The Hunt for Red October

Rating:
Summary: You've got to read it for yourself
Review: It's the cold war. A Russian missile submarine -- the Red October, commanded by Captain Marko Ramius -- is secretly attempting to defect to the United States. Will the Russians stop her? Or the Americans get her?

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is one of those incredibly detailed military thrillers that I would never manage to get through without the marvel of audio books. The characters and scenerios are fascinatingly real (note: this is a Jack Ryan, CIA novel) and the last quarter of the book is a riveting chase the likes of which I have never before encountered, but the first three quarters are so chock full of details about submarines, Russia, and politics that I would have bailed out within minutes were it not for John MacDonald's careful narration (note: he does an excellent job with the accents). While neither a Navy buff nor a techno geek, I give the book five stars because the realism is so intense that it reads like nonfiction, yet the plot is not so complicated that I got lost. I do think Clancy used the story as a vehicle to show off his great knowledge on various subjects, but he still kept the pace surprisingly fast. I could launch into a long dissertation here on the many plots involved, the many subjects covered, the Soviet and American political scene, but I think the reader will be far better off getting it from the book than from me.

While certainly not the sort of thriller to grab the hyperactive reader, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is one of those stories that is steadily persisting in becoming a classic and quite deservedly so.

Rating:
Summary: Technical Genius
Review: Immediately gripping, this story starts off by introducing a high-ranking and well-respected Communist submarine captain who is planning a bold defection to the US after the tragic and unneccesary death of his wife. The insight into Communist life behind the Iron Curtain is detailed and fascinating, and Clancy masterfully creates psychological suspense as the sub crew, moving steadily west, is led to believe that they have been exposed to a radiation leak.
The book stumbles in the middle when Clancy fragments the story in quick, two page sections between too many perspectives. While the plot moves forward, it becomes difficult to keep track of the ever-growing cast of non-relevent characters. In addition, Clancy becomes somewhat burdened by his love of sharing his technical knowledge of military equipment and strategy in general. Although I understand that 50% of the population - men - may revel in the amount of detail he provides, I felt that it detracted from the overall story.
It's difficult in this day and age to imagine what this period in (recent) history was like, since the world has changed so dramatically in such a short period of time. This book draws a brilliant picture of the strained relationship that dominated diplomatic relations of this era.
Clancy offers a well thought out plot and lots of action. A good read in general, and especially if you enjoy the nitty-gritty details of military life.

Rating:
Summary: The First is Always the Best
Review: Review: Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October

It is December 1986 and Captain First Rank Marko Ramius, son of a dominant Communist Party Secretary and the Soviet Union's most confident and acclaimed submarine commander, is setting out to sea with his country's newest and greatest military venture. She contains an advanced new quiet propulsion system that allows her to almost perfectly escape both radar and sonar detection, a terrifying first strike vehicle. She is also carrying one-hundred and eighty two nuclear warheads and twenty-six missile delivery systems. Her name is Krazny Oktyabr (Red October) .Once at sea, Ramius contravenes his orders and disappears into the North Atlantic after setting a course for the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Both Soviet and American leaders are petrified, but they insist on snowballing each other with false information. Fears of either a surprise attack on the US or a possible defection abound. Both navies go on full alert, eventually resulting in a massive confrontation in the North Atlantic. And, just for kicks, Clancy tosses the British into the mix to really confuse things!

As Clancy's first, and quite possibly best, work, I feel that this is a very firmly woven story all together. The characters, even those like the C.I.A. Deputy Director (Operations), Robert Ritter who do not appear for very long are exceedingly well developed and presented. The details in the book are amazing, from the encrypted messages to the details and intricacies of the interior of the submarines and the extensive knowledge of military protocol and procedure presented. It definitely gives an "eye opening" experience to the reader.

I have heard many times that this book, like so many of Clancy's other novels, is too technical, and people who do not have previous knowledge of these topics have a hard time "following." Granted, Clancy has the peculiar flair for confusing readers with the technical military lingo that has become his benchmark. Though, the plot is easy enough to follow that even if one is stuck on a word or phrase or even an entire conversation (case in point: encrypted messages) the surrounding events of the story are actually easy to read through. There are even times when it is possible to infer a words meaning based upon who is speaking , where they are and at what point in the story you are.

All told I was very impressed with this novel. I did, however have a problem with the "denouement." With all of the unanswered questions that Clancy had developed through out the story, I was taken aback by the second climax that the author tossed in to the mix, and to be quite honest began to lose interest. I was almost to the point where I wanted to flip through to the end of the book just to see what happens to Ramius. I realize that he had to get the defected and crippled ship back to port somehow, but the reader is only interested in Ramius, they want to see what happens to defectors. I don't have any real suggestions for fixing it, so I guess I'm just complaining. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and was very impressed with it.

5 out of 5 Stars

Rating:
Summary: An impossible book to put down
Review: Russia's newest Typhoon-class nuclear missile submarine the Red October, equipped with a silent Propulsion system, sets sail from Murmansk. Meanwhile a mysterious letter is sent from the captain of the Red October, Marko Ramius, to the Chief Political officer of the Soviet Navy. Ramius has made a fateful decision, the Red October is heading west. The Americans want her and the Russians want her back. Soon after the whole Soviet fleet from the Mediterranean and North Atlantic are sent to hunt down the mighty ship. CIA-analyst Jack Ryan believes that Ramius is trying to defeat the west, however the Pentagon thinks that Ryan is lying and believe the Soviets, who told them that Ramius is a "mad man" and will launch a nuclear weapon at the United States. The Race between NATO and the Soviet Union begins, as does the most incredible chase in history.

Tom Clancy developes a strong feeling of intensity throughout the book. The suspense captivates the reader and makes it remarkably hard to put the book down. By using a lot of explicit, factual detail, Clancy is able to captivate the mind of the reader. The dialect used in "The Hunt for Red October" is also a major key, which helps this book keep the interest of even the least attentive readers. Clancy kept each page, each paragraph exciting, interesting and full of detail.

Rating:
Summary: the hunt
Review: The Hunt for Red October was a great book, about the hunt for a submarine that had a new motor in it that ran on jet repulsion that made it move sliently and undetective. The US was trying to find it before it got to close the the coast, they were also trying to steal the thing to.

Rating:
Summary: The First is Always the Best
Review: Review: Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October

It is December 1986 and Captain First Rank Marko Ramius, son of a dominant Communist Party Secretary and the Soviet Union's most confident and acclaimed submarine commander, is setting out to sea with his country's newest and greatest military venture. She contains an advanced new quiet propulsion system that allows her to almost perfectly escape both radar and sonar detection, a terrifying first strike vehicle. She is also carrying one-hundred and eighty two nuclear warheads and twenty-six missile delivery systems. Her name is Krazny Oktyabr (Red October) .Once at sea, Ramius contravenes his orders and disappears into the North Atlantic after setting a course for the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Both Soviet and American leaders are petrified, but they insist on snowballing each other with false information. Fears of either a surprise attack on the US or a possible defection abound. Both navies go on full alert, eventually resulting in a massive confrontation in the North Atlantic. And, just for kicks, Clancy tosses the British into the mix to really confuse things!

As Clancy's first, and quite possibly best, work, I feel that this is a very firmly woven story all together. The characters, even those like the C.I.A. Deputy Director (Operations), Robert Ritter who do not appear for very long are exceedingly well developed and presented. The details in the book are amazing, from the encrypted messages to the details and intricacies of the interior of the submarines and the extensive knowledge of military protocol and procedure presented. It definitely gives an "eye opening" experience to the reader.

I have heard many times that this book, like so many of Clancy's other novels, is too technical, and people who do not have previous knowledge of these topics have a hard time "following." Granted, Clancy has the peculiar flair for confusing readers with the technical military lingo that has become his benchmark. Though, the plot is easy enough to follow that even if one is stuck on a word or phrase or even an entire conversation (case in point: encrypted messages) the surrounding events of the story are actually easy to read through. There are even times when it is possible to infer a words meaning based upon who is speaking , where they are and at what point in the story you are.

All told I was very impressed with this novel. I did, however have a problem with the "denouement." With all of the unanswered questions that Clancy had developed through out the story, I was taken aback by the second climax that the author tossed in to the mix, and to be quite honest began to lose interest. I was almost to the point where I wanted to flip through to the end of the book just to see what happens to Ramius. I realize that he had to get the defected and crippled ship back to port somehow, but the reader is only interested in Ramius, they want to see what happens to defectors. I don't have any real suggestions for fixing it, so I guess I'm just complaining. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and was very impressed with it.

5 out of 5 Stars

Rating:
Summary: Just one of those books
Review: What can really be said about this white-knuckled page-turner? There's a reason that Tom Clancy is so synonymous with this genre and that reason is the Hunt For Red October. The book has lost a little bit of its thrilling luster, in my opinion, thanks to the fall of the Soviet Union, but it is still a frighteningly realistic tale. In other words, it used to be "oh man, this could so easily happen" and now it's "oh man, that could so easily have happened". In either case, this book will have you on the edge of your seat. Marko Ramius and Jack Ryan are compelling, multidimensional protagonists whose interaction is rivetting. It's one thing for a guy to sit down with a load of military data and use it to write a story, but it's another thing for that guy to birth characters that are so real and well-crafted. Jack Ryan is that bookish guy turned James Bond kind of character that you love to read about. He's become one of my favorite protagonists in recent years outside of a Hemingway novel, and I'm sure he'll stay that way for some time.
I'm a huge Clancy fan and I've read justa bout everything he's managed to scribble down, but the Hunt For Red October continues to be his masterpiece in my eyes. Perhaps that's because it's so original and ground-breaking, or maybe it's just because it isn't 1000 pages like everything else he's written. In any case, if you haven't had the privilege of reading this (I've got to give props to the film version, too. I would recommend it also), grant yourself that privilege right away.

Rating:
Summary: A great story
Review: This is the first book I read by Tom Clancy and I really enjoyed it. The only problem I had with the book was that I saw the movie first and therefore I knew the story and knew a lot of what was going to happen. Other than that, I found the book to be exciting. As is typical with Clancy, you get a lot of background information on the Cold War and military technology (especially submarines). His writing style keeps you interested, and the story is believable. I would recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in the genre, especially anyone who has not seen the movie.

Rating:
Summary: The Hunt for Red October
Review: The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy, features a lot of action and suspense. I enjoy this novel for a number of reasons. Primarily, I am interested in this book because of the explanation of what the Soviet Union was and what principles the Soviets stood for. I also think that learning about submarines and what the crew of a submarine experiences is fascinating. Next, the main character, Jack Ryan, is a great person to read about. He is put in many tough positions, and he always uses his intelligence to succeed. I want to root for Ryan because of the way he persists and prevails throughout the novel.

I feel that a number of different types of people will enjoy this book as much as I do. Specifically, I recommend this novel to anyone who has a great interest in the CIA and the governments of other countries, especially people who like to know extensive inside information about how governments work. Also, people who think that submarines are interesting, as well as warfare between sea-faring vessels, will enjoy this book. In general, this book has a lot of suspense, so people who enjoy action and drama may like this book even if the Russian politics and submarines are not highly fascinating to them.

Rating:
Summary: To correct a fellow reviewer....
Review: The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy is his first novel, and without a doubt his best. Deep in the Atlantic ocean, a Soviet sub lurkes heading west, and with the help of a Catapiller engine, it now lurks with silence. Captain Marko Ramius of the Soviet Navy kills one of his men, and claims that he fell from spilling tea. The reason he head's west is not only to give the good old U.S. of A. a little hello, but to escape the harsh life of the Soviet Union, and also what the state did to his father; sending him to war and eventually dying on the battlefield.
So now comes in Jack Ryan, who is just a analyst of the CIA, and he spots October, and the engine, but he does not know what kind of engine it is, but he has a hunch that they are going to try to attack America. So now the chase is on to find the Red October, get on it, and take it away from the the Soviet Union.

To correct a fellow reviewer, he told another reviewer that the Ryan books go in order from Without Remorse, Patriot Games, and The Hunt For Red October. Close, but no cigar. The books go like this; Without Remorse, Patriot Games, Red Rabbit, and The Hunt For Red October.