación de lo americano tan exagerada (y no tengo nada contra USA, conste. Sí contra Trump, pero eso creo que cualquier persona sensata).
Amor por las armas : el autor –y sus personajes- casi se corren de gusto cada vez que hablan de los modelos de armas. Lo siento, tal vez les pase a los estadounidenses, pero al menos este españolito ve con desagrado ese furor por los modelos de armas de fuego.
Y para acabar, los personajes son planos y sin interés. Maniquíes que cada vez que abren la boca dicen lo que se espera de su rol. Y lo estaba leyendo en español latino y, con todo mi aprecio por nuestros primos de allende el Atlántico, las expresiones me resultaban muy extrañas de leer y eso tampoco ayudaba al agrado de lectura.
Resumen : Ale!, tras mi segundo intento con Clancy no me vuelvo a acercar a él. Y mira que alguna de sus obras, pero en cine, me han gustado bastante. Supongo que la adaptación al cine estaba “suavizada”.
December 29, 2009
One of my favorite Clancy novels, right behind Without Remorse. John Clark faces challenges he never faced before, commanding troops without taking part of the operations. Domingo Chaves, the fiery Latino leads Team Two on missions he never had dreamed about in his time with his Light Infantry Unit from Clear and Present Danger.
This fast paced, roller coaster ride of excitement takes us into the life of Special Operators and their struggle to save lives of innocent people, and to end the lives of those who threaten them. From a bank robbery, to a home invasion, to terrorist taking children hostage in a Spanish Theme Park, to and attack on Rainbow’s own people, Clark is in charge, and Chavez is charged and ready to kill.
This fast paced, roller coaster ride of excitement takes us into the life of Special Operators and their struggle to save lives of innocent people, and to end the lives of those who threaten them. From a bank robbery, to a home invasion, to terrorist taking children hostage in a Spanish Theme Park, to and attack on Rainbow’s own people, Clark is in charge, and Chavez is charged and ready to kill.
July 7, 2020
Rainbow Six is an action thriller of a global scale with multiple attention-grabbing plotlines, interesting and visualizable characters, and keen emphasis on the technical aspect of combat.
Rainbow Six follows a black (off the books) counterterrorism team comprised of the best operatives from different NATO countries, who are tasked with taking out terrorist plots that countries are under-prepared to deal with. The outfit is known as Rainbow. Tom Clancy spectacularly combines different plotlines to all fit together, with a vast global conspiracy at the heart of the plotlines. While it could have been a cumbersome mess to deal with, it turned out absolutely great to read. Each plotline added to the crux of the story in a way that completed the big picture without leaving any plot holes. The plotlines themselves displayed Rainbow’s expertise in handling counterterrorism missions in great tactical detail styled action sequences with heart-pounding intense moments that add to the gritty realistic vibe of the book.
It was interesting to read John Clark in a more paper-pushing style role rather than the boot on the ground. It definitely set up for a great torch-passing narrative between Clark and Domingo Chavez, a talented operative and leader of one of the Rainbow’s teams as well as Clark’s son-in-law. Clark and Ding make for a fantastic duo to read, taking on the role of mentor and mentee, as well as more of an emotional support for each other when the events of the book call for it.
Rainbow Six is a groundbreaking read, given its release in 1998, as it blurs the enmity of nations and focuses on the idea of private companies dominating governmental control. One of the major takeaways of Rainbow Six is the concept of extremism being applied to an unconventional ground; environmentalism. The way the characters are written superbly show how extremism exists not only in countries and religions, but also in concepts that may seem banal to many, such as protecting Planet Earth. The unpredictable nature of the threat, coupled with shady characters capable of gruesome acts in the name of protecting nature, push Rainbow against an unusual adversary with a truly horrifying endgame.
The action is technical and fast-paced, with a great and imperative focus on weapon systems, as Rainbow is a team of highly trained operatives. The action sequences are written in harmony with realistic team movements in the field as Rainbow takes out bad guys and look cool with their MP10s and Berettas while doing so. The training sequences, particularly those at the gun range, written so well that I could visualize even non-combat sequences in their technical authenticity.
Rainbow Six is a work of literature that transcends time, as it holds up just as well today as it did back in 1998. A fast-paced, interesting, story-driven action thriller with all the necessary elements to appease all action thriller fans. A memorable book with characters that are imbued with personalities that feel relatable, and action sequences that are sure to be remembered as some of the best ever written when it comes to tactics and cinematic balance.
Rainbow Six follows a black (off the books) counterterrorism team comprised of the best operatives from different NATO countries, who are tasked with taking out terrorist plots that countries are under-prepared to deal with. The outfit is known as Rainbow. Tom Clancy spectacularly combines different plotlines to all fit together, with a vast global conspiracy at the heart of the plotlines. While it could have been a cumbersome mess to deal with, it turned out absolutely great to read. Each plotline added to the crux of the story in a way that completed the big picture without leaving any plot holes. The plotlines themselves displayed Rainbow’s expertise in handling counterterrorism missions in great tactical detail styled action sequences with heart-pounding intense moments that add to the gritty realistic vibe of the book.
It was interesting to read John Clark in a more paper-pushing style role rather than the boot on the ground. It definitely set up for a great torch-passing narrative between Clark and Domingo Chavez, a talented operative and leader of one of the Rainbow’s teams as well as Clark’s son-in-law. Clark and Ding make for a fantastic duo to read, taking on the role of mentor and mentee, as well as more of an emotional support for each other when the events of the book call for it.
Rainbow Six is a groundbreaking read, given its release in 1998, as it blurs the enmity of nations and focuses on the idea of private companies dominating governmental control. One of the major takeaways of Rainbow Six is the concept of extremism being applied to an unconventional ground; environmentalism. The way the characters are written superbly show how extremism exists not only in countries and religions, but also in concepts that may seem banal to many, such as protecting Planet Earth. The unpredictable nature of the threat, coupled with shady characters capable of gruesome acts in the name of protecting nature, push Rainbow against an unusual adversary with a truly horrifying endgame.
The action is technical and fast-paced, with a great and imperative focus on weapon systems, as Rainbow is a team of highly trained operatives. The action sequences are written in harmony with realistic team movements in the field as Rainbow takes out bad guys and look cool with their MP10s and Berettas while doing so. The training sequences, particularly those at the gun range, written so well that I could visualize even non-combat sequences in their technical authenticity.
Rainbow Six is a work of literature that transcends time, as it holds up just as well today as it did back in 1998. A fast-paced, interesting, story-driven action thriller with all the necessary elements to appease all action thriller fans. A memorable book with characters that are imbued with personalities that feel relatable, and action sequences that are sure to be remembered as some of the best ever written when it comes to tactics and cinematic balance.
June 28, 2025
Oh man what a book. It’s a slow burn but worth it. I love boy book summer.
February 17, 2022
Book Review – Tom Clancy’s “Rainbow Six” was the first thriller novel I ever read and started me on my un-relinquishing quest to reading action thrillers. Over the course of nine other political/military novels, Tom Clancy's brilliance for big, compelling storylines and his natural and detailed storytelling, mesmerized me and millions of other readers and established him as one of the preeminent storytellers of our time. Rainbow Six however went beyond anything he had done before and was probably his most extraordinary novel. At the heart of the vast novel is John Clark, the ex-Navy SEAL of “Without Remorse,” and well known from several other Clancy novels as a master of secret/Black Ops operational missions. Whether hunting warlords in Japan, drug lords in Colombia, or nuclear terrorists in the United States, John Clark is efficient, lethal, deadly, and is Clancy’s ‘badass’ protagonist in many of his novels. Newly named to head up an international task force dedicated to combating terrorism, Clark is looking forward to getting into a new opportunity, but the missions of the new opportunity start coming thicker and faster than anyone could have expected. Various developments of an incident at a Swiss bank, the kidnapping of an international trader in Germany, and a terrible raid on an amusement park in Spain; each episode seemed separate, but discrete, yet the timing disturbed Clark. With the help of his close associates, and strike team leader and another Clancy stalemate character, Domingo Chavez, Clark figures out where all this activity is heading, and ultimately the real threat of a group of terrorists like none the world had ever encountered. Rainbow Six is Tom Clancy's ‘BIG’ action thriller novel and most shocking story to date -- and probably the closest thing to reality than any government would care to admit. As Clancy took readers through the twists and turns of this intense action-thriller, he blended exceptional realism and authenticity with his hallmark intricate/detailed story plotting, knife-edge suspense, and a remarkable cast of characters. In my opinion, Rainbow Six is Tom Clancy’s his best book ever, there is none better in this genre! No wonder the best shooting video game was named after this book…
July 31, 2018
After not having read it in years, Rainbow Six is a perfect example of Clancy's strengths and flaws. His strengths reside in his thorough technical research and plotting, while his flaws reside in character development, dialogue, and forgetting that he has created his own universe and creating inconsistencies between the Clancyverse and the real world.
It's also an interesting looking glass into what was thought to be the threats on the horizon. Clancy seemed to put jihadists on the backburner and thought Marxist elements and environmental extremists would be much more active.
There's also the thing about how he claims special ops don't jump out of planes and prefer helicopters. While they do prefer helicopters, HALO/HAHO insertions are still done from time to time, which is why they maintain that skill set. Curious how he downplayed that thoroughly.
Still, entertaining read all around.
It's also an interesting looking glass into what was thought to be the threats on the horizon. Clancy seemed to put jihadists on the backburner and thought Marxist elements and environmental extremists would be much more active.
There's also the thing about how he claims special ops don't jump out of planes and prefer helicopters. While they do prefer helicopters, HALO/HAHO insertions are still done from time to time, which is why they maintain that skill set. Curious how he downplayed that thoroughly.
Still, entertaining read all around.
December 21, 2012
This heart pounding thriller is set in England and tells the story of an intelligence agency and a special air service called Rainbow. Soon after its establishment a bank in Switzerland is robbed and they are sent in to handle the situation. They are successful at getting inside the bank and executing terrorist to stop the death of innocent civilians. Soon after, german terrorists obtain fake codes for the international trading markets. Rainbow sends out disguised shooters and they handle the situation. The book goes through a number of terrorist encounters and describes how rainbow and its two teams handle them. After the hideout of the eco-terrorists is discovered rainbow is sent to it and kills them with a few survivors left naked to die and "reconnect with nature." This book was a wild thriller and anyone looking for action and military strategy should read it.
April 15, 2014
Goodness Clancy gets so bogged down in details. 5 or 6 long pages without dialogue just bores me to death. It got to where I skimmed a ton of the pages and didn't miss a thing. Still always knew what was going on. The action scenes are splendid and worth reading. Just speed read half the book and its worthwhile.
April 15, 2020
This book was very good in my opinion. The reason why is because of how descriptive it is and how much action it has at some points. In general it was peaceful to me and it was a good read that I wish I could’ve done sooner.
March 30, 2017
If you've made it this far into the "Jack Ryan Universe" you won't be disappointed!
October 29, 2011
This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read, and I haven't even finished the book yet. However I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone. The weak stomached should probably refrain from picking up this book due to the gruesome descriptions and depictions the acclaimed author and ex-NAVY SEAL gives during the book. One of the main reasons why I really kike this book is because a clear and vivid image of what is going on can be created so easily and the strategy that is behind every move that the team makes. Basically the book is about a secret special forces organization called "Rainbow" due to their objective which is protecting countries on an international scale, from everything; bank robbers to full blown terrorists. The "Six" part of the title comes from the organizations leader, whose codename is "Six." However, the story is definitely not just based around blood and gore, it was a deep underlying conspiracy mystery that entangles, European terrorists and even corrupt biochemical lab physicians. On the whole so, far not one thing in this book has not had a hint of some literary device and it very creative.
To be Continued.....
To be Continued.....
August 26, 2021
I think this book showed that Tom Clancy has run out of ideas and that's probably why this series seems to have finished after one more book (and two prequels.) This made two straight books on biological warfare with Ebola and I can only think he had more to say, or another scenario to play out, and thought to tell it from John Clark's point of view. This certainly had none of the complexity or richness of his previous books, bringing disparate threads together. This was just a straightforward vanilla thriller, and way too long for that kind of banality. Nor was the surprise ending much of a surprise since he'd painted himself into a corner by the time it arrived. A disappointment.
January 30, 2010
Clancy's later books are...entirely predictable. I mean, it's not like the ending of "Hunt for Red October" came as a mind-blowing surprise or anything, but in "Rainbow Six" and "The Bear and the Dragon", especially, it seems that he relies on the repetition of phrases/ideas in order to get a high page count.
The constant political proselytizing also got old. Yes, we understand: people who care about the environment are deluded murdering psychopaths; drilling for oil is Alaska is the most patriotic and awesome thing ever; the military is full of people who have PhD's from elite universities. Give it a rest.
The constant political proselytizing also got old. Yes, we understand: people who care about the environment are deluded murdering psychopaths; drilling for oil is Alaska is the most patriotic and awesome thing ever; the military is full of people who have PhD's from elite universities. Give it a rest.
January 1, 2018
Rainbow Six has a different connotation now. Damn, Clancy wrote thick novels, better watch out Sideshow Bob, haha.
January 15, 2021
Reread after abut 20 years.
Clancy writes a very good story however, he writes that story in 900 pages when he could have written 600 pages and not eliminated anything important. Back in the day he must have been paid by the page.
Clancy writes a very good story however, he writes that story in 900 pages when he could have written 600 pages and not eliminated anything important. Back in the day he must have been paid by the page.
July 19, 2017
This the last Tom Clancy book I will ever try and read. I'm afriad that as of today i have Black Balled the author and will be removing all his books from my collection.
April 18, 2021
For noe piss!
August 31, 2024
John Clark was referred to as “Rainbow Six” at least 22 times. Fuckin hell yeah
May 7, 2012
What can I say? Wow! Right from the start, that most excellent of storytellers, Tom Clancy, throws us into action with a detailed yet gripping account of a hijacking. In some of his previous books (most notably Patriot Games, Executive Orders and The Sum of All Fears) the story dies for a hundred pages or more as Clancy explains the story (and regrettably, this has resulted in many readers stopping reading mid-way through a book...
But no more. Rainbow Six keeps up the heart pumping action right the way through as though there is no tomorrow - and there may well not be! Long as it is, Clancy has once again kept my full attention resulting in late nights, staying up far too late turning page by page to find out WHAT HAPPENS!
I was worried that Clancy was beginning to dull in his stories, having read Executive Orders which was explosively exciting in the last pages but, I felt, took too long to get there. And having read the co-authored Op-Centers, I was very worried as they all lacked the quick pace and exciting realism common to many Clancy books.
However, I felt that singling out environmentalists as the bad guys was not a good marketing move (if not resulting in an excellent book!) and that their methods and ideals were not credible enough to bring a true sense of realism. I did enjoy the fantastic end to the story and hope that, true to Clancy style, Dmitry Popov will appear in another book in the near furture!
And for the second time, Clancy has focused the book on John Kelly (otherwise known as Clark). Clark has definitely changed since the torture days portrayed in Without Remorse, become more mature, even mellowed in age. I missed good old Jack Ryan however although Clancy referred to Clark's good relationship with "The President". I felt that Jack deserved more place although, I think Clancy may have brought an end to Jack Ryan as a major role in Executive Orders. Keen followers of Clancy will note how Jack gradually rose through the ranks - ordinary history teacher and a lucky stock investor, then working at CIA, eventually becoming, DDO, DDI and eventually head of the CIA (which I believe is DCI, right?). Then going on to National Security Advisor, Vice-President (albeit for a short time) and finally President. I can think of no higher occupation for Ryan and this leads me to believe Clancy has decided to leave him out of future novels. I hope I am wrong...
Is Clancy, in his usual portrayal of realistic events (as opposed to fantasy ones) going to let John Clark and Jack Ryan simply die of old age? Whilst this would be true to form, they would be sorely missed, and only Ding seems to be able to replace either of them. Are future books to hold only Domingo Chavez and not the beloved Clark-Chavez team? Will Jack retire?
We can't tell. Clancy has shrouded us in a black cloak of curiosity until he chooses to reveal antoher piece of the unending story he weaves. And even then, we surely will not get the last piece of the puzzle. We will be left again to wait until it is time...
But no more. Rainbow Six keeps up the heart pumping action right the way through as though there is no tomorrow - and there may well not be! Long as it is, Clancy has once again kept my full attention resulting in late nights, staying up far too late turning page by page to find out WHAT HAPPENS!
I was worried that Clancy was beginning to dull in his stories, having read Executive Orders which was explosively exciting in the last pages but, I felt, took too long to get there. And having read the co-authored Op-Centers, I was very worried as they all lacked the quick pace and exciting realism common to many Clancy books.
However, I felt that singling out environmentalists as the bad guys was not a good marketing move (if not resulting in an excellent book!) and that their methods and ideals were not credible enough to bring a true sense of realism. I did enjoy the fantastic end to the story and hope that, true to Clancy style, Dmitry Popov will appear in another book in the near furture!
And for the second time, Clancy has focused the book on John Kelly (otherwise known as Clark). Clark has definitely changed since the torture days portrayed in Without Remorse, become more mature, even mellowed in age. I missed good old Jack Ryan however although Clancy referred to Clark's good relationship with "The President". I felt that Jack deserved more place although, I think Clancy may have brought an end to Jack Ryan as a major role in Executive Orders. Keen followers of Clancy will note how Jack gradually rose through the ranks - ordinary history teacher and a lucky stock investor, then working at CIA, eventually becoming, DDO, DDI and eventually head of the CIA (which I believe is DCI, right?). Then going on to National Security Advisor, Vice-President (albeit for a short time) and finally President. I can think of no higher occupation for Ryan and this leads me to believe Clancy has decided to leave him out of future novels. I hope I am wrong...
Is Clancy, in his usual portrayal of realistic events (as opposed to fantasy ones) going to let John Clark and Jack Ryan simply die of old age? Whilst this would be true to form, they would be sorely missed, and only Ding seems to be able to replace either of them. Are future books to hold only Domingo Chavez and not the beloved Clark-Chavez team? Will Jack retire?
We can't tell. Clancy has shrouded us in a black cloak of curiosity until he chooses to reveal antoher piece of the unending story he weaves. And even then, we surely will not get the last piece of the puzzle. We will be left again to wait until it is time...
August 9, 2024
Pretty good book, I wish it had a more interactive video games aspect
August 11, 2020
So, I generally love Tom Clancy books but I really struggled throughout this one. It was incredibly repetitive and overly long. The same story could have been told in a much more compelling way in under half the length. Overall, it's a great premise - a multinational counterterrorism force responding to world crises as they occur.
But in practice, page after page is devoted to boring training and planning conversations, and the action - when it occurs - is a repetitive hostage rescue scenario over and over again. The overarching plot - crazy environmentalists seeking to destroy the world's population to save mother nature - is dull and unrealistic. Clancy also devotes a strange amount of time to his protagonists dismissing climate change and mocking tree huggers.
The book opens with our CT leaders flying commercial to England to start the Rainbow program. Suddenly - what a coincidence! - the plane is hijacked by Basque terrorists. It was so absurd a scenario that I thought the reader was about to learn this was a training exercise. Nope....
And as the story continued it got even more and more absurd and repetitive. Clancy presents the U.S. bureaucracy as far more effective than it is. In one critical moment, a Russian spy ditches a fake passport. And within 24 hours it goes from a trash man finding it, to a lost and found, to the FBI, who discovers its a secret Russian spy's passport. Yea....right. In real life it would sit in lost and found for the next 6 months.
Clancy also loves to highlight interagency cooperation. Every time a character hears about a random FBI agent or air force pilot, the character says some version of "I've heard of them - great reputation" or "I've worked with them, smart person." About half way through the book I started counting how many times that was happening - I got to over 12 by the end of the book. It's a bit absurd.
I'd like to think that if Clancy wrote this book in the age of the war on terror, it might have been more focused on interesting CT work around the world. At it stands, however, this 90s-era story fell completely flat for me. As Clancy's characters, apparently without irony, say at three separate points in the book (referencing the environmentalist's terrorist plot) - "This sounds like the plot of a bad movie!" It sure does, Tom Clancy, so why didn't you write a better one?
But in practice, page after page is devoted to boring training and planning conversations, and the action - when it occurs - is a repetitive hostage rescue scenario over and over again. The overarching plot - crazy environmentalists seeking to destroy the world's population to save mother nature - is dull and unrealistic. Clancy also devotes a strange amount of time to his protagonists dismissing climate change and mocking tree huggers.
The book opens with our CT leaders flying commercial to England to start the Rainbow program. Suddenly - what a coincidence! - the plane is hijacked by Basque terrorists. It was so absurd a scenario that I thought the reader was about to learn this was a training exercise. Nope....
And as the story continued it got even more and more absurd and repetitive. Clancy presents the U.S. bureaucracy as far more effective than it is. In one critical moment, a Russian spy ditches a fake passport. And within 24 hours it goes from a trash man finding it, to a lost and found, to the FBI, who discovers its a secret Russian spy's passport. Yea....right. In real life it would sit in lost and found for the next 6 months.
Clancy also loves to highlight interagency cooperation. Every time a character hears about a random FBI agent or air force pilot, the character says some version of "I've heard of them - great reputation" or "I've worked with them, smart person." About half way through the book I started counting how many times that was happening - I got to over 12 by the end of the book. It's a bit absurd.
I'd like to think that if Clancy wrote this book in the age of the war on terror, it might have been more focused on interesting CT work around the world. At it stands, however, this 90s-era story fell completely flat for me. As Clancy's characters, apparently without irony, say at three separate points in the book (referencing the environmentalist's terrorist plot) - "This sounds like the plot of a bad movie!" It sure does, Tom Clancy, so why didn't you write a better one?
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