The Teeth Of The Tiger (Jack Ryan) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "DAVID GREENGOLD had been born in that most American of communities, Brooklyn, but at his Bar Mitzvah, something important had changed in his life..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Campus, New York, Fort Meade (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While last year's Clancy novel, Red Rabbit, hit #1 first week out, sales reportedly were down from previous books, as were the thumbs of critics, who found the book slow, talky and lacking in action. In an effort to repair the damage as well as to revitalize his long-running Jack Ryan series, Clancy has scrapped his usual one-novel-every-two-years cycle to deliver a shorter, swifter tale featuring not Ryan but Ryan's son, also known as Jack, as well as two of young Jack's cousins, fraternal twins Dominic and Brian Caruso, the former an FBI agent, the latter a Marine. All three are recruited to a privately funded vigilante organization, Hendley Associates, that aims to strike at America's enemies-particularly, terrorists-when the Feds can't or won't. The narrative divides into two parts. The first concerns the training of the three, with young Ryan basically pushing his way into the organization while Dominic is signed on after taking the law into his own hands by shooting a child killer, and Brian after demonstrating smarts during combat in Afghanistan. Their grapplings with the moral and logistical demands of their new jobs alternate with a villains' plot, as Islamic terrorists cut a deal with Colombian drug smugglers, sneak into the U.S. and move toward their killing-field objectives, four shopping malls in mid-America. The plot strands tie up in a terrifically exciting sequence, the novel's highlight, as Dom and Brian, by chance shopping at one mall, take down four of the terrorists. But the terrorists kill scores of innocents, so the rest of the novel details American vengeance-the teeth of the tiger-as the twins fly to Europe, followed by Jack, to take out several of the terrorists' handlers. This isn't Clancy's strongest novel, but it's a big improvement over Red Rabbit. Geopolitical analysis and operational details overwhelm the few action sequences, perhaps to the chagrin of many Clancy fans, but the author knows this stuff like no one else and delivers it all in his inimitable clipped manner. Clancy's smart flag-waving and targeting of terrorists will please many, of course, and leaves plenty of room for sequels. Expect generally satisfied fans.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

The old rules no longer apply - anybody with a spare AK47 or a knowledge of kitchen chemistry can become a player. In a nondescript office building in suburban Maryland, 'The Campus', set up with the knowledge of President John Patrick Ryan identifies and locates terrorist threats - then deals with them, in whatever manner is necessary. It's an organisation always on the lookout for new recruits - men like Jack Ryan Jr, the President's son. Filled with the exceptional realism and cutting-edge authenticity that are his hallmarks, this is Clancy at his best - and there is none better. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425197409
• ISBN-13: 978-0425197400
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (820 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,518 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Teeth of the Mutt, March 3, 2005

By	A. Stephen Collins (Syracuse, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Teeth of the Tiger (Hardcover)

How disappointing. This book desperately needed an editor to throw it back at Clancy for a rewrite. It was, in many ways, stupid. Loaded with utterly unbelievable events. If the world of international espionage really functions like this, we are all in big trouble. I don't remember any previous Clancy books being this childish. Foolish dialogue, especially between the Caruso twins. I never got to like them because they talked like such idiots from start to finish. And those nicknames were utterly annoying. Jack Jr. is not much better. In fact, there isn't an intelligent person in this whole book, which tells me that it's actually the author who lacks intelligence. One glaring example: The rookie spook, Jack Jr., talks openly in public to the twins about top secret info he's learned on the job, naming names of someone who will be their first "target." I immediately assume that Jack will soon be in big trouble for his "loose lips." Nope. Clancy never deals with it at all, even though the twins tell their superior that Jack filled them in. (Oh, you told them about this super-classified info without authorization? No problem, kid.) What nonsense. And there were many other similar flaws. Like them ID'ing their target in Vienna by happening to remember seeing him in Munich. "We're not certain he's the guy, but we're pretty sure so let's just go ahead and kill him." Just stupid. And get this: The 20-something Caruso boys, when comparing Ferraris to women, refer to Grace Kelly and Maureen O'Hara. Grace Kelly and Maureen O'Hara ?! Is Clancy out of his mind? They were both dead before either of these kids were born. Maybe Clancy himself fantasizes about those gals, but it's ludicrous to think his young characters would ever say such a thing. Obviously his editor: A) is afraid to question anything Clancy writes, or B) never reads any of it, figuring if the name Clancy is on the cover, it will SELL, and that's all that matters.
Someone at the Penguin Group should lose their job for letting this dog get into print. A major let-down.

105 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Clancy has finally 'jumped the shark' [sigh], October 15, 2003

By	David S. Rose (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Teeth of the Tiger (Hardcover)

In case it isn't obvious from the preceding 482 reviews, this book is a disaster, and not even worth reading if someone gives it to you for free. When Clancy first burst onto the scene with Red October, he was an unbelievable breath of fresh air, excellent writing, believable plots and characters, and nail-biting suspense. The fact that he managed to continue his run through several more books is a testament to his skill as a writer.

Unfortunately, after getting Jack into the White House, Clancy began to lose steam, with Red Rabbit being an extraordinary disappointment to his fans. With Teeth of the Tiger, however, our favorite novelist has really hit rock bottom (well, actually the real rock bottom was his simply excreble "collaborations" on OpForce where he sold his name, but I'm talking here about his own writing.)

There is a saying that when a television show "jumps the shark" it has turned the corner and is headed for oblivion, and that may well be the case here. Tiger is a simply miserable book, with zero plotting, completely implausible scenarios, ridiculous characters who are both boring and poorly written, no suspense...in fact, there isn't a single decent thing one could write about this book!

Despite all of the above (as if they weren't enough) what saddened me most of all was the way Clancy wrote the characters of the twin brothers. Come on! How many successful attorneys-turned-FBI-agents go around speaking like troglodytes who couldn't get a high-school diploma?? These days, it seems that whenever Clancy puts dialogue in the mouths of "young people", all he can come up with stuff like "hey, Bro, whatcha doing?" or things of that ilk. And Jack comes across as obnoxious, impatient and not-very-bright...certainly not someone whom you would cheer on.

Ah well...Tom's series was great when it lasted, and we all owe him a big vote of thanks for single-handedly reinvigorating the thriller genre. But, sad to say, I think I've read my last Clancy original for a while. Sic transit gloria mundi.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Jack Ryan story line is well and truly dead, August 9, 2004

By	An X Fan (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Teeth of the Tiger (Hardcover)

Hi All,
Well I have just finished the Teeth of the Tiger and have to say I am very disappointed with this effort from Clancy. I thought red rabbit was very poor, it seemed like Mr Clancy had drafted a skeleton of a story line and someone else finished it for him. This book is worse !!!!

yes it starts off ok, but then gets pretty boring and just a little stupid (and some of Clancy's research is poor) towards the end.
The story line is very linear and unimaginative, as for the main character being Jack Ryan's son, I mean come on could he think of something better !!.
Being that Jack Ryan senior was president, so his face would be well know, just imagine a covert intelligent agency hiring his son, whose face would be very recognisable, it is just too far fetched. To top this off Jack (Jr) is joined by his twin cousins.

None of this in my opinion contribute to a good story and I was left bitter disappointed with this novel.

I will be very wary of the next Clancy novel and probably get it from the library next time, as it was not worth the money paid.

I am sorry Mr Clancy, you need to start another story line, or at least change the current one, an do some better research as this book is just @$@#!!