These books are huge; 584 pages, this one, of paperback book, but they fly by, faster in most cases than books of considerably shorter length. Typical of Clancy's work, with or without collaborators, the technical knowledge and resultant terminology demonstrates a degree of research that from a fellow writer's point of view is so complete and complex that one despairs of ever getting that 'close' to any given subject. From firearms, to communications equipment, aircraft, intelligence apparatus, trade craft. The human being stuff is pretty straightforward and well within the knowledge parameters of most who opt to write, but in combination (human story and technical details), nobody, and to my mind, I mean absolutely nobody does it better. I wonder idly sometimes whether newcomers to Clancy's work can appreciate some of the more recent material, like this one, without benefit of its predecessors, going back as far as The Hunt for Red October. The character set has grown since then, but with each passing tale, our personal dossiers on these individual characters grows, deepens, and enhances our appreciation of new entries in the Clancy library. Though the danger facing John Clark in this novel is clear, without reference to his history in the previous novels (most particularly, A Clear and Present Danger), that history is of particular benefit and importance to us Clancy vets. We not only know Clark is in deep trouble, we're more aware than the first-time reader of how unjust the trouble is. There is a consistency to these characters over time that a first-time reader would not be expected to appreciate. I suspect, though, that a newbie would catch on fast, because Clancy has always been a consummate storyteller and the best stories illuminate the hearts and minds of characters; fictional constructs about whom, literally, we come to care a great deal.
It's a good read, no matter how you look at it. Veteran or newbie, it's a treat to be savored.

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