Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Executive Orders (Jack Ryan #8)

by Tom Clancy

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 18,778 ratings · 278 reviews

Paperback, 874 pages

Published 1998 by HarperCollins (first published 1996)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Tom Clancy Books

10th out of 19 books — 69 voters

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Thrillers

147th out of 1,076 books — 1,545 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 13, 2013 Mark rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody

This is the book that finished my interest in reading Tom Clancy novels. It's a real shame, too, as I thought Clancy's previous one, Debt of Honor, had an inventive set-up (necessary, as the Cold War ended too soon for the man) and a plot that kept things humming along entertainingly. Yet the end of that novel saw a contrived situation that set up the stage for this one, with Clancy's main protagonist/avatar now President of the United States. This gave Clancy an opportunity to sound of on Ameri...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Christopher Slater rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is the pinnacle of the Jack Ryan series of novels. We finally see Jack Ryan, reluctantly and tragically, become President of the United States. He hates it, and sees it as a curse. The problem is that he is good at it. The very fact that he doesn't want to be there makes him all the more appealing to the voters in the book and to the reader. Of course, his reluctance is seen as weakness by other world leaders, and some try to take advantage of the situation. Their mistake. This book ta...more

like 1 like · see review

May 07, 2012 Jerome rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jack Ryan and Tom Clancy may have reached their pinnacle of achievement with this book. However, this book is definitely not the place to start the series; as a minimum, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Debt of Honor should definitely be read before this book.

Jack, due to the events detailed in Debt of Honor, suddenly finds himself President of the U.S., a position which he never aspired to and in which he feels decidedly uncomfortable. But, good former Marine that he is, he quickly...more Jack Ryan and Tom Clancy may have reached their pinnacle of achievement with this book. However, this book is definitely not the place to start the series; as a minimum, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Debt of Honor should definitely be read before this book.

Jack, due to the events detailed in Debt of Honor, suddenly finds himself President of the U.S., a position which he never aspired to and in which he feels decidedly uncomfortable. But, good former Marine that he is, he quickly buckles down to the demands of the job - a job that rapidly spawns seemingly endless problems and complications. In detailing these, Clancy weaves an incredible number of sub-plots together: an assassination of the Iraqi President and the amalgamation of that country with Iran, an attempt to kidnap his youngest daughter, a biological attack on the U.S., a heat up of the continuing dispute between the two Chinas, an attempt by the former Vice President to remove Jack from office, and multiple attacks on his integrity by the news media. This is where Clancy shines, as each of these sub-plots is probably strong enough to be a novel in its own right. They all have strong dramatic elements and are not only plausible, but frightening in just how close they are to events in the real world that have occurred since this book was written - so much so that the notion has been put forth that certain terrorist elements got the ideas for their deeds from this book and Debt of Honor.

Jack is well drawn. His reactions to situations and problems make sense for the type of man he is, and Clancy does a good job of making the reader empathize with him. Most of the other main characters are shown with enough depth to make them real, though it definitely helps if you have read the prior novels in this series, as some of the background for these characters was presented earlier, and is not re-hashed in this book. However, most of the characters are not excessively deep, and it is very clear who are the `good guys' and who are the `bad', which perhaps is a good thing in a thriller.

The battle scenes are typical Clancy, filled with a great number (quite accurate) technical details - perhaps too much so, as at times the picture of just what war is really like gets lost in all these details. Also somewhat of a detraction is the fact that the `good guys' have too easy a time of it; it seems like all their plans are precisely accomplished, with few of the screw-ups and surprises that always happen in real conflicts. Which leads to the other fault with this book - it really is too long, and a fair amount of it could have been cut without losing the impressive tapestry effect.

Some may object to the political viewpoints expressed in this novel, as they are decidedly on the right of the spectrum. But Clancy does a good job of detailing why these viewpoints should at least be given some careful thought by all Americans. Here we find good rationales behind limiting the power of the press under certain circumstances; the necessity for maintaining both a strong military and a strong intelligence network; cases where the power of the President may need to exceed the powers granted by the Constitution; when diplomacy is appropriate versus military action (and just how much diplomacy is dependent on having the military power to back up stated positions). It is just these viewpoints that elevate this book from a blockbuster adventure novel to one with substance. A quick perusal of any newspaper today will show exactly the points Clancy makes here, from the obvious `slanting' of the reporting to the need for a military that is second to none.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 16, 2010 Don Stanton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first read it in 1996 when it came out....My reaction then was ho hum.
I just finished it again. The man was 5 years before 9/11. Wow, did he call it or what?
The things that he speaks about are exactly about what is happening in Europe and america today.
I like very much his style of flipping form entity to entity. It truly gives the perspective of multiple plots running simultaneously. It could be confusing to those with a eighth grade reading ability.
I read one cometary for a non american who...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 30, 2010 Rosalind rated it 1 of 5 stars

Reading this was entirely an exercise in reading something that lies way outside my comfort zone. Why is it outside my comfort zone? Well, it's not aimed at me for a start; I'm a woman, and I'm not American. I knew what I was taking on; it's a thriller, by a mega-bestselling author who specialises in a particular kind of macho, flag-waving, Budweiser-swilling, big-dick, patriotic, all-action Americana. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, if the writing's good and knowing that I had every...more Reading this was entirely an exercise in reading something that lies way outside my comfort zone. Why is it outside my comfort zone? Well, it's not aimed at me for a start; I'm a woman, and I'm not American. I knew what I was taking on; it's a thriller, by a mega-bestselling author who specialises in a particular kind of macho, flag-waving, Budweiser-swilling, big-dick, patriotic, all-action Americana. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, if the writing's good and knowing that I had every opportunity to avoid reading it in full knowledge of what it was. And besides I don't always conform to type. I love the spy thrillers of John le Carré and while your standard Action Movie leaves me cold (Bond films in particular because actually I'm quite fond of Fleming's original Bond books) I do have a big soft spot for The Dirty Dozen for reasons I've never fully understood. So, I was determined to see this one through.

Anyway, the premise of this 900-page doorstop is something like this. CIA spook and alleged family guy Jack Ryan becomes President by accident after a Japanese airline pilot flies a 747 into a packed Capitol (yes, really!) wiping out both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and a goodly part of the Washington establishment. Yes, it's a Tea Party wet dream! Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, the demented leader of Iran takes advantage of the situation to take over Iraq and launch an invasion of Saudi Arabia with the wildly improbable cooperation of both India and China. And to complicate things, also attempts to kidnap the president's younger daughter and start an epidemic of haemorrhagic fever amongst America's car salesmen (you feel like shouting "Yay!" at that point)

Ok, it's fantasy stuff (Le Carré always has the ring of authenticity, not least because he was a real spook while Clancy was an insurance salesman) and that's fine if it's well-written. The big problem is that it's appallingly badly written. To be fair, Clancy knows his stuff about military hardware and he's obviously done his homework about life in the White House; in fact those are the most interesting bits although still a poor substitute for The West Wing. The rest is just dismal. Violence? I wish there was some. For great stretches nothing happens at all except digressions on Clancyan hobby-horses like why the US tax system needs reform. There's no humanity; we keep being told how much President Ryan loves his family but we never see any evidence; he never takes time to read his youngest a story, or play with his son, or have conflicts with his teenage daughter. In fact by the end of the 900 pages we know hardly any more about the children than we did at the beginning. There's the endless pauses while the author stops to explain some trivial point to his braindead readership (hey, naval parlance still talks about a ship 'steaming' even though a modern ship's engines don't do it that way, isn't that amazing, tell Ripley's Believe It Or Not at once!) Foreigners, of course, are meekly compliant and admiring (Russians, would you believe?) or sinister, devious, comic-book villians (Gadzooks! My master plan has been foiled again by those pesky Americans!).

Worst of all, though, is the sickly sentimentality of it all. The triumph of Mom's Apple Pie, beer and franks at the Ball Game and the Grand ol' Opry, with the mean streets of South Central LA and West Baltimore kept well out of the way in the Free Speech Zone. Hell, they love their President so much there's not a whisper of a protest even when the unelected President Ryan overrides the constitution to impose a ban on crossing state lines. I can think of one president who'd be glad of a tiny fraction of the cooperation from his truculent nation. And no, I'm not being unpatriotic: the US is a foreign country to me, I'm an alien there (I've been told as much in no uncertain terms) and owe no allegiange to Old Glory.

Ok, it was an experiment, and I'm glad I read it. But I don't think I'll be going back that way any time soon.
(less)

like 4 likes · see review

May 03, 2011 Pawan rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://iandbooks.wordpress.com/
I read Tom Clancy’s name when I was reading the review of a book by different author and it caught my attention. I had seen his books in bookshops but never paid any attention to them before. The first book that I picked up was “Executive Orders”. It was quite a surprise to me in terms of scale, detailing and scope of plot. I have read many more books by him after that and I will write about them separately but this is the one that got me hooked to Tom Clancy.

The f...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Andrés rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: political-intrigue, disappointments, military-aspects

I don't like politics, which is why, for me, the book gets somewhat better towards the end, with the advent of the Second Persian Gulf War. But let's take it from the beginning, shall we?

Some background first. The war with Japan has ended. Jack Ryan, National Security Advisor, has been asked by President Durling to replace Edward Kealty in the role of Vicepresident because of some scandal or other. Ryan, thinking it's a good way to end his career of public service, reluctantly accepts. And then,...more I don't like politics, which is why, for me, the book gets somewhat better towards the end, with the advent of the Second Persian Gulf War. But let's take it from the beginning, shall we?

Some background first. The war with Japan has ended. Jack Ryan, National Security Advisor, has been asked by President Durling to replace Edward Kealty in the role of Vicepresident because of some scandal or other. Ryan, thinking it's a good way to end his career of public service, reluctantly accepts. And then, just as he's sworn in, a 747 takes out the Capitol, with all its ramifications. To add another layer of difficulty, the airliner was Japanese.

Jack Ryan is now President Ryan. Never one for the spotlight, you can imagine he's more than reticent to take on his new job. Several players at home and around the world sense this, make their judgments, and a few, assuming weakness, decide to take advantage of it. The key player is Iran's Ayatollah Daryaei who thinks it's about time his country got bigger. In order to achieve this he comes up with a plan to distract the US with several "unrelated" crisis while his tanks take a stroll down Saudi Arabia. At the same time, back home, everyone wants a piece of the new president, particularly the media and former Vicepresident Kealty who's now got his eye on the Oval Office.

70 to 80 percent of this book has Ryan taking the hits as they come, one after the other, all the while complaining he never wanted the job. Finally, at some point in the book somebody reminds him that as Vicepresident that was always a possiblity and that the country needs a president. Soul searching is fine but not when it takes up more than two-thirds of the book.

During this soul searching the media hits him with stories of his past as a CIA spook, nods to previous titles such as "The Hunt for Red October," "The Cardinal of the Kremlin," and "Clear and Present Danger" to mention a few. Better yet we get to see a few familiar characters such as Bert Mancuso and Robby Jackson. While in any other circumstances Ryan would have undoubtedly appear a hero, here those events are manipulated to depict him as a loose cannon, unfit to be a president, as opposed to Ed Kealty, a career politician who knows how to lie to the media well enough that the media, in turn, likes him. Quite surprising that Clancy's points on the media and politicians are as valid today as they were back then. Something to ponder certainly.

On the issue of plausibility, Clancy sure wanted to find out where the line was. Imagine, Daryaei has the good fortune that Capitol gets taken out roughly about the same time that Ebola case pops up, he has China and India willing to play ball, not to mention his other ace up his sleeve in the USSS. I'm not sure whether Daryaei overdid it or Clancy did. I would have liked to know more about the aftermath of the crisis, how it shapes relations with China and India, and so on. Unfortunately, the book ends with the Ryan Doctrine, something I would have been more comfortable reading about somewhere down the middle. To be honest, Ryan really becomes a president towards the end, and before you know it that's it. Finish.(less)

like 1 like · see review

May 29, 2011 Colleen O'grady rated it 5 of 5 stars

As usual with anything that Tom Clancy writes I am astounded at his breadth of knowledge of world affairs, the political no-how of nations including his homeland of USA. Once again he weaves this knowledge into a gripping tale of espionage, terrorism, fighting to do what is right against all odds. From the first Ryan novel Red October I have followed the efforts of Jack Ryan as an inteligence officer and historian, university lecturer and great thinker. This massive tome has kept me gripped to m...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There's not much to say other than what I've said on the previous seven volumes in the series. Most of it predictable but still completely engaging, a few twists and turns here and there. Remarkably prescient if premature - although the players are different the scenarios are much like some of the things we've recently faced and are facing in the "war on terrorism". One thing that stood out more in this volume than the past ones is a sort of latent racism - I've noticed before that Clancy makes...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Daniel Kukwa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-lit

I've flipped through Tom Clancy in the past, but his books have always felt like tech-manuals with plot. Fascinating, but never exaclty enegaging or absorbing.

Executive Orders, on the other hand, creates a situation so outrageous and inconceivable...and spends the rest of its page count bringing it all to chilling life. It continues to lean towards the technical side (and it's too long!), but as a polisci grad, I appreciated Clancy's ability to take government and turn it on its constitutional e...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Andrew Venturella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tom Clancy picks right where he left off from the previous book; most of congress is dead , killed by a Japanese extremist recently mourning the loss of both his sons, killed by military action with the United States, and Jack Ryan is forced into an early presidency after just recently accepting the oath of Vice presidency. Early into Ryan's presidency Ryan sets himself apart by claiming to be an apolitical president, also China, India, and Iran develop Capatlistic intentions aimed against Saudi...more

like · see review

Dec 18, 2009 Paul Hollis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, 2009

1358 pages yes 1358 of Tom Clancy and now the nightmare is finally over!!
This book took me a year to read, not because of its length but because it's incredibly boring for loooong stretches, I would set it aside for months at a time.
The beginning was good and the ending (the last 300 pages was gripping) but to get there you have to get through a 1000 pages of of the main character Jack Ryan, now president, whining and complaning about being president and the political process(if there was ever...more

like 5 likes · see review

Feb 05, 2009 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Patriots, Adventure Readers

I’ve just finished the full Clancy meal of Middle-eastern bioterrorism, complete with raw Islamic take-over-the-world philosophies, global political conspiring, spicy special ops, presidential corruption, intrigue, and outright war. At a mere 1358 pages, how much terrorism can one author pack into one explosive novel? Executive Orders answers decisively in a prescient and potent way. Our hero, Jack Ryan, has become an unconventional leader of men forging a way for a hopeful American reality; the...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 27, 2011 Andreas rated it 5 of 5 stars

An older Jack Ryan moves upwards in the chain of command. Debt of Honor is nowaday subtitled “The prelude to Executive Orders”. I think this does it a tremendous disservice. Although it does end in the middle of the story, it is a fully fleshed out novel in it’s own right, and raises some interesting questions about the future of the Pacific region.

Executive Orders is my favorite Clancy. Its amazing mix of high level politics, forced change at the highest levels of the US governemnt (wishful thi...more

like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Peter rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was an effort to get past the last one, Debt of Honor, but I was hooked by the cliffhanger from the end of Debt of Honor.
There did not seem to be an editor involved in writing this book. There were far to many instances of poor word choices, including several instances of just plain incorrect words; one specific example referencing an Apache helicopter, and referencing the same pilot in an airplane later in the paragraph.
Can characters be less than one dimensional? Would that be what half-b...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Prashant Singh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this book after 9/11 because although it was published in 1996 it starts with a plane flying into capitol hill and killing half the government. This is the book which got me so interested in America. Ha, I might even say had I not picked up the book, maybe I wouldn't be here in US after all.

This book is the ultimate conservative utopia, an ex-CIA agent becomes National Security Advisor, then vice-President and finally the President of United States. Its someone who believes in Americ...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has a very interesting storyline that may seem a bit dated now. Tom Clancy can tell a very good story when he wants to and he certainly manages it here. The only real complaint I have with this book is the length. There are many, many plots converging, diverging, and then converging again as you slog through what feels like a million pages. I feel that this book would have benefited greatly from a more forceful editor, but it still works.

Basically, if you have read every book in the J...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Sskous rated it 4 of 5 stars

really ejoyed this story. unfortunately, it seems prophetic and that's deeply disturbing. one hopes we have a president like Jack Ryan when it happens.

this novel is long and develops characters well and clearly. there are several over-lapping plots and mini-plots, and i enjoyed them all. the military details were a bit much for me, but the book is written not only in chapters but also in segments, so it's easy enough to skim through those parts. i didn't want to skip them entirely because i want...more

like · see review

Dec 24, 2010 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Love me some Tom Clancy! This book reminds me a lot of that Calvin and Hobbes strip where a train jumps some tracks headed for a gas-leak house where the farmer is about to light a match as an earthquake is about to happen . . . along the edge of the Grand Canyon! Same sort of impossible coincidences here, only with politics and the military. The climax of the book where the president addresses the nation with a live-action shot of two smart bombs blowing up the crazy terrorist's house was truly...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2010 Jeff Brateman rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was the longest book I've ever read. I think Clancy spent a year writing the first 700 pages (hardcover), and the last week writing the last 100. The conclusion just seemed to drop off, compared to the rest of the book. It was, well, an azure orbs experience. The last 100 was all battles, the first was set up, and more set up, and finally, more set up for the ensuing remainder of plot. So much set up for no real rewards. Another issue was the multiple universes, one which corresponds to our...more

like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favorites

I think this is one of Clancy's top 5 novels - right up there along with "Hunt for Red October," "Wihthout Remorse," and "Cardinal of the Kremlin." It discribes the first few months of Jack Ryan's presidency, and the challenges he must face as other nations as well as those around him test the new chief executive. These include: trying to rebuild the government after the former President and the entire legislative branch and supreme court are wiped out in the suicide attack which destroyed the...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2012 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: maryland-vanity

Jack Ryan becomes the president through a series of unlikely events, and in doing so he loses a lot of what makes him an interesting character to read about. Fundamentally, it's the same as what makes him good in past books: he gets thrust unwittingly into these situations. But when he's in the field it's different than when he's behind a desk.

Also dragging down Executive Orders are the sheer number of plots that never seem to amount to a damn thing. Pages are spent on the scumbag ex-VP and the...more

like 1 like · see review

May 09, 2011 Stephen Rennolds rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't remember who got me started on Tom Clancy, but it went on for a number of years before I realized he was writing one long story line (he has enough of a pool of characters that they don't always overlap in a single book). Thus, when I came to the realization I started over from the beginning.

There is a matter of fact writing style about these stories, but I assume that is to be expected for the young male (think testosterone and adrenalin) audience he mostly aims for. While there is a de...more

like · see review

Dec 17, 2010 Elissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Jack Ryan's character because he's the non-political president I've always dreamed of. It's nice to think that one man in the right place could really get the ball rolling in the right direction for a less bureaucratic, lobbyist-infested federal government. Clancy also does amazing work making all the unbelievable plots play together so that they become terrifyingly realistic. I didn't give it 5 stars because, like all Clancy books, you have to filter out tons of bad language. I also was...more

like · see review

Oct 18, 2009 Mason rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's hard to overstate the letdown of this book; the only reason it gets a second star is for the last 350 pages, which are gripping. However, that hardly makes up for having to slog through 1,000 pages of whining nonsense from oh-so-put-upon President Jack Ryan, a one-time superstar intelligence agent and cold warrior who apparently turned into a big wuss once he was thrust into the most powerful position on the planet. It contains, as another goodreads review put it, the "utter ruination of a...more It's hard to overstate the letdown of this book; the only reason it gets a second star is for the last 350 pages, which are gripping. However, that hardly makes up for having to slog through 1,000 pages of whining nonsense from oh-so-put-upon President Jack Ryan, a one-time superstar intelligence agent and cold warrior who apparently turned into a big wuss once he was thrust into the most powerful position on the planet. It contains, as another goodreads review put it, the "utter ruination of a once enjoyable, if kind of silly, character." That's putting it mildly.

(Spoilers ahead) The same character who once shot a Russian agent on an enemy submarine and killed a whole swath of IRA terrorists who had invaded his home home now spends him time moping about the White House, complaining about having to give speeches and that somebody else opens the door for him. Woe, woe! And what is his biggest problem with being president? People dare to question his judgment! It's as if he had spent his entire fifty years in the United States (or however old he's supposed to be) unaware of the political process, or even of the fact that the press asks questions of the country's elected leaders.

It's always a fallacy to judge an author based on the ideas of their work, but it's clear from Executive Orders that Tom Clancy is both contemptuous and ignorant of contemporary American government. There are too many examples to bother citing any, but suffice it to say that the constant stream of tossed-off aphorisms like "The government is broken" and "The system doesn't make any sense!" only impede a reader's ability to empathize with Ryan or anyone else, let alone like them.

More to the point, this is a book, or at least an anti-government screed disguised as one, though one would be hard-pressed to identify its plot for literally the first nine hundred pages. I cannot reiterate this point enough. Clancy wastes enough text for three whole books before getting to any action in this one. Patriot Games, by comparison, opens with a terrorist attack on the Prince of Wales, and Ryan shoots a dude on page five. Page five! That book was exciting from beginning to end. This one is endless drudgery.(less)

like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: clancy

This book took me months to finish, and not just because it was nearly 1,000 pages long... but because it took nearly 2/3rds of the book for Clancy to truly hook me and get me engaged in the story to where I didn't want to stop reading it. This is the slowest moving of the Jack Ryan novels as Clancy painstakingly builds up his plot and subplots around the new Ryan presidency. Maybe it was because this book was so political, or because Clancy spent far too much time building up to the climax, but...more

like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know you're in for a treat when you see a book dedicated to Ronald Reagan. Clancy engages in some wish fulfilment when he has the entire US government wiped out by a terrorist act, leaving his reactionary conservative former CIA hero to restore government as it should be. Oh, and the Iranians are causing mischief, but you know they'll get some by the end of the book. Embarrassing as it is in theme and politics, and though it is full of lazy writing, this was fun. Rated MA for adult themes, m...more

like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 Matt Randall added it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the detailed look into what it is probably like to be the president. Everything from the hectic schedule and the complete loss of privacy is covered. It really made me step back and think about the man that resides in the white house. A lot of great perks, but a lot of hassles too. Other reviews I have read state that this book is probably the capstone to clancys best work. I would have to say that the scope, detail, story, and plot are larger then anything he has done and will...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Phillip Tigerclaw rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the pinnacle of the Jack Ryan series. In this Jack is thrust into role of President of the United States after the Capitol Building is destroyed by a Japanese 747 but Ryan's presidency is challenged by dark forces which are out to bring America and the Middle East to the brink of all out war.

At over a thousand pages in length, this book may seem a tad overlong and sometimes it felt that the procedural stuff could have been cut. However by the last third of the book your patience is rewar...more

like · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Walter Herrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookswappers, favorites, read-2-4-times

This is probably in the top three of my favorite Clancy books. It starts out where "Debt of Honor" leaves off, with an ending that mirrors real life in Sep 11, 2001. Here in "Executive Orders" Jack Ryan comes into his own. He has already pulled off one of the biggest defections from the USSR, saved the Crown Prince of Britain, save our own men in Columbia and stopped a nuclear war...what else is there to do? As President of the US Jack now steers us through the latest crisis while fighting to ke...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (44)

More editions...

Genres

Thriller

271 users

War > Military

74 users

Spy Thriller > Espionage

62 users

Suspense

60 users

Action

53 users

Adventure

51 users

War

43 users

Politics

38 users

Mystery

26 users

Cultural > International

24 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Criminal
by Jim Thompson
Politika
by Tom Clancy (Series Creator)
Under Siege
by Stephen Coonts
Okinawa: The Last Battle of World War II
by Robert Leckie
The Fighting Agents
by W.E.B. Griffin

About Tom Clancy

From www.loc.gov: Best-selling author Tom Clancy was an English major at Baltimore’s Loyola College and he had a dream of writing a novel. As a Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history, his dream came true with his first effort, The Hunt for Red October (1984). He has since written more than a dozen novels, which have a blend of realism and authenticity, intricate plotting, and r...more

More about Tom Clancy...

Books by Tom Clancy

The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, #3)

Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan, #5)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Executive Orders

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Executive Orders

“To Ronald Wilson Regan, The Fortieth President of The United States: The Man Who Won The War.” — 6 people liked it

“To Ronald Reagan, The Man Who Won the War.” — 4 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Executive Orders
avg rating	preview: Executive Orders Goodreads rating: 3.95 (18778 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19675.Executive_Orders?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167276842l/19675.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19675.Executive_Orders?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Executive Orders by Tom Clancy[/url]

Executive Orders (Jack Ryan #8)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website