Rainbow Six, Book 1

John Clark #2 part 1 of 2

by Tom Clancy

Une terrible menace pèse sur le monde.
À la veille des jeux Olympiques, les attentats terroristes aveugles se multiplient en Europe. Aux États-Unis, le FBI enquête discrètement sur de mystérieuses disparitions. Un grand trust pharmaceutique édifie un étrange centre de recherches avancées en plein Kansas...
Le héros de, Sans aucun remords , John Clark, ancien commando de la Navy, qui a déjà combattu sur le terrain les pontes de la drogue et les maniaques du chantage nucléaire, économique ou biologique, va se retrouver au coeur d'intrigues infernales. Récemment nommé à la tête d'une cellule antiterroriste internationale formée d'une pléiade d'hommes d'élite - Rainbow - il peut tenter l'impossible et sauver le monde d'une menace mortelle. Car c'est bien l'incroyable objectif des terroristes : la fin de l'espèce humaine.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction, Espionage, Novels, Action, Spy Thriller

512 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. was an American novelist and military-political thriller pioneer. Raised in a middle-class Irish-American family, he developed an early fascination with military history. Despite initially studying physics at Loyola College, he switched to English literature, graduating in 1969 with a modest GPA. His aspirations of serving in the military were dashed due to severe myopia, leading him instead to a career in the insurance business.

While working at a small insurance agency, Clancy spent his spare time writing what would become The Hunt for Red October (1984). Published by the Naval Institute Press for an advance of $5,000, the book received an unexpected boost when President Ronald Reagan praised it as "the best yarn." This propelled Clancy to national fame, selling millions of copies and establishing his reputation for technical accuracy in military and intelligence matters. His meticulous research and storytelling ability granted him access to high-ranking U.S. military officials, further enriching his novels.

Clancy's works often featured heroic protagonists such as Jack Ryan and John Clark, emphasizing themes of patriotism, military expertise, and political intrigue. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he became one of the best-selling authors in America, with titles like Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) dominating bestseller lists. Several of these were adapted into commercially successful films.

In addition to novels, Clancy co-authored nonfiction works on military topics and lent his name to numerous book series and video game franchises, including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. His influence extended beyond literature, as he became a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and was involved in various business ventures, including a failed attempt to purchase the Minnesota Vikings.

Politically, Clancy was a staunch conservative, often weaving his views into his books and publicly criticizing left-leaning policies. He gained further attention after the September 11 attacks, discussing intelligence failures and counterterrorism strategies on news platforms.

Clancy's financial success was immense. By the late 1990s, his publishing deals were worth tens of millions of dollars. He lived on an expansive Maryland estate featuring a World War II Sherman tank and later purchased a luxury penthouse in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

He was married twice, first to Wanda Thomas King, with whom he had four children, and later to journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, with whom he had one daughter.

Tom Clancy passed away on October 1, 2013, at the age of 66 due to heart failure. His legacy endures through his novels, their adaptations, and the continuation of the Jack Ryan series by other writers.

Reviews

[Michael Chrobak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was kind of like going to the movies. There’s a lot of noise at first and tons of anticipation while you wait for the lights to go down. Then they do, but you have to sit through an hour of previews. Then, finally the movie starts.
This book was the same. The beginning painted a really cool picture of what the book might be like. I was thoroughly anticipating an exciting novel with espionage and high tech warfare. When it finally started, Clancy repeated parts over and over, giving the same look into the characters mindset he clearly spelled out several chapters back. And when he finally got to the crux of the storyline, the part he filled almost 700 pages to reach, it was over in a paragraph. Literally the bad guy enters the scene, the good guy says “Stop right there!” and the bad guy stops.
Sure, Clancy takes another 50 some odd pages to clean things up, but the final solution for what to do with these criminals I just spent a dozen or so hours learning to hate didn’t fit the story at all! Throughout the entire book he keeps reminding us that, even though the good guys have to do some bad things at times, they’re honorable men. Then they go and do something with such little honor involved, I almost threw the book across the room. I ended up feeling bad for the criminals and I had a bad taste in my mouth for the victorious ‘heroes’.

Ugh....

[Hilary Bisenieks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, Clancy is problematic AF. We can agree on this. And he's also really good at putting together a really tight plot. This book, for all its rah rah imperialism and glorification of solving problems by using guns, is very tightly-plotted. Everything builds and builds and builds, the central plot winding tighter and tighter, information meted out in small morsels that never quite frustrate, even though it takes quite some time before you understand what the antagonists' plans are in full, and the heroes of the book don't even know what's happening until something like 85% of the way through the book.

I read this specifically because I wanted examples of this sort of thriller plotting for a project of my own, and while my project isn't really anything like a Clancy novel, I think it did its job. If you're looking for examples of how to write a really tight military/spy thriller, you could do much worse than this book. Just be aware that you're getting into a late-90s thriller written by a cishet white guy.

Oh, and boy does the central mcguffin of this book hit different in early 2021 than it did when I first read this however many years ago.

[Carson Scohera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will go down as one of my favorite books of all time. The action was amazing throughout the entire book with the main plot being amazing the last 150 pages and I loved how relevant it was to current day still. Amazing action I’d recommend to anyone.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reread that reminds all of us of what a master Tom Clancy was in the international thriller genre...Rainbow Six, an elite multination special operations unit, finds itself arrayed against seemingly unrelated worldwide terrorist attacks, one of which targets their own base of operations...But, underlying these attacks, they face an even more horrendous eco-terrorist objective...Just great masterful stuff...We all miss Tom Clancy!!!

[Joshua Freislich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spies, terrorists and biochemical experiments on those that might not be missed.

Tom Clancy delivers everything that is expected from the Rainbow Six franchise and I enjoyed the attention to detail around armaments and military strategy.

[Grant Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as it had been pretty popular at one point and I never had read it. I enjoyed the slightly anachronistic and in-depth discussion of decades-old technology. This book truly takes place in another world. The Berlin Wall only fell 9 years prior to publication and the specter of terrorism was only on the outskirts of imagination. 9/11 was still 3 years in the future, COVID was still 22 years away. This book takes place in that sliver of time after the fall of the USSR and before the rise of the various types of terrorism the US faced a short time later.

The story itself held my interest enough to tear through at 2.6x speed, though parts of it tended to be mired in too much information. Perhaps that’s just my chronological snobbery.

All in all a fine book, but I don’t need to read it again.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 1 is one of my favorite episodes in the Clancy universe.

[Caden Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was pretty good. In contrast with the games made a few years after this book came out, this had much more of a coherent and interesting story than those. I thought the ethical dilemmas in the book were very interesting to think about. The villains of the story, like how most villains think, think they're in the right for committing a disgusting horrible act (but they say it's "for a good reason"). I of course don't agree with the villains though. Anyway, the book ended on an interesting note, and overall, I think it had a good mix of action and story.

[esh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a pretty good book, author did a great job of putting me in anticipation throughout the book, it has a lot of action. At the start it felt like I should drop it and many parts felt they were dragged but from the middle I started enjoying it.

Overall I'd give it a 3.5/5

[Redneckcityslicker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Clancy Rainbow Six
This book Tom Clancy Rainbow Six I can't even describe how flipping amazing it is, and you will never put this book down at all.
What i did not know about “Tom Clancy” in Tom Clancy Rainbow Six has an absolute perfect start to this fantastic Story.
In the beginning of this book John Clark has this personality of a general Maybe a Commander. There are precise targets that he wants to pursue in action by himself. Even though his high tech first lieutenant Popvo which works for a terrorist group.
Different Plots to each different situation trying to grab my attention and he absolutely did. This situation has two different concepts for two individual like when Clark wants to come back to the Navy when he retired. When
When i first read this book i was not caught at all but when i read it a second time and actually understand what the ending meant then this author definitely caught my attention.
He had all different kinds of settings like one mission in las Vegas or the mission to france you know there is a multiple setting twist

What he put in this passage it kinda amazes me but there are some different things in it “Then i Guess it’s time to Fly. Mallory applied power and lifted the Night Hawk into the sky then keyed his tactical radio ‘Bear this is Rainbow Six over’” then from that point on they flew off into the distance. The reason it is so amazing because of the way that the author explains it in the first person story sharing.
The reason i liked this book its because of all the action and exploding and first person shooter because there are book that are slow but this is a fast paced book.

I bet that this author recommends this Book but i Highly recommend this book this is a book you will not ever want to put down i PROMISE you.

[Tony Lauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longest book I've ever read... But with that being said, there was no lack of action, suspense and danger in the world that Tom Clancy has created! This book said to be the foundation of modern tactical / terrorist / war drama writing is an absolute must read! If you've ever wanted an inside look into what happens when a group of 60 children and their parents who are part of a company outing from a highly regarded government weapons manufacturing business are take hostage by terrorists, this book has got you covered! It's been claimed that at one point Tom Clancy was questioned by the FBI because of his deep knowledge of the inner workings of these government agencies and the tactics and techniques used in counter terrorism take downs. This book goes spans the A to Z of counter terror missions and is so well written that after more than 700 pages, you can't wait to read the next story!

[Jack Swartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Bingo category: Adj.
Pages 740
Summary
This book is about an elite multination special operations unit known as Rainbow Six. This book follows there operations and the unit as whole looking at both the surface level and deeper aspects of what the unit must do. In the end they must save the world from eco-terrorists.
Rating
I would rate this book a four out of five because while it did intrigue me throughout both with its action scenes and the more mellow ones the pace was too slow for my tastes. But none the less this book I would definitely recommend for someone who likes intelligent action. This book would be for someone who wants to not just glaze over there eyes for a shoot 'em up with little plot but a person who wants a book that is more deep and delves into the psychological aspects of soldierly duties.

[Bob Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of the John Clark series, like all Tom Clancy books full of action, seat of the pants, front of the roller coaster tale. John Clark and his son in law Domingo Chavez are an integral part of a Black Ops Team. Clark, Rainbow Six, leads the operation whilst Chavez is the leader on the ground. What seems like an indiscriminate terrorist operations has a smell/taste that Clark and his team find suspicious. What follows is classic Tom Clancy adventure which then becomes a book you cannot put down. Covering everywhere from SAS HQ in Hereford to The Olympic Stadium Sydney to Manaus Brasil this tale has it all. Great story telling, thrilling buy yet comforting. Can't wait to read Rainbow Six book 2.

[Rkriz5735 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt that this book was great. It gave very in-depth details about pretty much everything. The story is pretty relatable to our current life now. My favorite character in the book is Price. He was a British SAS operative and likes to much fun of bad situations. He is one of the most trusted members of team rainbow-one. Price is but one of many operators of team rainbow. Team Rainbow is an elite secretive agency that deals with national terror or any mass crime group. This book has lots of interesting backstories for all the characters and give plenty flashbacks.

[Tom Gase · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is long at 740 pages, but in spurts it's really good and the action is page-turning. At the some time I felt it was almost four different books at times. There were side stories that made you wonder, what the heck is this even about. It all comes together at the end, but it seemed like the buildup was too long at times. This book is about a special undercover military unit called Rainbow Six. They disolve major terrorist disasters, but is someone looming, watching and waiting for something bigger, some big plot and disaster to unfold as the group helps save the world.

[Logan T · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book starts off by john clark flying to england. they form the team and they write a lot about training. the peta Terrorists start to make their virous to kill everyone at the asutralian olimpics. they sponcer german tarrorists to attack banks and this one dudes house. however the russian kgb agent betrays the peta guys and tells the rainow guys where they are. they try to run to brazil but they get hunted down and killed in the forists.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great story behind Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is the second book about John Clark. John Clark is a CIA operative and helps make a counterterrorist unit code name Rainbow. In this thriller they rescue hostages from a bank in Switzerland and stop a German left-wing terrorist from getting government codes. Read Along with this action and adventures book that takes you all around the world. Readers can look forward to a book that can teach you things that you didn't even know existed.

[Jonathan Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked 90% of the book, its detail, and its characters. The ending was a tad distasteful as characters I had grown to like and would respect in real life started acting beyond their jurisdiction and in a self-righteous way - almost making them no better or on par with the bad guys they were stopping. The end felt like Tom Clancey wanted to kill environmentalists and indulged this urge through the characters in the book.

[Anne Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most Clancy novels, this one has a lot of action. Unfortunately, it also drags in places so that with over 700 pages to read, it starts being like hitting your thumb with a hammer: you just want it to end. I found the employ of military tactics in law enforcement operations a bit beyond believable as well.

I like Clancy. I just wasn't all that fond of this one.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the whole book unabridged on audio and it is great for Clancy fans or a new reader. The characters are good (better if you know the other Clancy books) and the plot keeps you engaged. As with all Clancy novels there is a lot of technical detail on equipment and tactics which I enjoy but it in no way takes away from the story.

[Madalyn St. John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my grandfather, and I’m so glad I did. The characters were intriguing, the plotline was engaging and kept me interested, and of course it’s Tom Clancy (what’s not to love)! There were a few slow parts that I didn’t enjoy that dropped it down to 4 stars, but for a book of this size I thought those parts to be few and far between!

[Diane Hidey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Tom Clancy. I read it because I watched the Amazon Prime movie on the beginnings of John Clark. This was wayyyyy to loooong. Too much in one book. Could’ve been 2, but Clancy insists on leaving threads to get you interested. I, however, was disappointed and felt the conclusion was over in a few pages vs chapters.

[Ignacio Galvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing action packed book with great detail in regards to the weapons, strategies, and situations that play out.

It’s been a while since i read it, but i will definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to get into action/strategy books

I will say, the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion.

[Daniel Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was into books from a similar genre but I never really read any books like this. I was surprised at how much of this book is still relevant despite advances in our society. Terrorism, war, and unethical experiments are still happening

[Enrique Ferreyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very entertaining it is very long so it will keep. The story is told well and it puts you right in the action of the book. The thing that I like about the book that it isn't first person more like you're watching the movie and can see everyones emotions in the book.

[Judge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off with a bang and ends in a whimper. Enjoyed several parts throughout the book, but at times I feel Clancy was getting paid by word and page count. Far too much detail and backstory added in that really drags on.

[Josh Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great thriller, but full of the usual Clancy tropes you've come to expect. Expect lovingly detailed military equipment and paragraph upon paragraph of a character's backstory to come up multiple times.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far this book is book is amazing, and being the first Tom Clancy book I've read (well currently reading) I know that I'll definitely read more of his books when I'm done Rainbow Six! I highly recommend reading this book!

[Amanda Weig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels at least once or twice. I enjoy his fact based style of writing. He makes the unlikely seem likely, with reasoning that is convincing. Not exactly believable but fun nonetheless.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The detail in the murders is immoral, and shouldn’t be so attractive, but I couldn’t put the book down. I read it at every opportunity. I must hope that the world that I live in cannot be so violent.