Patriot Games (Jack Ryan, #1) by Tom Clancy

Patriot Games (Jack Ryan, #1) Reviews

• 
  Ian

  I'll do the same review for all Clancy's novels because they're all pretty much the same. Very long, very detailed, and after a while, very repetitive. If you stop after just a few of his books you'd probably give them 4 or 5 stars, but beyond that they start to grate. Especially where Jack Ryan is involved. I mean, Clancy spends hundreds of pages getting his details just right, the settings perfect etc., then he has Ryan dodging more bullets than James Bond! I finally threw my hands up and surrendered when Ryan becomes President. I can't remember what piece of crap that was in.
  
  I've given three stars as a compromise between my reactions when reading my first Clancy (brilliant) and last Clancy (doorstop).
• 
  Ken

  This early Jack Ryan prequel certainly evokes the 1980’s setting from whence it was written, though in a great way!
  
  Whilst on holiday in London, Jack inadvertently prevents an assassination attempt on members of the royal family by a faction group of the IRA.
  The fact that it was the Prince and Princess of Wales alongside their son (who I decided was William) instantly rooted the story to the early part of the decade.
  
  Jacks heroics soon makes him a target for the group and they’re desperate for him to pay, even his family are now targets...
  
  It’s easy to see why the Ryan franchise continues to be successful as the main character is so likeable, first and foremost he cares about his family - while also believing in the right and proper way.
  
  I definitely think Clancy really captures the political climate of the time too and thankfully we’ve seen an end to the troubles, this also felt a timely read with both Brexit and the Irish Backstop.
  
  A great macho 80’s adventure!
• 
  Jayna

  Dude books. I call them "palette cleansers" because sometimes I just get tired of reading about FEELINGS and EMOTIONS and THOUGHTS.
  
  This book didn't have any of those other things.
  
  It had intrigue, machismo, swearing, guns, and violence. Pretty much pg-13 level, nothing too too much.
  
  But it also had bravery, mystery, and for reals: the main guy likes his wife and kid. And he doesn't cheat on her. Two thumbs up.
  
  So, in all, a bit more insight than the movie version, but pretty much the gist of it.
  
  And now my palette has been cleansed. On to girl books once more.
• 
  RM(Alwaysdaddygirl)

  5 star
  🇺🇸🌺
• 
  L.M. Mountford

  I heard that Tom Clancy hated the movie this book inspired. Having read it, i can understand why. Nobody likes it when someone takes your idea and makes it enjoyable.
  
  This is another one of Tom Clancy's political statements disguised as a novel, with the IRA representing communism. The Pacing is dull, the story unbelievable and at times hilarious.
  
  I suppose though my biggest problem is with Clancy's notion that Ryan is somehow able or even capable of doing half of what he undergos, just because he's a former marine with a career of 3 months and who'd never seen combat. Especially as in HFRO, he can barely keep his cool when being shot at by a cook. In reality, Ryan would have been struck dumb by it all like everyone else, and even if he hadn't, if he had gone head to head with an IRA gunman, they would have eaten him for breakfast.
  
  I know that to Clancy's mind the rest of the world is small and inferior compared to anyone born in the states but the IRA are tough bastards, not the sort a history teacher would knock out with one tackle.
  
  Also, why does Clancy always refer to the royal family with their titles?
• 
  Susan

  This was a reread of a book I read when it first came out, and several times since then. It starts with a bang as Jack, on a working vacation in London with his family, witnesses a kidnapping attempt on the royal family. His instinctive reaction stopped the attack and put him in the bullseye of revenge.
  
  One of the things I enjoy most every time I read this book is the deft mixture of action, darkness, and humor. The opening attack sucks me into the story immediately, on the edge of my seat as Jack rushes into action. Clancy's descriptions are vivid enough that I can picture the events as they happen. The confusion at the scene felt realistic, and I could feel Jack's worry that he'd end up "stuck like a pig" when the good guys showed up. I always laugh at the scenes in the hospital as Jack deals with the doctors (including his wife) and other medical personnel. The scenes with various law enforcement personnel show Jack what he inadvertently got involved in and reveal his razor-sharp mind as he processes what he learns. The scenes with multiple members of the royal family are good, but my favorite is when he helps the prince work through his feelings about what happened. Though not particularly realistic, it is still a great scene.
  
  As the book continues we get the viewpoints of both the bad guys and the good guys. Jack and his family return home, secure in the knowledge that the bad guy is in jail and terrorists have never attacked on American soil. But the tension ramps up as the bad guy escapes and assorted good guys get a bad feeling about what might happen. Jack is lured into the CIA's sphere as he tries to get a handle on the group behind the attack. Their fears are realized when Jack's wife and daughter are nearly killed in an attack, and only luck prevents Jack from being attacked too. I ached for Jack as he dealt with his feelings of guilt and fear by getting more involved in the case. Jack goes through a lot of self-examination as he tries to reconcile his need for justice with the anger and desire for revenge that he also feels.
  
  The tension continues to build as the book follows the terrorists as they make plans for their next attack. The attention to detail was intriguing and as were the insights into the various players' motivations. At the same time we see the good guys as they try to assemble the pieces of the puzzle in time to stop whatever is planned.
  
  The final confrontation was a nail-biter. It started easy, with the royal visit and some amusing banter between Jack, Robby, and the prince. The chaos of the attack was described so vividly that I felt as though I was there. The escape by boat was exciting, and their arrival at the Academy was tense but also had a few lighter moments. The pursuit of the last of the bad guys had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over. Jack faced a crossroads in his life, and it was interesting to see how he handled it. I loved the ending.
  
  One of my favorite lines is as the Superintendent asks Robby who is aboard the ship: "Chief Znamirowski and the duty boat section, Captain Peters and some Marines, Doctor Ryan, and, uh, Captain Wales, sir, of the Royal Navy" "Is that where he is?..."
• 
  Brett C

  Good solid story in my opinion. Some elements of the story are dated but nonetheless it was entertaining. Recommended if you like The Hunt for Red October.
• 
  ♥Milica♥

  This would've been a decent three stars, but the pacing is so bad that I have to knock down a star. Also the length when barely anything happens. Maybe I should give the movies a try?
• 
  Rob

  Executive Summary: After enjoying
  The Hunt for Red October, I had high hopes for this book, and found myself a bit disappointed.
  
  Audio book: I've listened to one or two books read by
  Scott Brick. He's a decent reader, but nothing special. He does a passable English and Irish accent here, but not in anyway to make the characters of similar accents distinguishable from one another. He does a better job of that with his American voices, but still not great.
  
  I'd happily listen to another book read by him, but wouldn't rank him among my favorite readers.
  
  Full Review
  I've seen every Jack Ryan movie they've made (and enjoyed most of them), including this one, but this is only my 3rd book in the series I've read. This is one of the few cases where I think the movie is better though.
  
  I rather enjoyed
  The Hunt for Red October, which I think had a slightly better reader plus a bunch of sound effects that really added to the experience.
  
  The real core of my disappointment here was the pacing. The book starts out great and ends pretty well, but really got bogged down inbetween. After a pretty exciting start the next quarter or so seemed to just drag on.
  
  See Jack Ryan, budding Analyst and he recovers in a hospital! Contain your excitement as he tours old castles along the English Country side. Watch your anticipation grow and you wonder: Will Jack be able to put together his daughter's Christmas presents while recovering from his wounds?
  
  Eventually though things started to pick back and up and I thought I was over a rough patch. Unfortunately things slowed back down again for awhile before a pretty enjoyable finish.
  
  Mr. Clancy offers a variety of POVs to give the reader the details from both the terrorists and those trying to catch them. I like this idea, though the execution was lacking in my opinion.
  
  If the goal was to accurately portray the tedium and frustration of a CIA analyst, then this book succeeds. However if the goal was to mix in reality with fiction to tell an exciting spy thriller, this book fell short for me.
  
  I think for me this was best contrasted by the book I was reading while listening to this.
  The Deaths of Tao is a spy thriller with a sci-fi setting, where aliens secretly run the world.
  Wesley Chu is far less known/successful than
  Tom Clancy yet I found his book far more exciting.
  
  While I found this book disappointing, it hasn't completely put me off of the series or Tom Clancy. I may switch to try our his John Clark books instead though. I mostly likely won't be buying my next Clancy book though, and will borrow it from the library instead.
• 
  Stephen

  3.5 to 4.0 stars. Third Jack Ryan book published but first in terms of internal chronology as the events take place before those in
  The Hunt for Red October. While I enjoyed some of the later Ryan novels more (especially those in which John Clark and his crew played a major part), this is still a quality thriller and certainly worth a read. A pretty good Clancy novel is still much better than a lot of the junk that is out there.
• 
  Mike (the Paladin)

  Jack and his family are in England, can things be expected to go smoothly? Well, not if we want a novel.
  
  I read this years ago. Have you seen the movie? Try the book. For one thing while it is a fantastic read and the proverbial thrill ride, it is undoubtedly dated. The "victims" Jack saves are Prince Charles and Princess Diana, still happily married.
  
  Still, failed fantasies aside, the story is exciting, well written, and a good base for the novels that follow.
• 
  Lena

  *image review:
  https://lenaleigh.blogspot.com/2021/1...
  
  If there’s anything better than classic Clancy I have yet to find it. Damn but this was good, a perfect balance of action, intrigue, and investigation. Listed as the first Jack Ryan adventure, the old girl holds up well.
• 
  Ricky Ginsburg

  Great writing and excellent plot timing. Harrison Ford should have read this book. It would have made the film much more believable.
• 
  Bre

  I still can't understand how, after 787 pages, Tom Clancy was unable to develop even the slightest hint of personality in any of the 30+ characters in this novel. Jack Ryan is one of the most boring, one-dimensional characters I've ever encountered. I'm sure Clancy did plenty of research on the military, procedures, guns, planes, ships, ranks, etc. This would explain the pages and pages and pages of pointless blathering about types of automatic weapons, ammunition, tomcat planes, boats, Concorde flights, and SargeantMajorLieutenantCaptain chatter. Add to that the god-awful dialogue, the cringeworthy awkwardness of the 'sex' scenes, and the breathtakingly and unforgivably stupid yelling-at-the-crown-prince (who later wields an Uzi in a boat chase) scene, and it's probably one of the most painful 800 pages I've ever read. So awful.
  
• 
  Todd Hickman

  I have a theory that this is actually the first novel that Tom Clancy wrote, simply because it seems to me to be a wish-fulfillment fantasy. "Wouldn't it be great if I saved the royal family of England and was knighted by the queen." Great daydream and he turned it into a novel.
  Anyway, I liked it anyway. Good page-turner. It is probably a 4.5 stars read, but I rounded up.
• 
  Dave

  Clancy's second Jack Ryan book is a prequel, which is perhaps why some suggest new readers should read them in the order the events took place rather than in the order they were written. Some of the suspense is muted because you know how the big picture will work out. This story is about Ryan's actions in England when, as an innocent bystander, tries to stop a terrorist (IRA-like group) action and what happens as a result in England and then back home in Annapolis. It also tells of how he gets roped into the CIA. The event was referenced multiple times in "Red October"
  
  The story, despite knowing how it will turn out (from reading it once before, seeing the movie multiple times, and having read "Red October"), is exciting and fun. Clancy does have a knack for keeping the pedal to the metal when he's in the middle of action sequences.
  
  Scott Brick narrated the audiobook, which made it feel a bit like a science fiction story at first (he has done a lot of them), but I got over that quickly. I like his narration, though he pronounces "Annapolis" funny.
• 
  Jay Pruitt

  Jack Ryan gets in the way of an IRA terrorist act, starting a chain of events which threaten the lives of his family and cause him to take extreme measures to protect them. Unlike other Clancy novels, this first of the series is not built around top-secret military weaponry. Instead, it is an introduction to the series' primary character, Jack Ryan, a naval historian who, after a little arm twisting, becomes a CIA analyst. It also explores the mindset of Irish terrorist factions.
  
  Clancy novels are thrill rides which launch from their very first page and don't stop until the last. No warm up or foreplay. Just buckle up and hang on. Patriot Games is no exception.
• 
  Tammy Isaacs

  Although an old novel, but this is a classic novel about Jack Ryan, a former US marines who was on a work/vacation to the UK. A day after his arrival, he finds himself in a gun battle with 3 terrorists attacking the prince of Wales, his wife and few months old baby.
  
  They survived the attack, thanks to Jack who sustains an injury but got the Knighthood for his bravery.
  
  After that comes trouble from... Hey! go read it yourself to find out what happened in the end.
  
  I really like the plot. It's a classic like from a master plotter (mario Puzo).
  
  Have fun reading.
  
• 
  Soo

  3/30/2020 Notes: Rating Raised from 3 Stars to 5 Stars
  
  I read this book a long time ago and remembered that I enjoyed reading it. Re-reading by audio was great! Scott Brick is one of the best narrators and the story held more details/romance than I remembered. A nice mix of action & relay of connected consequences.
• 
  Asghar Abbas

  
  Irish bashing aside, a solid thriller. Can't deny I had a good time with the sun, not in the sun. Too much fun. Not that you need to know any of that. Details are all mine.
• 
  David Putnam

  Read it many moons ago. I don't think it would hold up today.
• 
  Louis Dohanich

  Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games
  4.5 stars
  
  Tom Clancy is known around the world for his fast paced action books. (Several of his books have been made into movies, and one has even been made into a video game series!) This is one of his earlier books, and I anticipated a book just like those who have made him famous with his writing style, such as Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising, and others. I wasn’t disappointed. This book, Patriot Games, is a great book, as most of his others were.
  The Theme of this book is of how terrorism is a problem that we all should stop. This book was centered on the time when the PIRA was a huge terrorist threat. The setting is mainly in either the United Kingdom or the United States of America. This book's emotion was very dark, but humorous too. The writer’s tone is whimsical (Tom Clancy is one of the few people who can do that in an action book).
  In the beginning, Jack Ryan (the protagonist, who is a family man who has been trying to get away from his old past which becomes a plot twist) intervenes in an assassination attempt to kill the Prince of Wales while on a business trip to London, England, which was the beginning of the conflict as well as the exposition, and grabbed me in. After the intervening, in which he was injured and hospitalized for an injured shoulder, Jack was known as a hero to both England and the United States. While in the hospital, Jack gave a pep talk to the Prince of Wales, who was the one person he saved from assassination and later becomes a friend in the story, which proves the main character is nice but tough. Jack was then revealed as a Former CIA operative (this is the plot twist I was telling you about), and you thus learned more about the main character, although it was a tad early to reveal this. A surprise commenced in the story when Jack’s wife, Cathy, was found pregnant with her second child. In order to save England from the PIRA, Jack re-entered into CIA. All of a sudden, Jack’s wife and first child, Sally, were hurt severely, but not killed, by terrorists from the PIRA as a "message" which intends to tug at the heartstrings of the reader (it does its job well). I would reveal more to how the rest of the book goes, but that's for me to know and you to find out.
  What I think was good about the book was that it was humorous, fast paced, and full of action. It was similar to the Tom Clancy games, which was based off of books like these. However, there were some bad things about the book. For instance, you need to know history from this time period in order to fully grasp the idea of the book. Also, you need to have a basic idea for what guns are and types of them to find out what Tom Clancy is talking about in his book. Overall, I recommend this book for Tom Clancy fans, military fans, or just plain action fans.
  
• 
  Emily

  When I read an old bestseller like this, I always ask myself if I would have recognized its potential. In this case: no way, rejectorama. I couldn't bring myself to read more than a third of it--which, by the way, amounted to 250 pages.
  
  What happened in those pages? There's a great opener where Jack Ryan is almost hit by a bus and barely exhales before he is swept into a kidnapping attempt on the British royal family. That contrast between the near disaster, his relief and reorientation, and then the real disaster is very well done.
  
  But it's all downhill from there as we feel the boredom of waiting around to be discharged from the hospital, interrupted by multiple, totally gratuitous visits from members of the royal family who express their deep admiration of Ryan, but in awkwardly bantering ways. Once he gets out of the hospital, we're taken on a tourist visit to the Tower of London which feels like a transcript of the actual tour, except for more awkward bantering at the end about how special Jack is. Not sure he's special? In addition to being a former banker, Marine, current college professor and (we quickly learn) CIA agent, and on top of his oh-so-American down-to-earth humility and sexy, devoted, symbolically fertile wife, he gets knighted and is now Sir John Ryan! His universally adored daughter is given horse-riding lessons by the royal family, although I didn't read far enough to learn whether she also gets a fairy princess wedding or a unicorn or whatever.
  
  I read for a good bit after he gets back from the UK, but there was no point, since it doesn't become good and is less hilariously bad after that. I was amazed at the slack, daydreamy pace of this novel, especially having the seen the movie (which I recall as rather exciting). Daydream is le mot juste because this does feel like the fantasy life of a certain kind of person who is not me. I scoffed aloud when I hit the transparent description of the luxurious and attractive, and also tactically complex, landscape surrounding Ryan's family home. When are they going get to the fireworks factory? I give up.
• 
  هادی امینی

  واقعا این کتاب چیزی کم نداره. یقیناً از اوون کتاب های تاثیرگذار برنده جایزه نوبل نیست، منظورم کتابهایی مثل کوری، صدسال تنهایی و اینها بود.
  این یک کتاب تریلر بی‌نقص بود. این دومین کتاب از تام کلنسی بود که خوندم. در مورد کارهای کلنسی چند تا نکته به ذهنم رسید که شاید بشه به عنوان وجه تمایز کلنسی با سایر تریلرنویسها بهش اشاره کرد.
  1- ریتم داستان در هیچ جایی نه خیلی تند مییشه و نه خیلی کند. تقریبا در سرتاسر داستان یک ریتم متوسط داریم. نه اونقدر تند که نفس آدم به شماره بیفته و نه اونقدر کند که کسل کننده باشه. در عین حال که خواننده شدیدا میخواد بدونه داستان به کجا میرسه، خیلی راحت میشه کتاب رو زمین گذاشت و رفت و برگشت و ادامه داد.
  2- بر خلاف بیشتر تریلرها، آمار شکست بیشتر از موفقیتهاست. یعنی تعداد دفعاتی که مجموعه جبهه خوب در مقابل جبهه بد شکست میخوره، بیشتر از تعداد پیروزی‌هاشونه. این جنبه یعنی تریلرهای کلنسی با زندگی واقعی تطابق بیشتری داره.
  3- بر خلاف بیشتر تریلرها که یک قهرمان در مقابل دنیایی از بدیها قرار میگیره، اینجا گروهی از آدم‌های خوب و معمولی و البته با استعدادها و تواناییهای متفاوت در مقابل گروهی از آدمهای بد قرار میگیرند.
  4- پیروزیهایی که جبهه خوبیها به دست میارند، به دلیل پشتکار، کار گروهی، همکاری، پیگیری، دقت و این چیزهاست؛ نه به دلیل خوش شانسی. معمولاً شکست‌ها به دلیل بدشانسی و چیزهای اتفاقی به وجود میاند. این هم به نظر من میتونه این احساس رو در خواننده ایجاد کنه که برای پیروزی باید پیگری بود، نه اینکه خوش شانس باشی و تیر دشمن از کنار گوشت رد بشه، ولی تیر تو مستقیم بخوره وسط پیشونی دشمن.
  
• 
  Thomas Stroemquist

  A 'prequel' to
  The Hunt for Red October that came a few years before, this takes us back and makes the common mistake of presenting a younger version of a protagonist that really does not seem consistent with the one we met in a later story. As if that wasn't enough, the real-life prince of Wales figures and that whole storyline sinks the entire story. To top it off, Clancy seems to have struggled with his obviously pre-defined volume this time around; very long parts of this book could easily have been cut and nothing would have been lost. Disappointing entry, but he revenged himself with
  The Cardinal of the Kremlin.
• 
  Henry Eyrich

  This was a rollercoaster of a book. There was amazing parts that made you just want to keep reading page after page and then there would be boring parts for a while that would make you not want to read. but by the end of the book there it was all going great. fast plot, great action, and made you wonder if everybody was going to get out alive. I think this was a great entry point into the jack ryan series and I am excited to keep the next one. although i do not think this book is as good as the first mitch rapp book was. I still like that series better so far. Overall great book with great characters and plot.
• 
  Fred Shaw

  Review to follow
• 
  Asheley T.

  After losing my Dad recently, I watched the entire Jack Ryan series on Amazon all the way through over about 36 hours. Sleepless nights and such. But it was so good that I ended up watching it again with my husband. Then I went out and grabbed this book. (FYI, the show is not based on any particular book according to the show creators, so I don't feel like I spoiled anything by watching first.)
  
  I love Jack Ryan. I love how he loves his wife and daughter. He has this feral-like need to protect them, and he isn't interested or tempted by other women. (I hope it stays like that throughout the series.) Jack Ryan is an ex-marine who ends up working for the CIA in a very roundabout way. I love the beginning of the book, how Jack is vacationing in London with his family when he finds himself thwarting an attack on the Prince of Wales and his family. Ryan finds himself a hero with the Royal family and the rest of the country, but when his injuries heal and he returns to America, he brings trouble to the US, out for revenge.
  
  What I didn't really enjoy is the trouble that he brought back. I just couldn't muster enough interest in the bad guys. There are so many of them, their part of the plot is so complicated, and they even involve outside terrorist agencies in what they are doing. Just so much terrorism-speak, it got muddy and boring.
  
  It seemed like Tom Clancy really disliked the bad guys. I noticed that he gave them no redeeming qualities or sympathies whatsoever. They do not have anything to identify with at all. They don't speak fondly their wives or their mothers or their children. They don't hesitate for even a second or have second thoughts. They are just flat-out bad guys with no redeeming qualities. Even the way they dialogue with one another is very stilted and almost harsh. Very interesting. (This was a definite contrast from the show, because they gave the bad guys at least some humanity with their perspectives.)
  
  So I liked this one, but I didn't love it. There were parts that were exciting and heart-pounding, but that feeling certainly didn't carry throughout the entire length of the book. I'll read/listen to more from Clancy and Jack Ryan, but I'm not in a huge hurry to do so.
  
  
  
  Audiobook Notes: Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators, but I don't feel like this is one of my favorites from his audio collection. Maybe it was because of the accents that he used for the Irish and British characters? Or maybe it was because I just didn't feel his enthusiasm with this story like I have with some of his other work. It was good, but just not a favorite.
  
  This is a good introduction to Jack Ryan's character and still totally worth the use of a credit. My husband is now reading the book without the audiobook and it is taking him forever to get through it. I'm glad that I listened to it, but I'm not completely sure that the Clancy series is a re-listen series for me.
  
  Title: Patriot Games by Tom Clancy
  Series: Jack Ryan #1
  Narrated by: Scott Brick
  Publisher: Random House Audio
  Length: 22 hours, 2 minutes, Unabridged
• 
  Richard

  5.5/10
  
  This was quite a dull read in all honesty. I’m pretty sure I’m going to leave Tom Clancy alone for now or at least until I’ve read all of Vince Flynn’s books. I know Mitch Rapp came afterwards but I prefer him by a country mile!
  
  The plot overview seemed interesting enough but I knew after 50 pages when the first terrorist attempt had taken place that there was still 550+ pages to go and not much was going to happen in the run up to the climax. I think Tom Clancy likes to waffle; perhaps he’s paid extra for going over a certain word count. I jest, he is very detailed in his descriptions and it seems like he’s put a lot of time in for his research. This doesn’t help the pacing of the story and the book could have been half as long in my opinion.
  
  I also wasn’t too impressed with how the Royal Family were portrayed as some all caring, lovable family. I have nothing against the Royal Family but this is definitely not how I see them and at times it was a bit nauseating. The climax of Patriot Games also didn’t feel all that well written but I could be wrong as my enthusiasm had long waned at that point.
  
  I read Rainbow 6 a couple of years ago and remember enjoying that quite a lot, that book was longer than this too, but the last two Clancy novels I have read (Hunt for Red October and this) have soured my appetite for any more.
  
  If you like this try: “Transfer of Power” by Vince Flynn