I’ve just read two Tom Clancy novels recently: Without Remorse and The Hunt For Red October. They’re very engaging, though I tend to skim through the technical descriptions of things – equipment, military protocols and such. I actually started a characters list for the Hunt although I couldn’t keep it up. It’s worse than Anna Karenina, with a combination of Russian names (albiet easier to understand than the ones in Anna Karenina), American names, English names, and different military ranks for them all. Since I have absolutely no understanding of the order and meaning of military ranking systems, or the interelations between different braches, etc., I’m a little befuddled and confounded. Also, I was brought up short by the realization that I have little to no knowlege about either Vietnam or the Cold War. So I pulled out the Illustrated History Encyclopedia I bought for homeschooling purposes and read about the Korean war, Vietnam, and the Cold War last night. There wasn’t much, but at least now I know the approximate dates and presidents and such! 
Perhaps I’ll even research 20th century history in a little more depth someday.. probably when I’m doing it with my kids!!
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Clancy4 comments to Clancy |
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So after weeding out the technical/military details and the names, what was left? The cuss words?
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Hunt for Red October was great. Red Storm Rising was better, but then the military details and technical jargon are a big reason why I read Clancy at all. Not sure I’ve read Without Remorse. (But on the other hand, I somehow managed to completely forget that I’d read The Sum of All Fears, to the point that I re-read the *entire book*, thinking all along the way that it seemed vaguely familiar, and it wasn’t until the utter end that I realized I’d read the whole thing before. Pretty sad.)
Well, yes you have a point… if you cut out technical jargon and military narrative, the book is significantly shorter. There’s still interest provided by the people stories though: why are these people defecting, and how the CIA, Navy, Army, President etc. interact to solve the problem. I find that pretty fascinating. \par
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And in Without Remorse I received an education in the depravity of the underword, that I’m not really sure I wanted – however it makes me exceedingly thankful to be who I am, where I am, and when I am!
Weeding out the technical/military details from Red Storm Rising and Hunt for October (two of my favorites) ?!?!! That’s the whole reason for reading them!!! I can still picture the scene in Red Storm Rising (in my mind) where the M-1 Tanks speed down a right-of-way for a gas pipeline at 60 mph, throwing rooster-tails of mud up behind them as they go. What more could you ask of a book?
Uhhh… yeah. I really did try to keep a picture of my head when the Russian Sub was trying to sink the Red October with two American subs right next to her, but it got very confusing trying to figure out who was who and where they were exactly. As to all of the zipping around flying in different aircraft from ship to ship… well, it’s just not my thing.
I haven’t red Red Storm Rising yet. I decided to wait till I had more time.