The Tom Clancy Companion

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)

An updated, in-depth look at the work of the author of The Hunt for Red October presents Clancy's provocative essays on the CIA, the downfall of the Soviet Union, U.S. military spending, and other current issues; an alphabetical guide to his characters and fictional works; an all-new interview; and photographs. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Military Fiction, Essays

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for keeping up with the myriad characters of Clancy's books.

[Curtiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy reference to the high-tech world of Tom Clancy.

[Steven G. Folmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a big fan of Clancy's work, though I admit that I am still trying to get through all of his Jack Ryan books. It is a major undertaking to get through some of his later works. I picked this up to help me keep track of all his characters as well as some of his military acronyms and weaponry. For that purpose it is outstanding. As well as Clancy's interviews which give a broad view of the author. Though I was thoughly annoyed by the mindless Neo-Conservative drivel that unfortunatley permeates the book. As the author reminds you that if you dare have an independant thought, you are a liberal communist who should bow and ask for forgiveness at the feet of the nearest statue of St. Ronnie. Even the synopsis' of each of Clancy's books are filled with moral judgements railing against the "American and European academics and media elite". So, the book stands best what I bought it for, a reference for Clancy's wide and colorful universe. I am just glad I got it for cheap on Ebay!

[Monzenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wish the first part wasn't just a relaying of the summaries of the Clancy books - that got boring quickly. Because otherwise this could be a high 4, with the earnest Clancy portrayal and words from his mouth - though his conservatism could be a bit extreme albeit understandable. Four stars is fitting.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has now become obsolete, which is probably why it is out of print. Originally published in 1992 (and updated in 2005) it contains a brief synopsis of each of Clancy's fiction books through "Teeth of the Tiger" plus original essays and newspaper columns he wrote. All are from 1988-1992 and feel dated (not relevant because they're about the end of the Cold War) except for a column he wrote for The Baltimore Sun in 1992 about a young fan named Kyle which is quite touching. Look for it--available online.

The second half of the book is also available online--just google "Ryanverse" to find it or see websites centered on Clancy's fiction writings. This concordance includes characters, weapons, aircraft, ships, etc. (pretty much anything mentioned in the novels). The glossary does not touch on the Ops Center, NetForce, or Power Play series, nor any books after 2005, of course.

For only the true Tom Clancy nerds out there, others will get bored with it really quick! I use this book as a reference tool to refresh my memory on plot lines and characters from past novels (some of which I read over 25 years ago).

[M.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent means of decoding the characters, war materiel, and abbrevations used in much of Clancy's writing, albeit a little outdated. Warning: if you haven't read the books that Greenberg gave a synopsis on, this companion has spoiler information. I particularly enjoyed the essays that Clancy provided in the third chapter - some of which can produce sadness.

[Marcia Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great reference to have if you are a Tom Clancy Fan. It helps to keep all of his characters straight.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad idea to read this straight through. A great resource for anyone wanting to get more in depth into Clancy's universe.