Rainbow Six

Rating:
Summary: A excellent idea for just a average read
Review: I enjoy Mr. Clancy's books, enjoy all of them. This was extentsion of Clancy's now famous plot line and in this purpose it carried on gracefully, no zip, no shoose, no excitement. I enjoyed the book for the technical aspects and the response team training and practices descriptions. Perhaps beinga law enforcement firearms instructor and qualified for the MP-5 gave a personal insight into Clancy's research, he should be commended at least for this aspect of his book. Yeah the story in itself is interesting but remained flat through out the book. Mr. Clancy is a terrific writer and he doesn't have to prove that to any of us, but perhaps a little bit of excitement like Red Storm Rising, or the Hunt would boost interest in his next novel. No matter though I'll by it anyway

Rating:
Summary: If you've loved Clancy's past works, you'll love this one.
Review: Starts slow, with Clancyesque jumps from subject to previously unintroducted subject. Then, about the time you've figured out who's up to what it takes you on a wonderful roller-coaster ride of suspense with all the proper twists and turns of a great novel.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth bookshelf space
Review: As a writer, Tom Clancy hasn't totally lost his touch,although in many respects this interminable tome ranges from tediousto downright boring. However, when one is overpaid by the word or by the pound, editing doesn't seem to carry a very high priority. While his love for paramilitary organization is abundant, his villains are couched in terms of tree hugging loonies, and he tars everyone who might entertain environmental concerns with the same brush. He sneers at the term "El Nino", apparently refusing to acknowledge that some human and public benefit might actually flow from being able to forecast weather patterns from sea temperature irrespective of what the phenomenon is called. He sneers at adverse impacts on the ozone layer, seemingly espousing more and more power plants, more and more consumption of fossil fuels, and suggests that only some sort of fruitcake would dare contend that maybe, just maybe, we have a problem worthy of some concern. He sneers at global warming, and admires strip mining. He decries the concept of mass murder advanced by his group of environmental terrorists, but adopts with enthusiasm mass murder (or execution, as he would portray it) by his paramilitary cadre for whom even the slightest hint of due process is anathema.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! Clancy dominates this genre!
Review: I am glad Mr. Clancy has brought back John (Kelly) Clark and his main hero. Clark is an introspective tough guy cut from the John Wayne cloth. Clancy's world is truly a dangerous place. If it's not some rag head nuking the Super Bowl (Sum of All Fears,) it's some crazy, left-wing, liberal scientist trying to kill humanity in order to "save the planet." Some people do not like Clancy's political leanings but who really cares? Clancy is dead on target with his descriptions of the enviromental wacko movement. I'm sure Al Gore will be whining about Clancy's work. He'll just have to hug another tree and cry.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding read from the start!!
Review: This Clancy novel outshines his last two. I like Jack Ryan and the essance of his charactor, but John Terrance Kelly/Clark is awesome. Once again we are delighted to see Clark in center stage. The only grievance of the whole book was it was too predictable. Especially in the hospital scenario, it just could not happen to Clark again. Other than a few items like this it is overall my second favorite of Clancy next to Without Remorse. Clancy knows how to tell a tightly woven plot and keep you interested all the way through. I have yet to read a Clancy novel I couldn't put down until finished. Keep it up Tom I'm still a great fan!!!

Rating:
Summary: Where's the editor?
Review: I was looking forward to reading another book focusing on John Clark after enjoying "Debt of Honor," but this one is very disappointing. Usually it takes a hundred pages for me to "get into" a Clancy novel. This book starts out OK, but gets more and more boring as the lengthy pages progress. What I really wished for was a decent editing job that would have cut the pages in half, focused the plot, and cut out the unnecessary diatribes against the environmental movement, entertainment industry (Disney), and so forth. I wondered what Newt was doing these days - he was secretly collaborating with Clancy on this book! On the plus side, Clancy has put more focus on the characters; however, it will be a long time before characterization alone can carry his books. If you really need to read every Clancy novel, at least wait for the paperback or, better yet, an abridged audiotape.

Rating:
Summary: Bad-- read something else
Review: This book is simply bad. Apparently Mr. Clancy feels he had it made and doesn't have to really put much effort into plot, characters or setting. I took the advice of earlier reviewers and read THE OMEGA MISSILE by Joe Dalton. A very good thriller. You also might want to check out Bob Mayer's special forces series of books, like DRAGON SIM-13 or CUT OUT. At least Mayer wore the green beret and knows what he's talking about. And his books are damn good.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and unbelievable
Review: I was very, very disappointed in the novel as a whole. I had to make sure it was written by the same Tom Clancy that wrote all the rest. It seems more of an attempt by someone else to write in Clancy's style. And why the special pains to exclude Jack Ryan? He is after all still the President in the novel, but everyone seemed to be acting without his authority and to act in ways which anyone in such positions would never be allowed to assume. As a whole the bad guys were just plain ridiculous and unbelievable. The opening sequence was especially not believable in the slightest. I would have believed Superman flying in to save the day more. After the build up with Debt of Honor and then seemlessly moving into Executive Orders what a let down!!! The key to all of the other books have been great characters that you could either really love of really hate. You wanted to be like Jack Ryan or like John Clark. To take action like they would. I just don't feel that here. Even the bad guys are not even very despicable, just idiots. I'm sure no writer can always produce consistant first rate material but this should have been stopped by his editor. I'll probably get his next novel right away again but if its of this calibre then I doubt if I'll keep reading Clancy. A Thumbs Down. Come on Tom, you're WAY BETTER than this! Try again and go back to your old style of great characters and even greater plots.

Rating:
Summary: Who kidnapped Clancy and what's the ransom??
Review: Really disappointed in this book. Love the characters Clark and Chavez but this story was packaged and tied with a bow. I figure they could do it in a two night mini-series on NBC. Loved the gadgets but don't any of the bad guy have access to these?? How come Clancy never mentions Jack Ryan and always refers to him as the president? Is he trying to distance Clark from that series and if so why does he mention all the other peripheral characters like Murray, Mary Pat and Ed Foley etc?? I think he needs a good editor to give him some feedback unless he reads these critiques. And while I'm at it did anyone else notice that he repeated himself so many times with phrases and comparisons. I thought I was reading the same pages over again sometimes. Pleeeaaassee!! Cut some of fat next time and give us a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Clancy has lost his touch
Review: This is a real third rate book - implausible plot, improbably perfect good guys, and unbelievably evil bad guys. The political intrigue, careful attention to technical details, and suspenseful plots of some of Clancy's earlier books don't appear in this volume. Suspense in the story is soon quashed because the good guys are absolutely perfect and flawless - nothing they attempt ever fails in any respect. Have a serious hostage situations? No problem - sneak in, shoot all the bad guys, save all the hostages - repeat, rinse. There is no attempt to keep the bad guys in character. Need to kill off a mild mannered laboratory researcher in order to tie up some lose ends in your store? - its easy, just have him grab a rifle and charge out to shoot at the good guys. I think I've read my last Clancy novel.