Within the genres of ‘war’ and ‘thriller’ literature, there is perhaps none so accomplished and revered as Tom Clancy – whose work depicting the espionage and deception of the Cold War, in particular, captured the imagination of readers from all around the world.
Priding himself in writing ‘military-science’ fiction novels – the most famous of which is perhaps the ‘Jack Ryan’ series of novels – Tom Clancy also wrote non-fiction novels pertaining to military equipment and machinery, as well as other more niche publications that would interest military historians.
As well as being a keen military historian, Clancy also had his own brushes with Hollywood, with his novel The Hunt For Red October being made into a popular film starring Sean Connery.
Clancy has also had a distinct impact on the video game industry, with his Splinter Cell series becoming an iconic gaming series within the industry.
Like his novels, this game focused on espionage and Cold War era storylines – whose protagonist ‘Sam Fisher’ used stealth and night vision to achieve his mission goals.
His work also proved particularly influential on the Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and The Division video game series – all of which have a focus on US intelligence agencies, and incorporate espionage within their playing styles.
Are Tom Clancy Books Linked?
As mentioned above, many of Clancy’s novels are focused around CIA operative Jack Ryan – a character who has been portrayed numerous times throughout the various cinematic adaptations of Clancy’s work.
Ryan was played by Alec Baldwin in the film adaptation of The Hunt for Red October (1990), and by Harrison Ford in Patriot Games (1992).
Ryan is portrayed as a major player throughout the final years of the Cold War in the 1980s, and very much reflected American values at the time of writing – incorporating Clancy’s own Reagan-era ideals of patriotism, national security, and a jingoistic stance against the Soviet Union, and America’s other enemies around the world.
The 18 Best Tom Clancy Novels
However, for those readers who are new to Clancy’s work, but who wish to engage with his specific brand of military fiction, knowing the place to start can be tricky.
This is why we have compiled a list of our 18 top picks for the best Tom Clancy novels on the market. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
In Debt of Honor, Clancy explores the idea of ‘today’s allies being tomorrow’s enemies’, wherein a disgruntled Japanese airline pilot flies a Boeing airplane into the dome of the US Capitol Building, killing the President of the United States and numerous other delegates.
The novel then sees the fan-favorite hero Jack Ryan pulled out of retirement to become the new US president’s National Security Advisor – along with his former colleagues John Clark and Domingo Chavez.
Following the announcement of the Pope’s potential resignation in the face of Polish state oppression, Red Rabbit sees both America and Russia in turmoil as to the international repercussions that such a political statement would have.
As for Jack Ryan, he jumps at the chance of joining the CIA’s new division, who recruit him after his dealings in London with the IRA, but upon seeing the sheer height of the stakes he faces, he realizes that the job could have greater consequences than he ever imagined.
Pros
Detailed and complex
Action-packed
Tense throughout
Great sense of threat
Solid thriller
Cons
Quite long
Slow at times
Themes: oppression, good vs evil, war, espionage, deception
Another beloved addition to the Jack Ryan universe, The Cardinal of the Kremlin sees the CIA operative going behind enemy lines to rescue ‘Cardinal’ – an undercover American agent who has intimate knowledge of the Soviet Union’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defense system.
Alone and hunted by skilled KGB agents, Ryan and Cardinal must get out of the country alive, all without starting WW3 in the process.
Pros
Action-packed
Detailed and well written
Enjoyable subject material
Tense and exciting
Cons
Quite long
Themes: deception, danger, good vs evil, betrayal, war, espionage
Following the exploits of John Clark – long time friend and Jack Ryan, and a revered former Navy SEAL – Rainbow Six tells of the formation of the titular ‘Rainbow’, a newly created counter-terrorism unit with Clark at the helm.
In their first trial by fire, Clark and the team must stop a cabal of extremists hell bent on destroying the world as we know it.
Pros
Masterly told story
Well written piece
Gripping and action-packed
Tense and exciting
Cons
Slightly weak ending
Themes: danger, good vs evil, extremism, honor, duty
Telling the story of ‘Hendley Associates’, a seemingly innocent financial firm with a shadowy true purpose aimed at counter terrorism, The Teeth of the Tiger tells the story of three new recruits – rookie FBI agent Dominic Caruso, his marine captain brother Brian Caruso, and their cousin, Jack Ryan Jr, whose own upbringing was nothing short of perilous.
With his father such an esteemed former agent, and now the President of the United States, Jack Jr finds himself in a position to prove himself – one that could just as easily see him killed in the process.
Pros
Interesting continuation of the series
A good new ensemble piece
Action-packed
Tense and suspenseful
Well-written and detailed
Cons
Some plot holes
Themes: legacy, reputation, good vs evil, espionage, deception
The first tale from the POV of ex-Navy SEAL John Clark, Without Remorse sees the skilled soldier’s transition from a regular man, to revered soldier, to leader of his own counter-terrorism units.
Pros
Solid storytelling
Detailed and exciting
Tense and suspenseful
Action-packed throughout
Cons
Somewhat derivative of past Clancy novels
Themes: infiltration, espionage, danger, good vs evil, duty, honor
In this installment of the Jack Ryan series, The Bear and the Dragon sees Ryan newly elected to the seat of US president and finding that even the top spot in the country comes with its own challenges, sacrifices, and responsibilities.
With the Asian economy in free fall, a revolution in Liberia, an assassination attempt on a former KGB agent, and now a suspected Chinese plot to overthrow his presidency, Jack must use every weapon at his disposal to steady the passage of the country as it heads through such trying times.
Pros
Engaging and tense
Action-packed
High stakes thriller
Good character development
Cons
Extremely long book
Needs substantial editing
Themes: duty, honor, good vs evil, deception, sacrifice
The first book in the Jack Ryan series, and the one that really put Clancy’s name on the map, The Hunt for Red October sees the revered CIA analyst as he attempts to locate an advanced Soviet submarine before it gets into the wrong hands.
With time running out, and the threat of nuclear war seeming closer than ever, Ryan and the team must hunt the Red October before its devastating payload causes irreparable damage to the face of the planet.
Pros
Well written
Tense and exciting
Suspenseful throughout
Action-packed
High stakes thriller
Cons
A little slow paced
Themes: Cold War, honor, duty, destruction, world war 3
Another of Clancy’s most famous and popular novels, Patriot Games sees Ryan on vacation in London with his family.
After thwarting a terrorist attack, saving the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and taking a bullet in the process, Jack awakens to find himself a hero – one that has got the ire of dangerous enemies that are hellbent on getting their revenge.
In The Sum of all Fears, we see Jack Ryan and his colleagues in a relatively peaceful era – wherein the Soviet Union has folded, Israel and Palestine are in peace talks, and things seem to have quietened down.
However, when rogue terrorists formulate a plot to kickstart the conflict all over again, Ryan must race against time to save the lives of the innocent, and preserve the peace he has come to enjoy.
Pros
Compelling
Thrilling and tense
Action-packed
Well written
Good change of direction
Cons
Some parts inaccurate
Themes: war and peace, terrorism, duty, honor, good vs evil
Co-written by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney, Command Authority sees Jack Ryan Sr revisiting a case from his youth which saw the assassination of an operative by the shadowy KGB assassin known as ‘Zenith’.
Cut to the present day, and Jack finds himself right back where he started, following the assassination of a friend via a radioactive agent, and all hands pointing to the chaotic and turbulent Russian Republic – not to mention the mysterious new President Valeri Volodon, who also has a bloody past.
Pros
Well written and engaging
Action-packed
Good ensemble of characters
Tense
Cons
Weaker than past novels
Themes: deception, war, assassination, espionage, teamwork, legacy
Following the destruction of a Soviet oil pipeline by a Muslim fundamentalist, Russia seems determined to take matters into its own hands – a plan that involves the overtaking of the Persian Gulf, as well as the toppling of NATO itself.
What follows is a desperate bid by the west to stop the war at all costs – embarking on a perilous firefight with the approaching Russians in what could be the war to end all wars.
Following the exploits of Chase Williams and his ‘Black Wasp’ spec ops team, God of War sees the team combating a series of deadly bioterrorist events that take place all around the world.
As the virus takes hold on almost every continent, the team must race against time to stop the loss of innocent lives, and the spread of the virus, before it is too late.
Pros
Tense and exciting
Action-packed
Suspenseful
The real sense of terror
Detailed and realistic
Cons
Slow to start
Themes: bioterrorism, good vs evil, espionage, war
Following on from the devastating finale to Debt of Honor – wherein the President of the United States was killed in a terrorist attack – Jack Ryan has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he finds himself tasked with rebuilding the government and finding those who are responsible for the tragedy.
This novel sees the transition of Ryan from agent to the leader of the free world that he became in later stories from the series – and sees everyone’s favorite CIA operative undergo his own character growth to rise to his new responsibilities.
Pros
Gripping and tense
Good change of pace
Well written
Emotive and suspenseful
Action-packed
Cons
Quite long
Themes: terrorism, politics, good vs evil, responsibility, legacy, duty
Part of the Net Force series of novels, Hidden Agendas sees the impact that the computer age has on the espionage industry, and how it both hinders and helps agents in the field – and their enemies around the world.
Following the exploits of Alex Michaels, the leader of Net Force, Hidden Agendas sees him confronted on all sides by a hard-to-convince senate, emerging online threats, as well as a computer virus that throws the American financial system into turmoil.
Pros
Detailed and exciting
Engaging
Action-packed
Tense
Well written
Cons
Sometimes far fetched
Themes: computers, viruses, espionage, cyberterrorism, good vs evil
Following the exploits of Captain Bartholomew Mackey – the skipper of the USS Cheyenne, a nuclear submarine – SSN: Strategies of Submarine Warfare sees the crew of the Cheyenne in the early days of world war 3, where Chinese aggression on the Spratly Islands has sent the world into turmoil.
Chillingly realistic and detailed as ever, Clancy presents a series of ghastly scenarios throughout the book, all of which see Mackey and the crew do their best to minimize casualties and make sense of the world they have been thrust into.
Pros
Detailed
Tense and suspenseful
Genuinely chilling predictions
Action-packed
Cons
Heavy subject matter
Slow at times
Themes: nuclear war, war, espionage, global conflict, sacrifice, honor, duty
Another outing for Jack Ryan, Dead or Alive sees the former agent turned President as he forms the top-secret espionage unit ‘The Campus’, and their pursuit of a violent, sadistic terrorist known as ‘The Emir’.
With a manhunt that takes the team all across the globe, they must fight to protect innocent lives from his vicious attacks and avoid the attention of world governments and the press in the process – as any unwanted attention could blow the whole operation, and put the US administration in the frame.
Last on our list, but by no means least, Against All Enemies sees the members of The Campus and former US Navy SEAL Maxwell Moore encounter a deadly new coalition – the Taliban, and Mexican drug cartels.
Pros
Good ensemble piece
Action-packed
Tense
Well written
Cons
Confusing plot
Weaker than past books
Themes: terrorism, war, teamwork, duty, honor
Best Tom Clancy Novels Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to choosing the right Tom Clancy book for you, there are certain things you need to bear in mind to ensure you make the right decision.
Read The Reviews
The first thing you need to do is to read the reviews on websites like Amazon, wherein readers from all backgrounds can come together and give their two cents on the books in question.
This is perhaps the best way to get a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of an individual novel – just remember that these reviews are people’s opinions, and are by no means factual.
Read The Blurb
Of course, you could always read the back of the book (or the blurb) and see if the story resonates with you and your interests.
This is the best way to get a sense of what the story is about, and can save a lot of time and energy that comes with starting the book and getting nowhere fast.
Ask For Recommendations
You could also go to your local bookstore and ask the clerk for recommendations. They will know which books in the series they stock, and which ones are popular with other customers, and this can be a good place to start.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know about Tom Clancy, and the 18 best books from his back catalog.
It’s true that within the genres of ‘war’ and ‘thrillers’ Tom Clancy is certainly one of the best – offering a definitive and realistic take on the world of espionage and deception.
So if you are keen to read more of Tom Clancy’s work, then why not check out some of our suggestions? Something tells me you won’t be disappointed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tom Clancy Suitable For Younger Readers?
No, Tom Clancy’s work is suitable for adult readers due to the nature of the content he writes about – namely war, violence, and other mature scenarios.
Are Tom Clancy Books Worth Reading?
Tom Clancy’s work is definitely worth reading if you are a fan of military history – particularly Cold War era history, which is the period in which many of his books are set.
Noah Burton works as a Librarian full time, and is a blogger in his spare time. His goal is to write compelling recommendations for all of the most popular books he can find, from science fiction to romance.
With a passion for books, a drive to find new reads to get stuck into, and a love for sharing book recommendations with others, Noah can help you find the next novel for your bucket list.
![[Debt of Honor] [by: Clancy Tom]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZtLm1lZGlhLWFtYXpvbi5jb20lMkZpbWFnZXMlMkZJJTJGNDFQc1ZRUG9MM0wuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjEiIGRhdGEtaD0iMSIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
![[Without Remorse] (By: Clancy Tom) [published: October, 1997]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZtLm1lZGlhLWFtYXpvbi5jb20lMkZpbWFnZXMlMkZJJTJGNDFwNUM5YldnYUwuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjEiIGRhdGEtaD0iMSIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
