I first heard of Tom Clancy two decades ago thanks to various videogame franchises. I thought he was a game designer like Sid Meier. I never really cared about spy/political thrillers. I preffered science fiction and fantasy. So while I eventually learnt Clancy was a writer and not a game developer, it was only thanks to one of the Geek Gab podcasts with Nick Cole that I decided to give a chance to Clancy.
What follows are my own conclusions based on the books I read. I only read the novels written exclusively by Clancy, and have done so in the order they were published. These were: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, The Cardinal in the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears, Without Remorse, Debt of Honor, Executive Orders, Rainbow Six, The Bear and the Dragon, Red Rabbit, The Teeth of the Tiger, published between 1984 and 2003.
I did something similar with the stories of Conan by Robert E. Howard, and that too turned out to be educational. This approach allows a reader an insight in how certain themes and ideas of the author develop through time. I'm making the assumption that the actions of protagonists in the book match the ideas Clancy was supporting or was in favour of. I don't pretend to know anything about Clancy other than him being a Republican. There will be spoilers, but in my mind that does not detract from the experience of reading Clancy. Still, consider yourself warned.
The series of books that consists of the first 12 books went through a lot in those two decades. The first book was published in the terminal stage of the Cold War, and the last one in the starting stage of the War on Terror.
The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and The Cardinal in the Kremlin form the first triad that could be described as Clancy's Golden age. There are no doubts. Everybody knows who the good guys are, and who the bad guys are. The spy work is a gentlemen's game, and everybody plays by the rules, be they Soviet or Saint. Pardon, American. When and if the rules get broken, that is a big no no, that gets immediate and effective response. Of course, when Soviets cross the line, that is considered bad. When Americans do so, that is called creative thinking.
Things change with Clear and Present Danger published in 1989. The Soviet Union was falling apart, and so Clancy decided to turn his attention to war on drugs. All of a sudden it's not that clear who the enemy is. Yes, the Colombian cartels are evil, but the "good guys" are not all that much better. Most of them are hawks who just want one more little war in order to advance their careers. They are willing to send young "American" soldiers in the harms way, and then leave them behind, and forget about them when that suits them.
It is Jack Ryan who has to stand up against them in order to defend Truth, Justice, and the Real American Way. Jack Ryan who in the past books was a reluctant hero who became a man of action when needed, now becomes bitter and jaded. His mentor is dying, he's kept in the dark about the things he should know, and more and more he's asking himself, why keep doing this. Is it really worth it? This question will only become even more pronounced through the series.
This is also the point where the books stop with the praise for the system, and instead focus on the individual. Institutions will decay, they are vulnerable to corruption, but a fey good men in the key positions can turn everything around and ensure that the good guys win in the end. And a few incompetent men in the key positions can destroy the world if left unchecked.
This second triad of books that spans from Clear and Present Danger to Without Remorse is where the disgust for what is these days known as D.C. swamp becomes apparent. It is the petty, the little, the incompetent political apointees that are keeping America from being great. If there was only something that could be done about them, and then a plane crashes into Capitol building killing all the top politicians in the country. Still, it doesn't take long before Clancy concludes that you might change the people, but the system is what corrupts them.
After that we have four books that deal with how would Clancy's ideal president act like. His ideal president is pretty much Donald J. Trump. He's got money, he doesn't owe anything to any of the two parties, and he is an awoved constitutionalist that in Clancy's mind could never get elected. I wonder what would Clancy have to say if he lived to see the day when Trump was elected president?
Clancy's president is decisive, just, honest, loyal to his friends and allies, and terrifying to the enemies of USA, or whoever dares to threaten his family. There is a twist to American interventionist policy. No more endless wars and occupations in middle of nowhere. Clancy's president is the one that does not start a war, but is not afraid to finish it in one fell swoop by eliminating the leaders of the enemy states. Iran, China and India are identified as the new axis that threatens USA, peace and prosperity. Russia meanwhile becomes part of the NATO, and gets the help of USA and UK when China invades. With current events unfolding this is a fascinating reading. Like an alternative world that could have been if only ...
That "if only" is something that gets more and mroe pronounced as the series goes on when it comes to geopolitics. In general many things Clancy wrote about read like something that served as an inspiration for later events in real life. From trade wars to pandemics. When all is said and done, NATO with Russia is stronger than ever, USA is not caught in perpetual war, and the various countries know better than to anger the world policeman, because he is swift to dish out justice.
And after that comes the dissapointment. Red Rabbit, and The Teeth of the Tiger are the last two books Clancy wrote in the series. They are also his resignation. The two books came out after the 9/11. Red Rabbit is Clancy's escape back in time. Once more back to Cold War, where it is easy to know who is good, and who is bad. The book is great, and well worth the read, but together with The Teeth of the Tiger it shows that our world has changed, and with 9/11 the change was too much for Clancy. Clancy ran back in time with Patriot Games, and Without Remorse as well. It served as a means to regroup and refocus. To give additional depth to the overall series. Red Rabbit tries that but fails. There is too much nostalgia. Too much longing for the simpler times that are gone now.
The Teeth of the Tiger is everything that Clancy mocked for the past two decades in Jack Ryan series. It is an admittance of defeat. Before he was making fun of James Bond and his gadgets, now his protagonists are doing the same, living the good life, driving sports carts, travelling through Europe and assassinating the terrorists.
This is where Clancy concludes that sometimes you need to fight fire with fire. Rules, Constitution, laws and politics are only going to get in the way. This is where a new clandestine agency comes in picture. One that will defend Truth, Justice, and the Real American Way without any oversight, hesitation or qualms about what needs to get done. This is Clancy's admittance that sometimes even a few good men in key positions are not enough to get the job done. The restraints on them are too great.
Still, one idea that through the books became only stronger is the idea of melting pot. No matter what origin, according to Clancy everyone can be an American, be they Jew or Gentile, Italian or Japanese, Mexican or Muslim. America is an idea, Clancy insists on multiple occasions through the book. What can I say? Boomers beeing boomers, and Clancy is a product of his time. Still the books are well worth the read, as Clancy is master of building a suspense. It's not a question of what comes next, but how will the heroes deal with it.
