** spoiler alert ** If you are willing to read a book as complex in storyline as this, this book can only be described as a cold war novel. This novel really requires the reader to have some knowledge on the subject. The plot is simple but at the time complex if taken in context that this is a fiction novel rather than a war memoir. A soviet admiral is going to defect to the United States aboard an experimental high tech submarine, "The Red October" , along with his crew members. The United States along with the recurring Tom Clancy character Jack Ryan, are willing to help the admiral do so, but the soviets are not going to let this happen, so the conflict unfolds. The descriptive nature of the sub battles is extremely high and this helps build up the entertaining part, as well as the solid plot. In conclusion, this book is extremely entertaining but you need to understand the then-ongoing conflict between the two nations, this is why this book is so complex yet entertaining.