Tom Clancy goes to the White House in this thriller of political terror and global disaster. The American political situation takes a disturbing tu...
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Nov 16, 2010
Don
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
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Oct 30, 2010
Rosalind
rated it: 
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 e
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May 03, 2011
Pawan
rated it:
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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 More...
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 More...
Sep 11, 2011
Andrés
rated it: 
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 accept More...
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 accept More...
May 29, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
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
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Jan 22, 2011
Daniel
rated it: 
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 co More...
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 co More...
Dec 18, 2009
Paul
rated it:
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 th More...
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 th More...
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Feb 05, 2009
Janet
rated it: 
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
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Mar 27, 2011
Andreas
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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 (w More...
Executive Orders is my favorite Clancy. Its amazing mix of high level politics, forced change at the highest levels of the US governemnt (w More...
Oct 01, 2011
Peter
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Sep 04, 2011
Sskous
rated it:
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 entire More...
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 entire More...
Dec 24, 2010
Brian
rated it:
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
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Mar 18, 2010
Jeff
rated it:
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
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May 09, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
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 t More...
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 t More...
Dec 17, 2010
Elissa
rated it:
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
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Oct 18, 2009
Mason
rated it:
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
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Aug 10, 2011
Scott
rated it:
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
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Jan 18, 2012
Nathan
rated it:
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
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Sep 12, 2011
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
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Mar 09, 2011
Walter
rated it:
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 cri
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Aug 22, 2010
Jeff
rated it:
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...
Jan 17, 2010
Barbara
rated it:
I found this a gripping read. Even though it took me nearly two months to finish, I kept steadily making progress. Remember, we had holidays in there, too!
This book made some news in 2001 when the World Trade Center was attacked by crashing airliners into it. Why? Because it was written in 1996 and its opening setup involves an airliner being suicide crashed into the US Capitol during a joint session of congress.
This was just a plot point, to set things up for the More...
This book made some news in 2001 when the World Trade Center was attacked by crashing airliners into it. Why? Because it was written in 1996 and its opening setup involves an airliner being suicide crashed into the US Capitol during a joint session of congress.
This was just a plot point, to set things up for the More...
Aug 22, 2010
Jen
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 22, 2010
Erson
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May 21, 2009
Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ
rated it:
Sebenarnya saya tidak terlalu suka dengan novel bertipe dunia intelejen/militer yang tokoh agennya jadi seorang superhero. Bukan kenapa-kenapa, pas liat film-film Holywood semacam James Bond ato Bourne ato Rambo, suka gondok liatnya. Kan si tokoh agennya tidak memiliki kekutan super, tapi ajaibnya, dia selalu menang di akhir cerita tak peduli sebanyak apa musuhnya. Meski si jagoan ditembak bertubi-tubi, eh, gak bocel-bocel. Tapi sepenjahat, kena tembak kaki ajah langsung tewas. Bahkan ada penjah
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Nov 18, 2009
Jamie
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Amazing book, but you have to understand the setup. This book picks up right where Debt of Honor ends. As such, it would be very helpful to read that book first. (Other Jack Ryan books don't really have the prerequisite of reading the other books, but this one is the exception.)
Some have described this as a "wish-fulfillment" book about "how would you rebuild the government". My response is: why is that a bad thing? We all have problems with each others repre More...
Some have described this as a "wish-fulfillment" book about "how would you rebuild the government". My response is: why is that a bad thing? We all have problems with each others repre More...
Jan 15, 2009
Marius
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Dec 11, 2008
John
rated it:
What a climax to the Jack Ryan series.
Ryan becomes Vice President after a terrorist attack destroys the capitol. Then becomes President because of a scandal that happns right in the middle of a different terrorist attack.
Ryan is balancing his unwanted political career with his investigative genius and manages to bring the country together after devestating attacks have ravaged it.
Classic Clancy.. Classic Ryan
Ryan becomes Vice President after a terrorist attack destroys the capitol. Then becomes President because of a scandal that happns right in the middle of a different terrorist attack.
Ryan is balancing his unwanted political career with his investigative genius and manages to bring the country together after devestating attacks have ravaged it.
Classic Clancy.. Classic Ryan
Jun 04, 2009
David
rated it:
I find just about all of Clancy a must read, but this one, this last one? Too much. Great story, great ideas, and of course, in case you didn't know, Clancy invented the idea of planes crashing into buildings before Al Qaeda...and here, the country is almost destroyed.
It's just too much. Could this have been condensed significantly for literary significance? Yes! But would it then be Clancy? Well, if you have to ask...
It's just too much. Could this have been condensed significantly for literary significance? Yes! But would it then be Clancy? Well, if you have to ask...
Jun 06, 2009
Brett
rated it:
This book is a serious contender for worst book I have ever read that is not by Dean Koontz. It is an excrutiating almost 1400 pages of awful dialogue, shocking misunderstanding of politics, simplification of international affairs, right-wing propaganda, and the utter ruination of a once enjoyable, if kind of silly, character--Jack Ryan.
Maybe back in 1996, some people could be fooled by Clancy's ideas, but after the disasterous presidency of George Bush Jr., whose policies and thoug More...
Maybe back in 1996, some people could be fooled by Clancy's ideas, but after the disasterous presidency of George Bush Jr., whose policies and thoug More...
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