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Max Moore #1
Against All Enemies
Racing from the remote, war-scarred landscapes of the Middle East to the blood-soaked chaos of the U.S.-Mexico border, #1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Clancy delivers a heart-stopping thriller that is frighteningly close to reality.
Working behind the scenes for the CIA, ex-Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore arrives at a rendezvous to take charge of a high-ranking Taliban captive and barely escapes with his life. Undaunted, Moore is relentless in his quest to find the terrorist cell responsible, but what he discovers leads him to a much darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe...
After years of planning, the Taliban have come to terms with a vicious Mexican drug cartel and agreed to supply them with opium. For the cartel, the deal means money, power, and ultimate control of the drug trade. But for the Taliban, it is a long awaited opportunity: to exploit the cartels and bring the fire of the jihad to the hearts of the infidels, striking against the very heart of America.
Working behind the scenes for the CIA, ex-Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore arrives at a rendezvous to take charge of a high-ranking Taliban captive and barely escapes with his life. Undaunted, Moore is relentless in his quest to find the terrorist cell responsible, but what he discovers leads him to a much darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe...
After years of planning, the Taliban have come to terms with a vicious Mexican drug cartel and agreed to supply them with opium. For the cartel, the deal means money, power, and ultimate control of the drug trade. But for the Taliban, it is a long awaited opportunity: to exploit the cartels and bring the fire of the jihad to the hearts of the infidels, striking against the very heart of America.
720 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2011
1194 people are currently reading
4809 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clancy
971 books9,044 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 653 reviews
May 31, 2018
For the first time, since Red Storm Rising (which I still have yet to read), Tom Clancy departs from the Jack Ryan universe and introduces us to newcomer, ex-Navy SEAL and CIA operative Maxwell Moore!
After a failed mission in the Middle East, resulting in Moore's allies are killed, he is brought back to the United States to take part in a new mission against the Mexican drug cartels. Moore goes undercover to infiltrate the cartels, and posing as a drug runner, whilst playing all the cartels off against each other. But what Moore doesn't realize that while busy fighting the Cartels, a small group of terrorists are attempting to sneak into the US undetected using the underground tunnels the Cartel uses along the Mexican Border, and strike into the heart of America.
Very engaging plot, a lot of characters to keep track of. And I should mention since Against All Enemies isn't part of the Ryan Universe, Dominic Caruso makes a very small cameo in the very last chapter.
I know that Clancy had planned to write a sequel and maybe continue the Max Moore series, the next book titled Search and Destroy, but unfortunately for unknown reasons got cancelled, I was kind of bummed reading that because the ending kind of left it open for a sequel.
After a failed mission in the Middle East, resulting in Moore's allies are killed, he is brought back to the United States to take part in a new mission against the Mexican drug cartels. Moore goes undercover to infiltrate the cartels, and posing as a drug runner, whilst playing all the cartels off against each other. But what Moore doesn't realize that while busy fighting the Cartels, a small group of terrorists are attempting to sneak into the US undetected using the underground tunnels the Cartel uses along the Mexican Border, and strike into the heart of America.
Very engaging plot, a lot of characters to keep track of. And I should mention since Against All Enemies isn't part of the Ryan Universe, Dominic Caruso makes a very small cameo in the very last chapter.
I know that Clancy had planned to write a sequel and maybe continue the Max Moore series, the next book titled Search and Destroy, but unfortunately for unknown reasons got cancelled, I was kind of bummed reading that because the ending kind of left it open for a sequel.
June 30, 2012
I made it to page 2 before seeing proof that this is another non-Clancy work. Here's a part of a sentence describing the Pakistan Special Service Group: (it isn't dialogue)
"...an organization similar to the U.S. Navy SEALs, but, ahem, their operators were hardly as capable."
'Ahem'? Amongst non-dialogue description in a book not written in any 1st-person narrative? C'mon. I stopped reading at page 14, and I'm returning the purchase.
I read the prologue, and reread it slowly. I couldn't figure what in the heck was going on. But I read onto chapter one. The scene is the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. There is another confusing scene which makes no sense. Apparently, some high-ranking Pakistani army colonel was about to spill the beans on Taliban activity within the Pakistan army. He was assassinated by bombs. The CIA man Moore chases one of the terrorists through an alley beside the hotel, where "The scent of sweet pork had filled the alley, as the hotel's kitchen exhaust fans filtered in that direction, and Moore's stomach growled even though a meal was hardly on his mind"(page 30 HC).
I wondered how Tom Clancy could make such an idiotic error as to state the hotel kitchen in one of the most militantly Islamic nations on earth was cooking pork!
The later action scenes are reasonably well handled even if somewhat unbelievable. Two gun buckaroos toting a Glock 45 in each hand and blazing away is generally going to result in a sprained wrist or two and a lot of missed targets.
At one point in the book he refers to a 'Weapons Systems Officer' in an A-10. The A-10 is a single seat aircraft and therefore contains only a pilot. The only Air Force platform with a Weapons System Officer (now called a Combat Systems Officer) and that can fire the AGM-65 Maverick (as mentioned in the book) is the F-15E.
ALL of the characters are thin and shallow. Not fully formed, and for the most part very sketchy and fairly uninteresting. One does not even care to get to know them better. Worse. No one appears to be likable. NO ONE. Huge latitude is given and open personality assignments are left as if not wanting to screw things up if a movie was ever to be made. I sincerely hope not. Some Producer type Putz would have Ben Affliction or his little wodden pal Barny Damon in a feature role. Miscasting is in this snoozers future, with the giant tattooed gangsters part to be played by Megan Fox, or Tiny Tom Cruiser.
The protagonist ex SEAL who is worldly from navy assignments and who has grown old and weary being a CIA Para super spy, tends to kvetch and be generally boring.. He seems to have developed a poor trait of lossing his assistants and partners as well as snitches to foreseeable and preventable violent death. Not good on subsequent fitness reports or choice assignments. Not a lot of raised hands to volunteer to work with him. Here is the place for a healthy "OY".
Worse. He carries a Glock 30 in a shoulder holster (brand unnamed)and takes killing long shots with it's 3inch barrel. Another hearty "OY". Pssst. That model Glock is for close up activity. BIG muzzle flash. BIG noise. NOT particularly adaptable for noise suppressors. Bulky and heavy. Miserable even a custom made shoulder holster. Worse in the Texas/Arizona/California border area of Northern Mexico, where T-shirts are sometimes overdressing. Short, fat Glocks are very hard to conceal for long periods of time. Barettas are worse.
Clancy has always been a little weak when it comes to Federal law enforcement agencies, particularly the DEA. In this case, the research stopped with a cursory glance at the DEA website and a perusal of the San Diego phone book to get the address. DEA's San Diego Field Division is on Viewridge Ave., but the Office of Diversion Control is a Headquarters element, located in Virginia, and has nothing to do with enforcement. Diversion is the regulatory side of DEA and deals with doctors, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.
There's no earthly reason for Mexican cartels to buy heroin or opium from Afghanistan when they grow their own or buy it from the Colombians, without incurring the expense and trouble of transporting it half-way round the world. By the same token, Central America is awash in military grade weaponry, easily smuggled into Mexico. Why would anyone go to the trouble of smuggling arms from Afghanistan to Minnesota (please) and only then to Mexico?
Just to ice this fallen cake, the writing is so amateurish that I have to wonder if Clancy even bothered to read the manuscript. The main character is so loony that, if he were a real person, there is no way that any responsible supervisor would allow him in the field, even at CIA. If they did, anyone who spaces out in the middle of a gunfight, as the protagonist does about halfway through the book, dies.
According to Telep's blurb on the book jacket, we're supposed to believe that this is Tom Clancy collaborating with an author who's works include "science fiction, fantasy, military action/adventure, and medical drama, and film, television, and video game tie-ins."
Seriously?
My complaint is it emulates too closely the characters Mitch Rapp created by Vince Flynn and Scott Harvath created by Brad Thor. These fiction leads are virtually comic book superheroes who are highly intelligent, physically imposing, and virtually Indestructible. So Clancy adds "Max Moore" to this genre. He is a former Navy SEAL now CIA counter terrorist expert. Clancy provides the readers with an evil two-for-one pitting Moore and U.S. forces against evil drug cartels and Al Qaeda. After a decent start all suspense is lost, subtlety is nonexistent, and the whole thing goes on way too long. Moore, Rapp, Harvath are attempting to challenge Captain America, however, the Captain is more believable.
The book starts out with the hero on a night rendezvous, a secret meeting between Pakistani and Indian forces to exchange a prisoner with information on the top terrorists operating secretly in friendly country. Suddenly, a Pakistani sub appears and blows the Indian ship out of the water, setting both ships afire. Our hero escapes with his life, and manages to rescue one wounded sailor, swimming miles to shore with him in tow. Someone had betrayed them. The sailor's father is a bigshot in the Pakistani military, and decides to repay our hero for saving his son's life by revealing the collaborators in the government and army to the US. But he also is killed. A great beginning to a spy thriller... that stops dead in the water. Unfortunately, the author completely abandons the plot and suddenly the book becomes one of a thousand other boring stories about drug smugglers in Mexico and the Columbian cartels, with lots of people killing one another and no real plot. At some point the author tries to link the two stories by having the cartel smuggle some terrorists into the US as a secondary plot, but long before that point I stopped caring. The story had lost all credibility and I had lost all interest. For instance, the world's richest man is the secret leader of a drug cartel. He has build a fortress with secret vaults and escape tunnels, yet he is captured there by a handful of men in just a few minutes. They blew up the helicopter before it ever landed and they still kicked butt. What a joke.
a Boeing 737 takes a hit by a shoulder mounted missile in one engine after take off and the Captain tells the passengers to not worry about the noise of the landing gear being extended. Absolutely totally wrong
Disjointed. Best scenes in the whole book: Someone gets shot at while wearing a bulletproof coat and just feels a slight impact - sorry, bulletproof clothing does not work like that. And this new hero, Mr Moore, can even outrun an explosion, I only thought that Arnie can do that.
This book is clearly a weapon of economic war, created for the sole purpose of monetary gain and separatung us from our cash; it has little to do with entertainment or literary development.
"...an organization similar to the U.S. Navy SEALs, but, ahem, their operators were hardly as capable."
'Ahem'? Amongst non-dialogue description in a book not written in any 1st-person narrative? C'mon. I stopped reading at page 14, and I'm returning the purchase.
I read the prologue, and reread it slowly. I couldn't figure what in the heck was going on. But I read onto chapter one. The scene is the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. There is another confusing scene which makes no sense. Apparently, some high-ranking Pakistani army colonel was about to spill the beans on Taliban activity within the Pakistan army. He was assassinated by bombs. The CIA man Moore chases one of the terrorists through an alley beside the hotel, where "The scent of sweet pork had filled the alley, as the hotel's kitchen exhaust fans filtered in that direction, and Moore's stomach growled even though a meal was hardly on his mind"(page 30 HC).
I wondered how Tom Clancy could make such an idiotic error as to state the hotel kitchen in one of the most militantly Islamic nations on earth was cooking pork!
The later action scenes are reasonably well handled even if somewhat unbelievable. Two gun buckaroos toting a Glock 45 in each hand and blazing away is generally going to result in a sprained wrist or two and a lot of missed targets.
At one point in the book he refers to a 'Weapons Systems Officer' in an A-10. The A-10 is a single seat aircraft and therefore contains only a pilot. The only Air Force platform with a Weapons System Officer (now called a Combat Systems Officer) and that can fire the AGM-65 Maverick (as mentioned in the book) is the F-15E.
ALL of the characters are thin and shallow. Not fully formed, and for the most part very sketchy and fairly uninteresting. One does not even care to get to know them better. Worse. No one appears to be likable. NO ONE. Huge latitude is given and open personality assignments are left as if not wanting to screw things up if a movie was ever to be made. I sincerely hope not. Some Producer type Putz would have Ben Affliction or his little wodden pal Barny Damon in a feature role. Miscasting is in this snoozers future, with the giant tattooed gangsters part to be played by Megan Fox, or Tiny Tom Cruiser.
The protagonist ex SEAL who is worldly from navy assignments and who has grown old and weary being a CIA Para super spy, tends to kvetch and be generally boring.. He seems to have developed a poor trait of lossing his assistants and partners as well as snitches to foreseeable and preventable violent death. Not good on subsequent fitness reports or choice assignments. Not a lot of raised hands to volunteer to work with him. Here is the place for a healthy "OY".
Worse. He carries a Glock 30 in a shoulder holster (brand unnamed)and takes killing long shots with it's 3inch barrel. Another hearty "OY". Pssst. That model Glock is for close up activity. BIG muzzle flash. BIG noise. NOT particularly adaptable for noise suppressors. Bulky and heavy. Miserable even a custom made shoulder holster. Worse in the Texas/Arizona/California border area of Northern Mexico, where T-shirts are sometimes overdressing. Short, fat Glocks are very hard to conceal for long periods of time. Barettas are worse.
Clancy has always been a little weak when it comes to Federal law enforcement agencies, particularly the DEA. In this case, the research stopped with a cursory glance at the DEA website and a perusal of the San Diego phone book to get the address. DEA's San Diego Field Division is on Viewridge Ave., but the Office of Diversion Control is a Headquarters element, located in Virginia, and has nothing to do with enforcement. Diversion is the regulatory side of DEA and deals with doctors, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.
There's no earthly reason for Mexican cartels to buy heroin or opium from Afghanistan when they grow their own or buy it from the Colombians, without incurring the expense and trouble of transporting it half-way round the world. By the same token, Central America is awash in military grade weaponry, easily smuggled into Mexico. Why would anyone go to the trouble of smuggling arms from Afghanistan to Minnesota (please) and only then to Mexico?
Just to ice this fallen cake, the writing is so amateurish that I have to wonder if Clancy even bothered to read the manuscript. The main character is so loony that, if he were a real person, there is no way that any responsible supervisor would allow him in the field, even at CIA. If they did, anyone who spaces out in the middle of a gunfight, as the protagonist does about halfway through the book, dies.
According to Telep's blurb on the book jacket, we're supposed to believe that this is Tom Clancy collaborating with an author who's works include "science fiction, fantasy, military action/adventure, and medical drama, and film, television, and video game tie-ins."
Seriously?
My complaint is it emulates too closely the characters Mitch Rapp created by Vince Flynn and Scott Harvath created by Brad Thor. These fiction leads are virtually comic book superheroes who are highly intelligent, physically imposing, and virtually Indestructible. So Clancy adds "Max Moore" to this genre. He is a former Navy SEAL now CIA counter terrorist expert. Clancy provides the readers with an evil two-for-one pitting Moore and U.S. forces against evil drug cartels and Al Qaeda. After a decent start all suspense is lost, subtlety is nonexistent, and the whole thing goes on way too long. Moore, Rapp, Harvath are attempting to challenge Captain America, however, the Captain is more believable.
The book starts out with the hero on a night rendezvous, a secret meeting between Pakistani and Indian forces to exchange a prisoner with information on the top terrorists operating secretly in friendly country. Suddenly, a Pakistani sub appears and blows the Indian ship out of the water, setting both ships afire. Our hero escapes with his life, and manages to rescue one wounded sailor, swimming miles to shore with him in tow. Someone had betrayed them. The sailor's father is a bigshot in the Pakistani military, and decides to repay our hero for saving his son's life by revealing the collaborators in the government and army to the US. But he also is killed. A great beginning to a spy thriller... that stops dead in the water. Unfortunately, the author completely abandons the plot and suddenly the book becomes one of a thousand other boring stories about drug smugglers in Mexico and the Columbian cartels, with lots of people killing one another and no real plot. At some point the author tries to link the two stories by having the cartel smuggle some terrorists into the US as a secondary plot, but long before that point I stopped caring. The story had lost all credibility and I had lost all interest. For instance, the world's richest man is the secret leader of a drug cartel. He has build a fortress with secret vaults and escape tunnels, yet he is captured there by a handful of men in just a few minutes. They blew up the helicopter before it ever landed and they still kicked butt. What a joke.
a Boeing 737 takes a hit by a shoulder mounted missile in one engine after take off and the Captain tells the passengers to not worry about the noise of the landing gear being extended. Absolutely totally wrong
Disjointed. Best scenes in the whole book: Someone gets shot at while wearing a bulletproof coat and just feels a slight impact - sorry, bulletproof clothing does not work like that. And this new hero, Mr Moore, can even outrun an explosion, I only thought that Arnie can do that.
This book is clearly a weapon of economic war, created for the sole purpose of monetary gain and separatung us from our cash; it has little to do with entertainment or literary development.
April 20, 2013
This is not your father's Tom Clancy novel. But it is.
It's not, in that we have brand-new characters here for the most part and they're dealing with a whole new set of circumstances. It's the same in that we have the same long expositions about details other authors would just skim. It's the same can't-put-it-down action that drives you to keep turning pages. And it has the same conservative political worldview that wraps up Clancy's commentary on contemporary US and world affairs in a military/espionage thriller.
The main character is complex and cool with motivations that are hinted at throughout the book until the big reveal at the end. Clancy also manages to elicit from the reader sympathy or affinity for some of the bad guys, who are among the most interesting characters in the book. I just wish more of the supporting cast of good guys got similar time on the stage before they shuffled off.
I don't know where Clancy intends to go with this book, whether it's a one-off or the beginning of a new series, although he hints at it in the end. But I hope he does more like this. It feels like the old Tom Clancy is back.
It's not, in that we have brand-new characters here for the most part and they're dealing with a whole new set of circumstances. It's the same in that we have the same long expositions about details other authors would just skim. It's the same can't-put-it-down action that drives you to keep turning pages. And it has the same conservative political worldview that wraps up Clancy's commentary on contemporary US and world affairs in a military/espionage thriller.
The main character is complex and cool with motivations that are hinted at throughout the book until the big reveal at the end. Clancy also manages to elicit from the reader sympathy or affinity for some of the bad guys, who are among the most interesting characters in the book. I just wish more of the supporting cast of good guys got similar time on the stage before they shuffled off.
I don't know where Clancy intends to go with this book, whether it's a one-off or the beginning of a new series, although he hints at it in the end. But I hope he does more like this. It feels like the old Tom Clancy is back.
March 18, 2012
This novel started with such promise! Spies spying, good guys, bad guys, bullets flying and then the reader finds out that our main protagonist, Maxwell Moore, isn't just your everyday upstanding, smart, handsome ex Navy Seal paramilitary operations officer for he has something, its a secret (I know what a surprise right?) but wait it gets better, its a deep, dark, never told anyone, secret that he has.
So for the next 400 pages (the softcover edition I have is 709 pages) this secret keeps popping into his head at the most inopportune times but instead of using that to build up the story it dragged it on and on and on, until I had to stop reading. This happened several times. Story is moving right along and boom, instant interruption, it just slowed the pace to molasses. And then finally on page 426 we're told his secret which, when you considered all the people, bad guys and good guys, he had killed in his career, it really didn't explain well enough for me anyway, why so much time and plot advancement was put into this when that was it, gone! Just suddenly didn't matter anymore. At the very end, after 300 pages of silence about it, all he says is I'll always feel guilty. This subplot made the protagonist not more human,loving or understandable but made him seem like a big and I mean really big whiner. It was just so out of place in this book.
But that certainly wasn't the only issue with this monotonous book...we had all the acronyms you can think of, there was the TSA, GAO, DHS, CIA, FBI ATF, SVTCs, NCTC, BOLO, FAA, CNN, KFC (yup even Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken made it in)...and these we're all on 2 pages. It would have taken much to long to list them all.
I'm afraid I could sit here all day tearing this book apart for various other problems, sub plots that start and go no where, and inconsistencies (my personal favorite being: "The pilot knew he'd lose precious altitude if he started a turnaround with only 1 working engine"and then 1 paragraph later and no explanation given This is Captain Ethan Whitman. As most of you know we've lost an engine but plan to make our turn and head back to the airport" there is more but doesn't explain why the captain suddenly changes his mind. Just one more thing about this book that made no logical sense, but I just want to put this horrible book behind me.
You know, I have only ever not finished 1 book before, ever, and that was "---and Ladies of the Club" and this book was almost as bad. I think when you have 2 writers contributing to one story, they have to really be in sync. I think there were 2 writers, with 2 different views for the same book and couldn't pull it together into one harmonious novel.
Now for a little positive thinking:
Would I read another Tom Clancy novel? Definitely!
Would I recommend any of his other novels that I have read? Absolutely
I don't believe I can recall reading anything else by Peter Telep but I certainly would give his writing another try.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Hmmmm. Nope, there is no one I dislike enough to suggest they try and slog through that horrible, horrible book.
So for the next 400 pages (the softcover edition I have is 709 pages) this secret keeps popping into his head at the most inopportune times but instead of using that to build up the story it dragged it on and on and on, until I had to stop reading. This happened several times. Story is moving right along and boom, instant interruption, it just slowed the pace to molasses. And then finally on page 426 we're told his secret which, when you considered all the people, bad guys and good guys, he had killed in his career, it really didn't explain well enough for me anyway, why so much time and plot advancement was put into this when that was it, gone! Just suddenly didn't matter anymore. At the very end, after 300 pages of silence about it, all he says is I'll always feel guilty. This subplot made the protagonist not more human,loving or understandable but made him seem like a big and I mean really big whiner. It was just so out of place in this book.
But that certainly wasn't the only issue with this monotonous book...we had all the acronyms you can think of, there was the TSA, GAO, DHS, CIA, FBI ATF, SVTCs, NCTC, BOLO, FAA, CNN, KFC (yup even Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken made it in)...and these we're all on 2 pages. It would have taken much to long to list them all.
I'm afraid I could sit here all day tearing this book apart for various other problems, sub plots that start and go no where, and inconsistencies (my personal favorite being: "The pilot knew he'd lose precious altitude if he started a turnaround with only 1 working engine"and then 1 paragraph later and no explanation given This is Captain Ethan Whitman. As most of you know we've lost an engine but plan to make our turn and head back to the airport" there is more but doesn't explain why the captain suddenly changes his mind. Just one more thing about this book that made no logical sense, but I just want to put this horrible book behind me.
You know, I have only ever not finished 1 book before, ever, and that was "---and Ladies of the Club" and this book was almost as bad. I think when you have 2 writers contributing to one story, they have to really be in sync. I think there were 2 writers, with 2 different views for the same book and couldn't pull it together into one harmonious novel.
Now for a little positive thinking:
Would I read another Tom Clancy novel? Definitely!
Would I recommend any of his other novels that I have read? Absolutely
I don't believe I can recall reading anything else by Peter Telep but I certainly would give his writing another try.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Hmmmm. Nope, there is no one I dislike enough to suggest they try and slog through that horrible, horrible book.
September 11, 2012
Blah. Just, blah. The book's strongest point is its plot, and how it paints a credible picture of how terrorists can collaborate with drug cartels to infiltrate the United States. It also presents a no-holds-barred look at modern-day counterterrorism and espionage.
Everything else set me off. Tom Clancy's name may be on it, but I don't really think he wrote it. The Clancy brand is founded on research, realism and authenticity. Much of that was lacking in this story, especially in the action scenes. There are characters who casually fire two pistols as though they were the Chow Yun-Fat, tactics that are rudimentary at best and suicidal at worst, and operators who make the kind of tactical mistakes operators wouldn't make in real life.
The prose is bland at best. Too many times, characters are described by having their back stories dumped on the reader. Those back stories may be interesting to write, but most of the time they just hold up the story and pad out the book. The same goes with equipment descriptions, especially when they are picked up in the middle of a furious firefight. This book sorely needed an editor to cut out the fat.
The characters are as thin as the paper in the book. There are a lot of stereotypes and boring characters in the story; only a vanishing few will leave a mark. The protagonist is, of course, the most well-developed, but I can't see him as a battle-hardened SEAL who crossed over to the CIA. He comes off more like a generic action hero. The sex scenes and romance in this story look forced, and I don't get any insight into the emotions of the characters beyond rage and regret.
For a debut novelist, this is just bland. For veteran writers, this is just bad. I'm guessing Clancy licensed his name while Peter Telep did most of the writing. This is the sort of book you read to kill time, and nothing more.
Everything else set me off. Tom Clancy's name may be on it, but I don't really think he wrote it. The Clancy brand is founded on research, realism and authenticity. Much of that was lacking in this story, especially in the action scenes. There are characters who casually fire two pistols as though they were the Chow Yun-Fat, tactics that are rudimentary at best and suicidal at worst, and operators who make the kind of tactical mistakes operators wouldn't make in real life.
The prose is bland at best. Too many times, characters are described by having their back stories dumped on the reader. Those back stories may be interesting to write, but most of the time they just hold up the story and pad out the book. The same goes with equipment descriptions, especially when they are picked up in the middle of a furious firefight. This book sorely needed an editor to cut out the fat.
The characters are as thin as the paper in the book. There are a lot of stereotypes and boring characters in the story; only a vanishing few will leave a mark. The protagonist is, of course, the most well-developed, but I can't see him as a battle-hardened SEAL who crossed over to the CIA. He comes off more like a generic action hero. The sex scenes and romance in this story look forced, and I don't get any insight into the emotions of the characters beyond rage and regret.
For a debut novelist, this is just bland. For veteran writers, this is just bad. I'm guessing Clancy licensed his name while Peter Telep did most of the writing. This is the sort of book you read to kill time, and nothing more.
February 23, 2020
I thought that this book was intense
October 3, 2011
AGAINST ALL ENEMIES is Tom Clancy's first major fiction release to be written with the help of a co-author, Peter Telep. While authors like James Patterson use a coauthor all the time and turn out the same type of story, I could really tell a difference in this book compared to other Clancy novels. This novel seemed to devote a lot more time to the depth and emotional side of the characters, which was good. But at the same time, the story really seemed to slow down in the middle of the novel as plot got bogged up in too much detail involving a kidnappin plan.
Max Moore is a CIA agent workin gin Afghanistan. He returns to American to work on a task force that will be targeting the biggest Mexican drug cartel, run by Jorge Rojas. Other plot threads follow Rojas, who is concerned about his son finding out the truth about the family business, and his son Miguel and his beautiful girlfriend Sonya. Several plot lines follow American agents as they try to inflitrate the cartels, as well as a cartel thug trying to avenge his parents' death, and another building a tunnel from Jaurez to El Paso. The final thread includes the terrorists planning their mission and then executing it.
This book is as long as most Clancy novels, but just doesn't quite feel the same. It is better than some, because I feel like the main character Max Moore had real depth and actually felt emotion. The middle of the novel, mostly set in Mexico and the cartels, became confusing at times as so many plots and characters were juggled around. Overall, I'm glad to get another Clancy book so soon, and can't wait for the next installment when Max Moore starts working with Caruso and Jack Ryan Jr.
Max Moore is a CIA agent workin gin Afghanistan. He returns to American to work on a task force that will be targeting the biggest Mexican drug cartel, run by Jorge Rojas. Other plot threads follow Rojas, who is concerned about his son finding out the truth about the family business, and his son Miguel and his beautiful girlfriend Sonya. Several plot lines follow American agents as they try to inflitrate the cartels, as well as a cartel thug trying to avenge his parents' death, and another building a tunnel from Jaurez to El Paso. The final thread includes the terrorists planning their mission and then executing it.
This book is as long as most Clancy novels, but just doesn't quite feel the same. It is better than some, because I feel like the main character Max Moore had real depth and actually felt emotion. The middle of the novel, mostly set in Mexico and the cartels, became confusing at times as so many plots and characters were juggled around. Overall, I'm glad to get another Clancy book so soon, and can't wait for the next installment when Max Moore starts working with Caruso and Jack Ryan Jr.
July 16, 2011
Remember those tight Tom Clancy plots with lots of moving pieces in different parts of the world, that slid together through the book to form an intricate machine? You won't find that here.
Remember those intense scenes describing a fast-breaking event in slow motion, giving every detail? You won't find that here.
Remember the constant recitations of model numbers of every real or imagined weapons system, complete with attachments? Still got that.
I listened to this on Audible, and I give the narrator credit for keeping me from skipping on to my next book. Certainly Clancy is doing little but lending his name and perhaps an idea or two to another writer, hoping to extend his franchise Patterson-style. If they could exercise better quality control it might work. But not here.
Remember those intense scenes describing a fast-breaking event in slow motion, giving every detail? You won't find that here.
Remember the constant recitations of model numbers of every real or imagined weapons system, complete with attachments? Still got that.
I listened to this on Audible, and I give the narrator credit for keeping me from skipping on to my next book. Certainly Clancy is doing little but lending his name and perhaps an idea or two to another writer, hoping to extend his franchise Patterson-style. If they could exercise better quality control it might work. But not here.
December 28, 2011
We listened to this book on CD as we drove to Iowa and back. It was like listening to a more cliche filled version of any terrible movie shown on FX during a "manly man's movie marathon" weekend. When describing how quickly something occurred during a tense moment, the author depended on only one (horrible)pharase: "in less than a heartbeat". Imagine hearing that every other chapter... it gets old really quick.
The plot was beyond predictable (as was the dialogue) and the stock characterizations of Mexicans, drug lords, afghan terrorists, Columbian drug smugglers, CIA, FBI, SEALS, etc. showed a severe lack of imagination. It did make me laugh out loud from time to time and that is ultimately why I give this book 2 stars
The plot was beyond predictable (as was the dialogue) and the stock characterizations of Mexicans, drug lords, afghan terrorists, Columbian drug smugglers, CIA, FBI, SEALS, etc. showed a severe lack of imagination. It did make me laugh out loud from time to time and that is ultimately why I give this book 2 stars
September 2, 2011
This is the first Clancy book I've read where he co- authors with someone else. It will be the last. The story's badly written, the plot's overly involved and not always logical. I'm not certain why I bothered to finish the thing - maybe to see it any part at all had the quality that Tom Clancy is capable of writing. It didn't. A very disappointing book. It's too bad Clancy once again decided to cheat his readers by selling his name to cover a two-bit writer.
February 16, 2021
Max Moore ain't no Court Gentry, but still a bad-ass in his own right. A revolving menagerie of mayhem, deceit and broken relationships....sound familiar?
March 17, 2023
If you thinking that I gave up reading books so easily,I am not .I’ve passed more of the 60%,and still struggling.So inaccurate details,so flat characters and dialogues,and unbelievable situations.Hollywood scenario ,super Hero like Rambo .Naaah.Just last week I’ve watched documentary about Pakistan -and still wondering ,according their religion ,how on earth the shops in Pakistan smell on cooked pork.And many,many another errors. I know that am reading fictional book,but could be good if the author making elementary research before start writing.
January 3, 2012
I've been a long time fan of Tom Clancy and his "techno-thrillers" but found this book to be different than his usual fare. Not nearly the same focus on "gee whiz" tech, with a MUCH heavier focus on gritty, shoot em ups like Brad Thor and other authors. A good read, but not quite what I expected.
The plot is fast-paced and the characters decent. Interesting plot twists abound and the main thrust of the conflict is fairly original. There were a few observations about the book which I found off putting. There is a single (very) long, extended flashback which is woven into the entire book. Takes up WAY TOO MANY pages to establish a tragic event in the hero's back story. The body count gets so high, I felt like I was reading the script of the Seven Samurai at times. The climactic final scenes and mini-scenes were a little too watered down with little sense of drama. And quite frankly, I found the very ending to be a little bleak even for me. The only other gripe I have is that as a reader I was continually bludgeoned with the lesson of "hanging out with terrorists and/or drug cartels is dangerous!" To paraphrase Chuck Wendig I felt like I was being "whacked with a hammer forged in the volcanic fires of Mount Obvious" at times.
The plot is fast-paced and the characters decent. Interesting plot twists abound and the main thrust of the conflict is fairly original. There were a few observations about the book which I found off putting. There is a single (very) long, extended flashback which is woven into the entire book. Takes up WAY TOO MANY pages to establish a tragic event in the hero's back story. The body count gets so high, I felt like I was reading the script of the Seven Samurai at times. The climactic final scenes and mini-scenes were a little too watered down with little sense of drama. And quite frankly, I found the very ending to be a little bleak even for me. The only other gripe I have is that as a reader I was continually bludgeoned with the lesson of "hanging out with terrorists and/or drug cartels is dangerous!" To paraphrase Chuck Wendig I felt like I was being "whacked with a hammer forged in the volcanic fires of Mount Obvious" at times.
August 17, 2012
#1 in the Max Moore series. Tom Clancy (co-authored by Peter Telep) has left the Jack Ryan universe and begun a series starring ex-SEAL, CIA agent Max Moore in globe trotting, anti-terrorist activities. Enjoyable read but this is not new ground and has visited by Vince Flynn's CIA counter-terrorist Mitch Rapp (12 novels since 1999) and Brad Thor's Secret Service/Homeland Security agent Brad Thor (10 novels since 2002) - not to mention Bond - James Bond.
Max Moore series - A terrorist bombing in Pakistan wipes out Moore's entire CIA team. The former Navy SEAL plunges deep into the treacherous tribal lands to find the terrorist cell; what he discovers leads him to a darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe - the US/Mexico border, where a drug war rages between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels. The landscape is strewn with bodies, innocents and drug dealers alike, but an even deadlier enemy lurks in the background. Moore leads a group of agents who uncover an unholy plan; a strike against the very heart of America.
Max Moore series - A terrorist bombing in Pakistan wipes out Moore's entire CIA team. The former Navy SEAL plunges deep into the treacherous tribal lands to find the terrorist cell; what he discovers leads him to a darker conspiracy in an unexpected part of the globe - the US/Mexico border, where a drug war rages between the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels. The landscape is strewn with bodies, innocents and drug dealers alike, but an even deadlier enemy lurks in the background. Moore leads a group of agents who uncover an unholy plan; a strike against the very heart of America.
October 21, 2011
This was not Clancy's best work (and I realize it wasn't all him, but his name is huge on the cover, so the outcome is on him). The overall storyline was intriguing, but the main character is not nearly on par with Jack Ryan, John Clark, or even Ding Chavez. In spots the story was even difficult to follow because there were so many characters, some you never hear from again and some who don't show up again until 150 pages later, making it hard to remember where they fit in the context of the story.
I finished because the story was good enough to keep me reading and I wanted to know the outcomes, but overall it's just not what I expect from a Clancy novel. Fair or not, he has to live up to higher expectations. If Clancy's name wasn't on the book I might give this three stars, but then again I probably wouldn't have picked it up at all.
I finished because the story was good enough to keep me reading and I wanted to know the outcomes, but overall it's just not what I expect from a Clancy novel. Fair or not, he has to live up to higher expectations. If Clancy's name wasn't on the book I might give this three stars, but then again I probably wouldn't have picked it up at all.
February 22, 2015
3 or more like 3.5 stars...
March 16, 2024
Against All Enemies takes place in Tom Clancy's long-running Ryanverse, but introduces a new protagonist and new characters overall. The lead here is Max Moore, an ex-Navy SEAL and current CIA operative, who is investigating connections between the Taliban and members of the Pakistani armed forces. In the early chapters of the book, we learn that he has cultivated intelligence assets within the Pakistani military, and may be close to finding out where the collusion is occurring. But when his best source is murdered in a coordinated attack at a hotel, his investigation stalls.
Moore then gets called back to North America to work with a joint task force, aimed at crippling the massively powerful Juarez drug cartel. Moore finds himself teamed with agents and specialists from the CIA, CBP, FBI, and DEA. The bulk of the book deals with the massive operation, including intelligence gathering activities, surveillance, undercover work, and eventually, surgical military strikes. It is revealed that the actual head of the cartel is an extraordinarily wealthy and well-respected Mexican businessman, Jorge Rojas, who has many legitimate business interests to cover his illegal dealings. Getting to him will be very, very difficult.
In the final third of the book, we learn that the cartel has been collaborating with the Taliban as a drug supplier, but that the Taliban has motives of their own. They want the Juarez cartel to help them enter the United States surreptitiously so that they can pull off a new terrorist attack on US soil. When the cartel refuses, fearing it will disrupt their business, the Taliban operatives take matters into their own hands.
I have very mixed feelings about these later Clancy books. I really enjoyed his early work, rooted in the Cold War, and grounded in what felt like authentic military and intelligence details. But books like Teeth of the Tiger, Dead or Alive, and this one stretch credulity. The pacing is fast and furious, and they are certainly entertaining action stories. Nonetheless, I don't always believe the characters, the motives, or the sudden reversals of fortune. Perhaps it is just harder for me to suspend my disbelief than it once was.
One thing this book does do well is examine the varying levels of corruption that lead to organized crime and/or terrorism. When a member of the joint task force infiltrates the Mexican Federal Police with an undercover agent, for example, she begins to understand how easy it is for people to live in fear and turn a blind eye to violence and corruption. The same is true with the Pakistan thread. Still, one wonders where the people of good conscience and integrity are in the midst of all of this. It can't be that the only virtuous folks are US-based law enforcement and military. The book might feel more realistic (and maybe more cynical) if we saw corruption bleeding into the FBI or CIA as well. But no, those characters are always upstanding, virtuous, and almost superhuman in their capabilities.
The novel ends with death and destruction, as the Taliban launch their attacks and our American heroes have to stop them. Clancy and his co-author, Peter Telep, posit that everyday citizens will stand up and fight back, again suggesting that there is a moral superiority to the American way of life (steeped though it is in capitalism, exploitation, and consumerism). The politics of the book are worn on its sleeve, and the authors offer little nuance or subtlety.
And maybe that's what I miss the most from the earlier Clancy books. In those novels (e.g., Hunt for Red October, Cardinal of the Kremlin, etc.) Clancy always seemed to try to take his enemies point of view, and serve as an apologist for a different political or economic viewpoint, even while favoring conservative values. The books felt more balanced and even-handed. The older Clancy seems angry, vengeful, and less willing to compromise. And that weakens the quality of these narratives, despite the propulsive plots and engaging action sequences.
Moore then gets called back to North America to work with a joint task force, aimed at crippling the massively powerful Juarez drug cartel. Moore finds himself teamed with agents and specialists from the CIA, CBP, FBI, and DEA. The bulk of the book deals with the massive operation, including intelligence gathering activities, surveillance, undercover work, and eventually, surgical military strikes. It is revealed that the actual head of the cartel is an extraordinarily wealthy and well-respected Mexican businessman, Jorge Rojas, who has many legitimate business interests to cover his illegal dealings. Getting to him will be very, very difficult.
In the final third of the book, we learn that the cartel has been collaborating with the Taliban as a drug supplier, but that the Taliban has motives of their own. They want the Juarez cartel to help them enter the United States surreptitiously so that they can pull off a new terrorist attack on US soil. When the cartel refuses, fearing it will disrupt their business, the Taliban operatives take matters into their own hands.
I have very mixed feelings about these later Clancy books. I really enjoyed his early work, rooted in the Cold War, and grounded in what felt like authentic military and intelligence details. But books like Teeth of the Tiger, Dead or Alive, and this one stretch credulity. The pacing is fast and furious, and they are certainly entertaining action stories. Nonetheless, I don't always believe the characters, the motives, or the sudden reversals of fortune. Perhaps it is just harder for me to suspend my disbelief than it once was.
One thing this book does do well is examine the varying levels of corruption that lead to organized crime and/or terrorism. When a member of the joint task force infiltrates the Mexican Federal Police with an undercover agent, for example, she begins to understand how easy it is for people to live in fear and turn a blind eye to violence and corruption. The same is true with the Pakistan thread. Still, one wonders where the people of good conscience and integrity are in the midst of all of this. It can't be that the only virtuous folks are US-based law enforcement and military. The book might feel more realistic (and maybe more cynical) if we saw corruption bleeding into the FBI or CIA as well. But no, those characters are always upstanding, virtuous, and almost superhuman in their capabilities.
The novel ends with death and destruction, as the Taliban launch their attacks and our American heroes have to stop them. Clancy and his co-author, Peter Telep, posit that everyday citizens will stand up and fight back, again suggesting that there is a moral superiority to the American way of life (steeped though it is in capitalism, exploitation, and consumerism). The politics of the book are worn on its sleeve, and the authors offer little nuance or subtlety.
And maybe that's what I miss the most from the earlier Clancy books. In those novels (e.g., Hunt for Red October, Cardinal of the Kremlin, etc.) Clancy always seemed to try to take his enemies point of view, and serve as an apologist for a different political or economic viewpoint, even while favoring conservative values. The books felt more balanced and even-handed. The older Clancy seems angry, vengeful, and less willing to compromise. And that weakens the quality of these narratives, despite the propulsive plots and engaging action sequences.
August 22, 2018
I had been wanting to read something by Tom Clancy for awhile, so when I found "Against All Enemies" at a library book sale, I picked it up - cheap. I had no idea what it was about or what a wild ride I was in for. 700 + pages of riveting, extremely disquieting, violent, and hopeless events. I admire the book. It was well-written - obviously with the help of a Ghost Writer or collaborator. Clancy really did his homework. It was - thank God - a work of fiction, but it felt like it came right out of the headlines. It just felt spot on, so much so that I became very depressed, and even scared out of my wits (won't give away why which would be a spoiler). The fact is that I couldn't put it down, as it hurtled towards the terrible ending, and I was exhausted and anxious when I finished it. Not a good state of mind to be in right before going to sleep! I couldn't fall asleep either, even though I was exhausted from reading the book. This book has everything - except in-depth character development, or any solutions to a major global problem: the international network of drug/arms trafficking, governmental corruption, money laundering, and - yes - terrorism, all rolled into one horrific package. It made me want to pull up the covers over my head, and get into the fetal position to shut it out. Am I glad I read it? I'm not sure. Would I recommend it? For those who love action-packed stories; for those who can maintain their sense of optimism, even when everything seems to be going to hell in a hand-basket. In short - reader beware!
June 19, 2017
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
One of the aspects I like about a Tom Clancy novel is that it is fiction but it seems so realistic. And this could be frightful considering the subjects he writes about. This is true about this book. In this book, the Taliban want to enter the United States. They go to the drug cartels in Mexico and ask for their help in using their drug routes.
Like I said this book has some scary scenes and I hope it never happens. The culmination of the Taliban's plan was riveting and I could not read fast enough. There is plenty of action throughout the book as we travel from the Middle East to Mexico and the U.S.A. I did think the characters were not a highlight of this book. When the book detailed the drug cartels in Mexico none of the characters really stood out. There was a high number of characters and it became a muddled mess that did not really hold my interest. I also had a problem with the main character. There were several times when he is in a pressure situation like a gunfight and he has a flashback. I didn't think this would be the best time for this and it seemed out of place.
The beginning and the end of this book was terrific. The middle did seem to drag and that did affect my rating. I was interested in most of the book and the book does make you wonder if this could happen. Hopefully not.
One of the aspects I like about a Tom Clancy novel is that it is fiction but it seems so realistic. And this could be frightful considering the subjects he writes about. This is true about this book. In this book, the Taliban want to enter the United States. They go to the drug cartels in Mexico and ask for their help in using their drug routes.
Like I said this book has some scary scenes and I hope it never happens. The culmination of the Taliban's plan was riveting and I could not read fast enough. There is plenty of action throughout the book as we travel from the Middle East to Mexico and the U.S.A. I did think the characters were not a highlight of this book. When the book detailed the drug cartels in Mexico none of the characters really stood out. There was a high number of characters and it became a muddled mess that did not really hold my interest. I also had a problem with the main character. There were several times when he is in a pressure situation like a gunfight and he has a flashback. I didn't think this would be the best time for this and it seemed out of place.
The beginning and the end of this book was terrific. The middle did seem to drag and that did affect my rating. I was interested in most of the book and the book does make you wonder if this could happen. Hopefully not.
July 22, 2024
I can see why Telep only got one crack at this before they cancelled the second book. There were a few good parts but the rest was an unmitigated disaster.
June 22, 2025
Started out a little slow but finished strong. I was surprised how I started to like this the more I read it
July 4, 2017
finished this one this morning, 4 jul 17, good story, 4-stars.
May 26, 2012
This is a Tom Clancy book. If you've ever read another, you can probably stop reading this review. If you like Tom Clancy books, you'll like this one. If you don't like Tom Clancy books, what's wrong with you?
In Against All Enemies, Clancy and his co-author, Peter Telep, imagine the chaos and terror that could befall the United States if the Taliban and a Mexican drug cartel got together and decided to cooperate with one another. Without giving too much away, it won't surprise you to know that the result could be bad, very bad.
But, luckily for us and the world, a group of American heroes stand in the way of the evil plot. Clancy introduces a new hero in Max Moore, an ex-Navy SEAL now working as a covert operative for the CIA. In textbook Clancy style, the narrative jumps back and forth from Moore to friends and enemies. Multiple perspectives are given in 756 pages of intricate detail. If you're not a fan, you'd call it mind-numbing and I wouldn't even try to argue. Clancy's never been accused of cutting to the chase. (Though the chases are fun when he, eventually, gets there.) But for those of us who are Clancy fans, we'd expect and settle for nothing less. I was even disappointed that the margins seemed squeezed a little - but that help progress.
None of the recurring characters of Clancy's universe make any real contribution to this book. Jack Ryan does not appear and we can't really tell if he even exists or, if he does, where he's at on his career path. That's a real problem in keeping political/military thrillers relevant. If Clancy's prior books are taken as true . . . then this book wouldn't make a lot of sense. 9-11 wouldn't have happened on Jack Ryan's watch, but, of course, it did. So, if Clancy wants to write in the present day, he has to write in a world where 9-11 did happen. So, what's that say about Jack Ryan? Best to say nothing and just move on.
Readers should enjoy one major benefit from the entirely new cast of characters . . . we don't know in advance who is a "keeper" and who is not. That means we don't know who Clancy's going to kill off and who is safe. There are plenty of guys in red shirts (original Star Trek reference) and Moore is the only one in yellow. But, since we haven't heard of any of them before, we don't know who is wearing what.
In the end, I'll go back to the beginning . . . if you know what a Tom Clancy book is, you already know if you should read this one or not. If you're interested in Clancy but haven't read any of his stuff before, this one would be an okay place to start. But if you're old enough to remember the Cold War, you should probably go back to the beginning and find a copy of The Hunt for Red October or, my personal favorite, Red Storm Rising. If you like those . . . eventually you'll read them all.
In Against All Enemies, Clancy and his co-author, Peter Telep, imagine the chaos and terror that could befall the United States if the Taliban and a Mexican drug cartel got together and decided to cooperate with one another. Without giving too much away, it won't surprise you to know that the result could be bad, very bad.
But, luckily for us and the world, a group of American heroes stand in the way of the evil plot. Clancy introduces a new hero in Max Moore, an ex-Navy SEAL now working as a covert operative for the CIA. In textbook Clancy style, the narrative jumps back and forth from Moore to friends and enemies. Multiple perspectives are given in 756 pages of intricate detail. If you're not a fan, you'd call it mind-numbing and I wouldn't even try to argue. Clancy's never been accused of cutting to the chase. (Though the chases are fun when he, eventually, gets there.) But for those of us who are Clancy fans, we'd expect and settle for nothing less. I was even disappointed that the margins seemed squeezed a little - but that help progress.
None of the recurring characters of Clancy's universe make any real contribution to this book. Jack Ryan does not appear and we can't really tell if he even exists or, if he does, where he's at on his career path. That's a real problem in keeping political/military thrillers relevant. If Clancy's prior books are taken as true . . . then this book wouldn't make a lot of sense. 9-11 wouldn't have happened on Jack Ryan's watch, but, of course, it did. So, if Clancy wants to write in the present day, he has to write in a world where 9-11 did happen. So, what's that say about Jack Ryan? Best to say nothing and just move on.
Readers should enjoy one major benefit from the entirely new cast of characters . . . we don't know in advance who is a "keeper" and who is not. That means we don't know who Clancy's going to kill off and who is safe. There are plenty of guys in red shirts (original Star Trek reference) and Moore is the only one in yellow. But, since we haven't heard of any of them before, we don't know who is wearing what.
In the end, I'll go back to the beginning . . . if you know what a Tom Clancy book is, you already know if you should read this one or not. If you're interested in Clancy but haven't read any of his stuff before, this one would be an okay place to start. But if you're old enough to remember the Cold War, you should probably go back to the beginning and find a copy of The Hunt for Red October or, my personal favorite, Red Storm Rising. If you like those . . . eventually you'll read them all.
August 4, 2012
I just finished “Against All Enemies” by Tom Clancy with Peter Telep. I had read some of the reviews when it first came out that said it was not Clancy and didn't stack up with his earlier works, but I wanted to read it anyway and was happy to get it as a gift for Father's Day. I quickly worked it into my reading and I enjoyed the read.
First, it has been a long time since I've read anything by Clancy. I picked up “Dead or Alive” six months ago when it came out, but have not worked it into my reading yet, but plan to do so soon. I've always liked Clancy, especially “Without Remorse.” So what about this newest book? It is sort of like “Without Remorse” and others in that era are the big summer time blockbusters and “Against All Enemies” is a straight to DVD release. I like them both, and sometimes the straight to DVD make you wonder why they didn't have a theater run. So I liked “Against All Enemies,” and had fun reading it, and that's why I read novels, to have fun and enjoy them. However, I agree that it didn't have the same feel and style of the Clancy books I so much enjoyed in the 90s. I've also enjoyed some of the straight to paperback action tales that have Clancy's name on them, such as NetForce. I like military action stories, both those with depth and length and short lighter reads.
This book is fast paced and full of action. The main character, ex-Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore, was someone I liked, even if the back story that haunts him is a bit predictable. I still like the stories about John Kelly, aka Mr. Clark, also an ex-SEAL, better, but I like Moore too. I especially liked the ending of the book and the way the authors wrote about the simultaneous events. The story is modern, and reading the story makes one wonder just what might be being plotted in our world. The very end suggests there may be further stories about Moore, and I hope there is. I'll read further adventures about this character.
I understand some of the disappointment by those who didn't believe this book lived up to Clancy's earlier works and who didn't care for the collaboration with Telep. However, I think if you give the book a chance, and if you enjoy military action tales, you will find this is a fun read. Lighter and quicker to read than earlier works by the author by himself, but fun nonetheless.
First, it has been a long time since I've read anything by Clancy. I picked up “Dead or Alive” six months ago when it came out, but have not worked it into my reading yet, but plan to do so soon. I've always liked Clancy, especially “Without Remorse.” So what about this newest book? It is sort of like “Without Remorse” and others in that era are the big summer time blockbusters and “Against All Enemies” is a straight to DVD release. I like them both, and sometimes the straight to DVD make you wonder why they didn't have a theater run. So I liked “Against All Enemies,” and had fun reading it, and that's why I read novels, to have fun and enjoy them. However, I agree that it didn't have the same feel and style of the Clancy books I so much enjoyed in the 90s. I've also enjoyed some of the straight to paperback action tales that have Clancy's name on them, such as NetForce. I like military action stories, both those with depth and length and short lighter reads.
This book is fast paced and full of action. The main character, ex-Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore, was someone I liked, even if the back story that haunts him is a bit predictable. I still like the stories about John Kelly, aka Mr. Clark, also an ex-SEAL, better, but I like Moore too. I especially liked the ending of the book and the way the authors wrote about the simultaneous events. The story is modern, and reading the story makes one wonder just what might be being plotted in our world. The very end suggests there may be further stories about Moore, and I hope there is. I'll read further adventures about this character.
I understand some of the disappointment by those who didn't believe this book lived up to Clancy's earlier works and who didn't care for the collaboration with Telep. However, I think if you give the book a chance, and if you enjoy military action tales, you will find this is a fun read. Lighter and quicker to read than earlier works by the author by himself, but fun nonetheless.
December 2, 2012
A very well-constructed story with a new protagonist built on familiar themes from the master of espionage thrillers, along with a co-author. Tom Clancy and Peter Telep put a new spin on the world of counter-terrorism in this book by introducing a new character, Max Moore, to lead the charge. Clancy's most famous lead is usually Jack Ryan, known from so many of Clancy's books and subsequent movies, played by the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford of course, Ben Affleck, and soon, Chris Pine. So, rather than retread that character, which is a great one, Max Moore comes about things from a more tactical angle, being a former SEAL and CIA man. He's more hands-on and less political than Ryan, and that's what makes this book so enjoyable.
The plot of this novel essentially involves the Taliban joining forces with Mexican drug cartels, for several reasons, not the least of which is that the cartels have access to sneak into the U.S. unfettered. Not everyone of the bad guys in Mexico is on board, citing that it doesn't make sense to partner with killers of Americans, since Americans are the biggest consumers of the Mexicans' illegal products. It's more of a marriage of inconvenience; however, as a reader, I found myself wondering if it was as simple as this book was outlining, for the terrorists to engage their nefarious goals so easily. Hopefully not.
With a Tom Clancy book, one knows what one is getting into: very specific details, right down to the minutiae, and those details we now take at face value because he tends to deal with authenticity. It is this authenticity that makes this book a great read. There are portions when you might find it to be fantastical, but because of the author's reputation, you also know he's not exaggerating or writing nonsense. Terrific spy novel that breathes new life into its genre.
The plot of this novel essentially involves the Taliban joining forces with Mexican drug cartels, for several reasons, not the least of which is that the cartels have access to sneak into the U.S. unfettered. Not everyone of the bad guys in Mexico is on board, citing that it doesn't make sense to partner with killers of Americans, since Americans are the biggest consumers of the Mexicans' illegal products. It's more of a marriage of inconvenience; however, as a reader, I found myself wondering if it was as simple as this book was outlining, for the terrorists to engage their nefarious goals so easily. Hopefully not.
With a Tom Clancy book, one knows what one is getting into: very specific details, right down to the minutiae, and those details we now take at face value because he tends to deal with authenticity. It is this authenticity that makes this book a great read. There are portions when you might find it to be fantastical, but because of the author's reputation, you also know he's not exaggerating or writing nonsense. Terrific spy novel that breathes new life into its genre.
December 24, 2012
I normally don't write reviews for books on here, but I felt like for this one I needed to. I was about a quarter of the way through this book when I sensed something was wrong, something just didn't seem right. The story is confusing and disjointed. It was at this point I noticed the book was written by a co-author, which I had not noticed before, and things started to click into place. I came on here and read the other reviews and was not very encouraged that it was going to get any better. I did give the book the benefit of the doubt and finish it, since it would drive me insane to put a book down unfinished, but I agree with most of the other reviewers on here, this book just does not work. I'm a big fan of Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp series, and I agree that this book is based on a similar character, but that's where the similarities end. Flynn's stories are MUCH more well written and much more accurate in the military details (which is usually Clancy's claim to fame!) and much more enjoyable. I'm not offended by profanity, but this book uses it excessively, in both dialogue and non-dialogue to the point where it gets tired, every bad guy is referred to as "that asshole on the corner", which this is also not characteristic of Clancy. I would wager to guess that this book was 90% written by Peter Talab the co-author since it is not Clancy's style in the least. If you're a fan of Classic Clancy like "Hunt for Red October" and "Rainbow Six" this is NOT it. I'm extremely disappointed. I own the entire Jack Ryan series, and was excited about the beginning of this new series and it falls extremely short of expectations. As long as Clancy continues to use co-authors (or likely, ghost authors who do ALL the writing) I won't read Clancy anymore.
July 7, 2011
“Against All Enemies” by Tom Clancy with Peter Telep, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
BIG BOOK - BIG STORY - BIG ACTION
“Against All Enemies” is quite different from all the other books written by Tom Clancy, in fact, this may be his best effort to date. The reader is introduced to a new character and a plot that is not only up to date but could very easily be in place today. Personally, I hope al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the drug cartels do not read this book.
Maxwell Moore is an ex-Navy Seal who is now working for the CIA. He is working in Pakistan and an operation that he is in charge of goes bad. He barely escapes with this life and is bent on finding those responsible for the failed mission.
Max is called back to the United States because a more sinister plot is being planned, a plot that includes al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and a Mexican drug cartel. The United States is using its entire alphabet, CIA, DEA, ATF,DHS, BORTAC, to find out what these groups are planning.
The action, and there is plenty of it, ranges from the Middle East to Mexico to the United States.
The book is full of double crossing, total disregard for human life, and a plan to rival for horror of 9/11.
“Against All Enemies” will keep the reader turning pages so fast they will not realize the book is over 700 pages long. Just about every page brings someone new into the story, or changes the plot line. There are many characters in the book but few will be around at the end, you may not want to get attached to them.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
BIG BOOK - BIG STORY - BIG ACTION
“Against All Enemies” is quite different from all the other books written by Tom Clancy, in fact, this may be his best effort to date. The reader is introduced to a new character and a plot that is not only up to date but could very easily be in place today. Personally, I hope al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the drug cartels do not read this book.
Maxwell Moore is an ex-Navy Seal who is now working for the CIA. He is working in Pakistan and an operation that he is in charge of goes bad. He barely escapes with this life and is bent on finding those responsible for the failed mission.
Max is called back to the United States because a more sinister plot is being planned, a plot that includes al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and a Mexican drug cartel. The United States is using its entire alphabet, CIA, DEA, ATF,DHS, BORTAC, to find out what these groups are planning.
The action, and there is plenty of it, ranges from the Middle East to Mexico to the United States.
The book is full of double crossing, total disregard for human life, and a plan to rival for horror of 9/11.
“Against All Enemies” will keep the reader turning pages so fast they will not realize the book is over 700 pages long. Just about every page brings someone new into the story, or changes the plot line. There are many characters in the book but few will be around at the end, you may not want to get attached to them.
October 31, 2011
I always enjoy a Tom Clancy novel. I enjoyed the new Max Moore character and the history behind him. I'm glad they used a whole book to introduce you into a new and complex character, haunted by his past, yet so aware of his purpose in life. His was an emotional journey, affected by those he only new for a matter of minutes or days. I believe he can be a critical character in future novels.
That being said, the book was not Clancy at his best. It lacked a certain element and depth that the earlier books contained. It was almost too predictable. The way the Rojas character was introduced (too good for his own good) made it to easy to suspect his true role in the novel. the mission the terrorists play out was expected, as the tool employed was hinted at far too early in advance. There was I one "shocker" that I did not see coming.
All in all, a pleasant read, but too easy. It lacked the excitement and visual imagery I've longed for in Clancys work. I wish HE would write the novels, and not "collaborate" with other authors. At spots it truly seemed that multiple writers were at work, but lacking coherence in the story.
If youre a Clancy fan, it's still a must have. But it feels the best days of the franchise might be behind us.
That being said, the book was not Clancy at his best. It lacked a certain element and depth that the earlier books contained. It was almost too predictable. The way the Rojas character was introduced (too good for his own good) made it to easy to suspect his true role in the novel. the mission the terrorists play out was expected, as the tool employed was hinted at far too early in advance. There was I one "shocker" that I did not see coming.
All in all, a pleasant read, but too easy. It lacked the excitement and visual imagery I've longed for in Clancys work. I wish HE would write the novels, and not "collaborate" with other authors. At spots it truly seemed that multiple writers were at work, but lacking coherence in the story.
If youre a Clancy fan, it's still a must have. But it feels the best days of the franchise might be behind us.
September 24, 2013
In Against All Enemies, CIA operative and former Navy SEAL Max Moore is fighting a battle on two fronts. It starts off with him combatting the Taleban in Pakistan. It then transitions to the drug wars in Mexico, where Moore and a team are trying to take down the biggest drug cartel in the world. These two fights are related since the terrorists are supplying the drugs to the cartel to fund their Jihad operations. The cartel has a long reach, and the leader of the cartel is a very powerful person. Meanwhile the terrorists are trying to reach the United States and enact another 9/11 style attack on US soil.
I thought Clancy's Jack Ryan novels had gotten stale and not remotely realistic. The novels were stuck in the past, and this book gave his writing a necessary face lift. The novel was loaded with action throughout and the writing was competent and professional. There were a few plot holes and some factual issues, but I thought the characterization was strong. The team assembled to take on the Cartel had quality characters that resonated. There was plenty of action that kept the novel moving. The ending was a bit of a letdown, however. This was a solid novel that action fans will enjoy.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
I thought Clancy's Jack Ryan novels had gotten stale and not remotely realistic. The novels were stuck in the past, and this book gave his writing a necessary face lift. The novel was loaded with action throughout and the writing was competent and professional. There were a few plot holes and some factual issues, but I thought the characterization was strong. The team assembled to take on the Cartel had quality characters that resonated. There was plenty of action that kept the novel moving. The ending was a bit of a letdown, however. This was a solid novel that action fans will enjoy.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
August 1, 2011
This book was subpar for Clancy. Its as though he needed some money to pay bills and dashed the book off over a weekend. It thought the double plot was ill-conceived and implausible (although many might argue that all of his books are implausible). His gratuitous use of profanity in this book was offensive to me. The great English authors of the 19th century also dealt with subject matter which was, no doubt, fraught with gutter talk. Yet, it did not spill into their books and they produced some of the greatest literature of all time. I reject the argument that profanity must be used for the sake of "realism." Clancy continues to dazzle the reader with his detailed descriptions of munitions, technology and agency-speak. And portions of the plots are very engaging. Still, I felt the book did not compare with the likes of "Red Storm Rising" and "Hunt for the Red October". If Clancy does not return to his former self in future books, he may have lost a reader.
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