Rating: 
Summary: I liked it
Review: Perhaps not 100% accurate in his description of the Chinese, still some stuff was pretty close. I only enjoyed disagreeing with the parts i found innacurate while reading the book. Overall I found it very entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Ouch
Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I've read almost all of Clancy's books. Most of them were page turners which I couldn't put down. Not so with this one. Instead of techno-thriller suspense I got a reactionary, bigoted diatribe on why white upper-class Christian americans are great and everyone else (Asians in this book) are evil. It almost seems like Clancy went out of his way to offend people. Apparently he's looking forward to writing for an audience composed entirely of hard-line conservatives, beacause he's trying hard to alienate everyone else.Save your money and definately don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Running out of gas
Review: I'm another long-time Clancy nut - first hooked on HFRO, by Clancy's terrifically intricate plots and attention to detail, which allowed one to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. Unfortunately, in his more recent works, he seems to have begun to run out of ideas, and in so doing, trades tight, gripping plots for bigger explosions at the end. His most enjoyable and plausible stories (see HFRO, Cardinal, or Patriot Games) are those that didn't alter the world, but merely took the reader for a tight, wonderful read. Jack Ryan used to be the best anti-hero I'd encountered in popular fiction - the common-sensical everyman, with flaws (like fear of flying) to boot. Making him president ruined the character, especially after Executive Orders (it was mildly entertaining to watch Everyman Ryan take on the presidential trappings ... for a couple of hundred pages). Likewise, Clancy used to give us great villians - complex and authentic (see the Soviets of Red Storm Rising or COTK, the Arab terrorists of SOAF, or the Irish terrorists of Patriot Games). Now they are cardboard characters, and too often portrayed in racist and insultingly simplistic terms - and thus utterly unbelievable. His female characters have likewise become defined as either good (read: nurturing, mother figures like Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Clark, the pregnant Mrs. Foley or pregnant S.S. Agent Price), or bad (read: liberal, feminist NSA in SOAF, or scientist in Rainbow 6). These juvenile depictions of women make Clancy seem like the creepy 16 y.o. who couldn't get a date to the prom. I had hope that after the debacle of Rainbow 6 (environmentalists out to kill all of mankind ... please ...) that this story would return to plausible global politics/espionage/warfare scenarios, but Clancy now disappoints with silly portrayals of the Chinese. There were some interesting ideas in this plot, but it now seems that Clancy has to go to war in each new book (three wars respectively against Japan, Iran, and now China ...) I don't at all mind Clancy's politics (in fact, agree with many of his opinions), which he has increasingly thrust into the last few novels, but his endless ranting against "tree-huggers", political correct-ness, feminists, Roe v. Wade, etc., makes him sound like the obnoxious drunk at the end of the bar who won't shut up. These opinions add nothing to his stories and seem more like he intends his novels now to be his soapbox. Likewise, the good guys all seem to use the same "jock-speak" and come across as wooden and very predictable. Maybe ending this series and starting fresh with new characters and a return to what he is the master at - detailed, intricate and creative "what if" plots - will bring Clancy back to form. Here's to hoping so.
Rating: 
Summary: Right out of today's headlines
Review: This is a very entertaining book, though the ending seems too abrupt for a work of 1,000-plus pages. I read this during the flap over the EP-3 surveillance plane that landed in Hainan and found that the China of "The Bear and The Dragon" was all too similar to the one in the news, with cynical, propaganda-peddling Maoist leaders trying to reconcile their failed ideology to the realities of an emerging capitalist state. Ryan is superb as the refreshingly politically-incorrect Leader of the Free World, and the book offers an enlightening take on high stakes diplomacy. Not Clancy's best work, but still a very good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Tom Clancy is my favorite writer, but
Review: Tom Clancy is by far my favorite writer, but this book lacks something. I have been trying to finish it since November. To me, the story line is too far-fetched, and we have talked about going to war for over 700 pages before we actually do it. I don't know yet how it ends, and I may never know at the rate it is going. It is a disappointment for me.
Rating:
Summary: The worst Clancy ever
Review: If you have read the last eight Clancy novels, prepare for a disappointment. In contrast to his other work, this one is full of stereotypes and predictable throughout. It does have some suspense, so you keep reading and waiting for the major plot to begin. There is none. I just felt bad afterwards - it's a waste of time. This book reads as if written by a ghostwriter, not Clancy himself.
Rating: 
Summary: OK story, but could have been better
Review: It's mainly OK because there were things that happened in this story that we didn't need to know about. I picked this book up in August of 2000 but didn't really get around to reading it until recently. Tom Clancy could make this, and many previous books, much better if he would trim a few hundred pages of nonsense the reader isn't interested in as well as the techincal gobble-de-gook most readers don't undertstand, unless you're in the armed forces. However, toward the end, it does get exciting. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it yet, but I thought for sure a nuclear war was going to erupt. It probably still will in the future books to come. I will say this though. Are we really expected to believe that after everything that occured, the United States in real life would just say "Oh, forget about it" to another country that nearly blew up a major city of ours? I think not. Tom, I'm sorry, but I think it's getting to be time to either kill off Jack Ryan, or retire him. He was a much better man when he was still in the CIA. Being POTUS doesn't give him much freedom, as we discover in this story.
Rating:
Summary: Old stereotype of China
Review: Great storyline. Lousy gratuitous overuse of the F--- word and sexual innuendos galore. Doesn't add to the storyline. Didn't need them in Hunt for Red October and the other early novels...why is it needed now? It's almost as if Mr. Clancy outlines the plot and some of the story, but others did the writing, especially the profanity and the stupid sex angles. Either that, or he's under the mistaken notion that this is what sells. Unfortunate for such a great storyteller. Research on the current China reveals a vastly different picture than the one portrayed by the characters Chester Nomuri and Ming. No one dresses in little Mao jackets in Beijing anymore! It's as modern looking as any big city and probably much more fashionable than Los Angeles these days. Was disappointed that his research on China was so poor. Have also been noticing that this novel, combined with the China incident is creating a backlash against Chinese Americans, much like what happened to the Japanese Americans during WWII. Some of the current talk shows have callers demanding that all Chinese restaurants be boycotted. What?!!? Let's be careful folks.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story with 'fizzled finale'
Review: Like so many of his recent works, this starts with a great story premise and his unparalled attention to detail is there as always, but falls flat in the climax. Wars are not so perfectly conducted with no errors by the home team. The heroes, much as I'd like to know and be friends with them personally, lack the flaws of human nature that we all have to one degree or another. Rather than a crashing crescendo of a climax that builds to the final bar of music, this simply rolls down with the 'good guys' winning everything; an unlikely scenario for the large 'limited engagement' this is. I'll continue to read Clancy's Jack Ryan & Paul Hood series because I like their character and ethic, but hope Clancy does something to make the endings more realistic.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps It's Time to Retire, Tom
Review: After reading some of the reviews here on Amazon, either people hate it or love it. As for me, this was by far the WORST book Tom's written so far and I am utterly disappointed. I'm a big fan of Tom Clancy ever since Hunt For Red October. I think Clear and Present Danger and Sum of All Fears were some of his best works. I even own and enjoy his PC games Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear. However, after reading The Bear and the Dragon, it has become painfully clear to me that Tom's lost his skill as a master of suspense and action who can weave a complicated, but credible, storyline that keeps a reader glued to the very last page. In fact, in this book he seemed to try very hard to actually repel the reader. Here are some reasons why: 1. The storyline is completely incredible. You'd need to have a Cold War mentality, be an ultra right-wing conservative, or both to believe that China would invade Russia for oil and gold. And that thousands of Chinese tanks and hunreds of Chinese fighters were obliterated by a few bombs and a dozen American fighters? And hardly any American casualties in the end?
2. Characters. What happened to the Jack Ryan that I've come to love? He's become this chain-smoking, self-righteous, racist, pro-lifer that keeps reminding people that he doesn't like his job as the President of the United States.
3. Overuse of racist and foul language. I've lost count as to how many times Clancy uses the "F" word or refers to the Chinese as Joe Ch**k. Also, I'm not sure if the sexual references in his book are supposed to make me laugh or repulse me. Come on, Tom, a "Japanese sausage"???!!!
4. Length of book. My goodness, a 1,000+ page book that could've been written in less than 300. What a waste of paper and time to read those useless pages.
5. Misspellings and chronology problems. At least proofread the book before printing it. Am I the only person who noticed that the assassination attempt came before any oil or gold was discovered to become the reason for the assassination? I won't bore you with other reasons why you should't buy this book. If you must read it, I suggest borrowing it from the library like I did. That way, at least you won't feel cheated twice for wasting your precious money as well as the valuable time that you'll never get back after reading the book.
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