Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy: Two Complete Novels

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although Red Storm Rising and Cardinal of the Kremlin are both Tom Clancy novels...and they both deal with the Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and the now defunct Soviet Union, they are very different in both theme and content. They are not even "related," as Red Storm Rising is the only major Clancy novel that is not set in what fans call the Ryan-verse, while Cardinal of the Kremlin is the "chronological sequel" to The Hunt for Red October.

Red Storm Rising (1986), co-written with former naval intelligence officer/war-game designer Larry Bond (Red Phoenix), proved that Clancy's success with "Red October" was no fluke. His huge and sweeping account of a conventional war between the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact and the U.S./NATO forces in Western Europe was a runaway bestseller and, to this day, is still many a devoted Clancy fan's favorite novel. Its depiction of a third Battle of the Atlantic and the description of mid-1980s weapons and tactics have also made Red Storm Rising required reading at various military academies.

Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988), Clancy's fourth novel, is the true sequel to Hunt for Red October. (Patriot Games, which preceded Cardinal by one year, is actually set before Hunt for Red October.) In this one, CIA analyst Jack Ryan must attempt the extraction of the Agency's top "mole" in Moscow, a man code-named CARDINAL. A traditional espionage thriller, it was also pretty topical 15 year ago, touching upon the Soviets' war in Afghanistan and the superpowers' race to develop a space-based anti-missile defense.

Even if (as I do) you own all the Clancy novels, you might still want this book, especially to take on a long vacation.

Although written about a period of recent history that is over for all intents and purposes, the books give a very realistic view of the art of war (both cold and hot), and the possible consequences even for those who feel that they are well prepared. The books give us food for thought as we bask in our supposed security as the premier world power in the years to come. Once you read these books, you need to ask whether we are really prepared to counter a seerious threat to our national security. On the other hand, the books are full of suspense ( as are all of Clancy's novels) and are hard to put down. I had to go to work without sleep after reading Red Storm Rising, as I could not put it down!

This book combines two of Tom Clancy's best stories into one volume: The Cardinal of the Kremlin, a spy novel about the Cold War and the Star Wars program, my personal favorite, and Red Storm Rising, the classic story about a war between NATO and the Soviet Union, which has several plots and non-stop action once the war gets started, which happens quickly. If you don't already have the books, buy this volume now.

This book combines two of Tom Clancy's best stories into one volume: The Cardinal of the Kremlin, a spy novel about the Cold War and the Star Wars program, my personal favorite, and Red Storm Rising, the classic story about a war between NATO and the Soviet Union, which has several plots and non-stop action once the war gets started, which happens quickly. If you don't already have the books, buy this volume now.

if you loves espionage, The Cardinal of The Kremelin is a book that you won't be able to stop reading. The book deals with Clancy's main character-Jack Ryan and his pursuit of a Russian's intellengce agent. The book is capivating because it has a suspenseful plot and has great charcter organizations. The books start out slowly in the first two chapters, but it picks up and the action is non-stop. The middle and ending of the book is magnificient. This book makes your mind race with anticaption and excitment because you just want to know what Jack Ryan's every moves are. One of Clancy's best works in the espionage, spy's books that he has written. A great book that should be read by everybody, who loves to read books.

Cardinal of the Kremlin brings back Ryan, but this time throws him into weapons talks with Russia. Great character development brings all of the characters alive as they are superbly interlaced throughout the novel.

Red Storm Rising lives a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe. This novel is different from other Clancy novels, since it follows several distinct plot-lines and characters, instead of having one main and several off-shoots, as in Clancy's others. However, all of the different plots are well-written, and the technical aspects throw the reader into the war, while remaining easy for the layman to understand.

Quintessential Clancy...The cold war at it's page turning best. Clancy's more recent works just haven't seemed to live up to these earlier books. These two are must haves for anyone interested in the techno-thriller genre in which Clancy is a master.

These two books are a combination of the authors two major styles. Cardinal is one of the better "Jack Ryan" novels, and an essential read for any follower of this excellent series. It looks at the effects of the reduction in nuclear arms and the "star wars" SDI race between USA and Russia. It also brings in the classic character of Clark in one of the classic cold war roles.

Red storm rising on the other hand is a look at the old cold war scenario of Russia attacking central europe. As more of a historical novel it provides insights into modern warfare. It shows some of the (then) future impacts of technology on warfare and is a good prediction of Desert Storm - small groups taking out numerically superior opponents through a combination of firepower and technology.

These two books are simply a must for collectors and anyone wanting a good weekend read.

Two of Clancy's forgotten books, they also aren't the best or the worst of his lot. Red Storm Rising is an earlier novel of Clancy's that attempts to take on just a little too much in not enough pages, but is an entertaining and somewhat believable read anyway. The Cardinal of the Kremlin is also highly recommended to help fill out the Jack Ryan character that so many of us love... the story is well-crafted and does not read as techinically as some of his other work, making it an excellent choice for people just starting to read Clancy.

These novels are staples of my library. "Red Storm Rising" is frequently -- and unfairly -- maligned as one of the few "non-Ryan" novels. Small things lead to little things as a terrorist attack on an oil refinery begins a war. "The Cardinal of the Kremlin", the second novel in this package, is also set in Russia, but with a different tale, of spies and lasers. I enjoyed both, because of Tom Clancy's mix of intelligently told detail and gripping plot.