Rating: 
Summary: Long wait for a payoff you've read before
Review: I've been with Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan since the beginning, but even I have to wonder if maybe it isn't time to turn out the lights and sweep up.After Clancy throws us a bone of an "action" sequence (lasting a few milliseconds, literally) in the opening pages, it grinds to an unbelievable halt for, I dunno, 750 pages before the "Tom Clancy book" begins -- except what we get is pretty much the climax of Executive Orders, with Chinese names pasted over the Islamic ones. Remember when Clancy used to surprise us? Everything here is telegraphed ages in advance. Remember when it was cute that all the good guys (military, law enforcement, political, whatever) were cut from the exact same wise-capable-honest-but-exasperated pattern? By now he's choked his world with an army of functionally identical good guys, especially in Ryan's cabinet. But don't worry, each of them has three different names you'll have to keep straight (his actual name, his job title, his Secret Service codename). Huge tracts of text could have been left profitably behind. Just because some military unit is going to appear on page X, we don't have to see them 40 times beginning on page X minus 500 chatting about their training regimen over coffee. Especially not if we met all the same people in previous books. The sharp increase in profanity and gutter thinking that other readers have pointed out doesn't offend me, but it does seem to show a writer who's too tired of his own creation to approach it with elegance anymore. He also leaves the air littered with story arcs that never make it back to earth. He'd probably say that he's being realistic--that in life, subplots and tangents don't always wrap themselves up neatly at the end. But I can get reality on the news, and I can get it for free. If this series continues, can we get Jack Ryan out of the Oval Office already? One of the fun things about the earlier books was his meteoric, merit-driven rise through the ranks of government service. I know that there's no higher he can go, but he's been in this job longer than any other we've seen him occupy. Cool things could happen to Jack Ryan as a goodwill ambassador to some exotic locale that goes to hell while he's there, or in a similar situation. Get some dirt under the man's fingernails again. I didn't realize just how strenuously I was going to trash Clancy until I started writing this. I've read some arrogant and unlikable things the author has said in real life, and that may be coloring my thinking. And to be honest, dutiful addict that I am, I'll probably lap up the next Jack Ryan story, if there is one. But I'll get it from the public library.
Rating: 
Summary: And the Saga Continues
Review: When Tom Clancy ended Debt of Honor (1994) with Jack Ryan as President of the United States, this reader thought that Clancy would have to move on to another character. After all, what more could Ryan do? He had progressed from a history professor at Annapolis to junior analyst at the CIA to National Security Advisor to Vice-President, and now held the top office in the land. Well, Clancy did have another adventure for Ryan. In Executive Orders (1996) Clancy found a plot for continuing the Ryan saga, with Jack reconstituting the government, successfully countering a ploy by a corrupt politician to take the presidency away from him, and foiling a Chinese-backed attempt by Iran to destroy the United States through germ warfare. (The Chinese were also silent partners in Japan's plot in Debt of Honor.) In The Bear and The Dragon, Clancy has once again found a plot for President Ryan. This time the Chinese Politburo moves directly to gain control of eastern Siberia, its resources and its space for the burgeoning Chinese population. Russia has found gold deposits larger than those of South Africa and petroleum deposits larger than in the Persian Gulf. With these resources, a well-managed Russia will have the capital, in hard currency, to modernize its economy and solve its internal problems. Chinese leaders do not want a sound Russia on its borders, and do want the capital to consolidate their own positions and solidify their military strength so they may rebuff foreign influence-especially economic. Jack and the United States survive and conquer, of course, but the tale is told with Clancy's inimitable, suspense-filled style. A reader's observation on Clancy's style is that while he still uses long discourses, and lots of technical description, the discourses are less detailed technology and more personal reflection. He seems to have matured into more concern for individual motivation and political philosophy. Clancy has Ryan acting in a politically conservative fashion, making decisions based on logic and consideration of popular welfare more than political position. Wouldn't we all like to see that in Washington? The problem is agreeing on the definition and the methods of achieving popular welfare.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and Tough!
Review: Ryan's a bit of a wuss as President, however, his staff makes all the really big decisions as any good staff does. John Clark is still " Da Man". Along with Ding, they have a some what limited role, but thats ok I got a little Rainbowed out with "Six". What really kept me turning the pages was Tom Clancy's introduction to humor to this book. He has always had a few good lines in previous books but this one is full of little (if not crude) one liners that kept me laughing out loud in a empty room. In short, one of his three best books yet.
Rating:
Summary: Second-Tier Clancy Book Still Keeps Me Up 'till 2am
Review: With 281 reviews already logged, I will only offer a summary: Minuses: - Some repitition (not a lot) - More profanity than needed to support the story line - Subtle racism is a little unsettling - Jack Ryan's a whiner about being president - What's up with the detailed descriptions of Ryan's taking a .... every morning? Pluses: + Pseudo-cold war plot at which Clancy excels: espionage, military strategy, Russians, cool technology + Best plotting since all-but-the-last-25-pages of Debt of Honor; nice buildup; overall pretty believable + MUCH less repetition than the last three books, I'd estimate less than 10 pages total (compared to about 1/3 of Rainbow Six and Executive Orders) + Best writing since Sum of All Fears Overall: My favorite's still Red Storm Rising, followed by Clear and Present Danger and HFRO. My least favorite is Patriot Games (because the last 1/3 was ridiculous and a huge let down after the superb first 2/3). I'd put B&D in the top half among Clancy's books, which makes it a .... good read. The only thing that makes it faintly disappointing is that I've read Clancy's other books. If I hadn't read his other books, this would probably be the best techno thriller I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Clancy the Nationalistic Xenophobe
Review: The entire first half of this book was offensive, infuriating, and, ultimately, extremely disappointing. I am an avid Clancy reader, having read all of his books. I love them, and I'm a huge fan of Jack Ryan. I'd been awaiting this book since Amazon began taking pre-orders months ago. But in this book, Clancy's nationalism, xenophobia and arch-conservative politics spilled over the top and ruined an otherwise compelling plot. In each of Clancy's books, Clancy's conservative political views on domestic & international governmental policy are apparent. However, his politics are usually seamlessly woven into the story. And the knowledgeable Clancy reader understands that Jack Ryan, the messenger of these politics, is likely Clancy's alter ego. Even Clancy's lengthy political diatribes -- delivered through Jack Ryan -- are tolerable because they are so obtuse. It's Clancy's book. He has a right to use it as a soapbox. Certainly, as Clancy sets up the United States's political and economic enemies for the big fall to come, he must compel the reader to feel enmity for those enemies. But need he pander to racial prejudice in doing so? What is my concern? The repeated, numerous and uniform derogatory racial epithets directed by every American character towards the Chinese people: "little," "yellow," etc. (Forget not the blatant references to Chinese genitalia). While I can understand a demeaning reference or two as a literary tool to build the necessary hostility towards the Chinese protagonists in the book, Clancy went too far. It is one matter for one or two characters to make prejudiced remarks in the heat of the moment. It is quite another matter for VIRTUALLY EVERY American in the book to make the same prejudiced remarks repeatedly. I find it implausible within the flow of the story that the entire American government has racially-grounded prejudices against the Chinese. And for Jack Ryan to be the most conspicuous messenger of those sentiments was profoundly disappointing to this fan of Jack Ryan. I hope that Clancy will stick to what he does best: Weave big, compelling plots that celebrate the strength of this country and develop the character of Jack Ryan et al. as American heroes. Leave the cheap xenophobia on the cutting room floor. The second half of the book was redeeming, although the first half set-up detracted from it tremendously.
Rating: 
Summary: Making Bricks Without Straw
Review: Clancy enthusiasts may be disappointed with this tome. It is not that the story is less well-told - Clancy has lost none of his talent in that respect - it is more a matter of there being less to tell. Admittedly, since the collapse of the Evil Empire, writers of techno-thrillers have been hard up to find reliable, competent villains, but there is still lots of evil around, and up to now Clancy has been able to articulate it in an interesting and believable fashion. Upon putting the book down, I expect most readers will agree that he should have let the Chinese H-bomb explode!
Rating: 
Summary: A LONG WAIT FOR NOTHING.
Review: DEAR MR CLANCY,I HAVE READ ALL YOUR BOOKS, AND I AM A GREAT FAN OF YOURS. SO, I WAS VERY DISAPPINTED WITH THE BEAR BOOK. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, AND SPENDING THE MONEY FOR THE BOOK WAS A JOY FOR ME TO DO, BUT A HARDSHIP AS WELL. I LOVE BOOKS, AND WANT TO PURCHASE MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, BUT MAYBE I SHOULD GET ANY BOOK YOU WRITE HEREAFTER, FROM THE LIBRARY.
Rating:
Summary: Boring Racist, Right Wing Dribble.
Review: I bought this book understanding that Clancy is just to the right of Attila the Hun, however he can write an incredibly tight techo-military thriller. Unfortunately, I had to wait until almost the end of the book before Clancy hit his stride. The rest of the book was right-wing, racist, xenophobic dribble. Clancy's knowledge of China and Chinese culture is totally MIA. Buy his earlier works, if you want, but stay away from this misguided tome.
Rating:
Summary: Bulked up on repetition
Review: As a fan of Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising, Hunt for Red October, and Executive Orders, I've always loved the detail given to his plots and characters. So when I bought the book, I figured its size was due to another intricate plot. Instead, what I got was a bulked up story filled with retreads of statements made in the older books and repetitive quotes from the characters(How many times do I have to be reminded that widows of the condemned are charged for the executioner's bullet?!?), and blatantly racist remarks. I do not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Bear and the Dragon
Review: I have a first edition of "The Hunt for Red October" and all of Clancy's other novels. This one is an average techno-thriller, but not a Clancy. Years ago Clancy stated that he couldn't write a love making scene "to save his soul". Well, in this book he proves himself right. I can almost tell which chapters that were written when his divorce was not going well. In previous books four letter words were used to make a point, but this book it sounds like Nixon or Clinton was talking and it takes away from the story line. I hope Tom does not listen to his editors on the next book and that it matches his previous books.
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