The Jack Ryan Agenda: Policy and Politics in the Novels of Tom Clancy: An Unauthorized Analysis (Forge Book) [Hardcover]

William Terdoslavich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2005 | Series: Forge Book

Who is Jack Ryan?
Lowly analyst, James Bondian secret agent, President of the United States?
All of the above?
Or is he just Tom Clancy's mouthpiece for what is right and wrong with politics and policy today?

What impact did Red Storm Rising have on Ronald Reagan's policy for dealing with the Soviet Union? Was A Clear and Present Danger a trial balloon for the administration's international war on drugs? Did the climax of Debt of Honor foreshadow the actual terrorist plans for 9/11?... And how did Jack Ryan, a lowly analyst, wind up becoming the President of the United States? Was it wishful thinking or a choreographed roadmap for the time when the defense of America was placed firmly in the hands of backroom strategists?
The Jack Ryan Agenda places each of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels ( from his bestselling debute of The Hunt for the Red October to his latest The Teeth of the Tiger) within the historical context of the U.S./International situation at the time each book was published.
The Clinton years are examined as well; during this time, Clancy occasionally embraced a "by any means necessary" modus operandi that included Special Forces assassins taking on rogue environmentalists.
Turning to film, The Jack Ryan Agenda explores how the movie versions differ from the Clancy's canon-and notes the author's displeasure with the way Hollywood liberals took liberties with his story lines.
In the bestselling tradition of The Magic of Harry Potter, The Biology of Star Trek, and The Science of Superman, The Jack Ryan Agenda explores this brand name dynamo's work in the context of the real world where patriot games are a clear and present danger and the sum of all fears are executive orders without remorse.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Terdoslavich brings to the table, unlike many critics, a sophisticated knowledge of the actual political, diplomatic, and military backgrounds against which Clancy works. The Jack Ryan Agenda will appeal to fans of Tom Clancy, but also to readers of techno-thrillers in general who will also admire its sophisticated treatment of the subject. Scholars of action-adventure writing and genre fiction will profit as well from Terdoslavich's interpretations and insights into a category of popular writing that remains significantly neglected."--Dennis Showalter, author of Patton & Rommell and former president of the Society for Military History on The Jack Ryan Agenda

"To the millions of Tom Clancy readers, this is the codebook to measure the world of hero Jack Ryan to the real world of politics, technology, and policy. It is a clever and entertaining read for the devoted Tom Clancy fan."--Judge Eugene Sullivan (ret.), former General Counsel of the U.S.Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office and author of The Majority Rules on The Jack Ryan Agenda

"With crisp and fascinating analysis, Terdoslavich clearly reveals the political and ideological themes (and biases) constantly espoused by the political icon of "patriotic fiction."--Philip H. Melanson, author of Secrecy Wars: Privacy, National Security and the Public's Right to Know and The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency on The Jack Ryan Agenda

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

William Terdoslavich lives in New York City.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (April 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765312476
• ISBN-13: 978-0765312471
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate analysis for discerning readers, November 18, 2006

By 

BMT (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jack Ryan Agenda: Policy and Politics in the Novels of Tom Clancy: An Unauthorized Analysis (Paperback)

If you are looking for the equivalent of Cliff notes on Tom Clancy's works or a "how to be Jack Ryan" fan guide THE JACK RYAN AGENDA will leave you as confused as if you were reading THE ECONOMIST or FOREIGN AFFAIRS. What the book does provide however (and it does so exceptionally well) is an analytical overview of Clancy's works set against the real world in which they were written. It is quite impossible to seperate the author Clancy from his politics and the plots of his works from his pragmatic view of the way things should work.

Terdoslavich neatly draws comparisons between the fictional Jack's career and our changing times and in doing so speculates on the powers of the Presidency, Congress, the role of the US in the world ... and of course our "by any means neccessary" approach to problem solving that has no doubt inspired such post-Clancy franchises as 24.

An author as popular as Clancy deserves critical attention and Terdoslavich's work places it into the proper context.

Seminal reading for the "thinking" Clancy reader.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trying to make a buck off Jack Ryan, November 30, 2005

By 

M. B. Perez (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jack Ryan Agenda: Policy and Politics in the Novels of Tom Clancy: An Unauthorized Analysis (Forge Book) (Hardcover)

As the previous reviewer noted, the author spent most of the book explaining why things could not have happened the way Clancy described them. I'm pretty sure 99.9% of Clancy fans are aware that the books are fiction. I would guess that this author is simply looking to make some bucks off the Jack Ryan name, much the way others have doing critiques of Harry Potter or Dan Brown books. In short, Terdoslavich wrote a turd of a book!

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very long critical analysis, October 22, 2005

By 

Ray A. Minnick "Clancy Fan" (South Central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jack Ryan Agenda: Policy and Politics in the Novels of Tom Clancy: An Unauthorized Analysis (Forge Book) (Hardcover)

The author spent a entire book explaining why Clancy's works are fiction...I have read every one for Clancy's books and I already knew that. The book was, however, a great review of Clancy's works and reminded me of you I like them so much!