Command Authority

I came into this book, "Command Authority," with baggage. Mr. Clancy’s passing shook me. “Clear and Present Danger” was the first book I read for enjoyment, and is one of my all time favorites. People are dying that I have grown up enjoying (TOM CLANCY, ROBIN WILLIAMS, JOAN RIVERS.) In the past deaths (JOHNNY CARSON) have not shaken me as they do now. Then this book used 1982 as the “good ol’ days.” Books that use WW2 or Vietnam as the “past” is my frame of reference. All this just makes me feel old, and is changing the way I think about myself, and is frankly, depressing.

I was disappointed in the first part of the book. The Russian/Soviet bad guys were just too evil. There was some shaking my head moments. The middle to show more almost end really improved, and I enjoyed the story lines merging, and the action/battle scenes. Reading a story with Ding Chavez, John Clark, Jack Ryan, Cathy Ryan, Scott Adler, Mary Pat Foley, Ed Foley, Dan Murray, etc, is a nice cure for the blues I was feeling.

The conclusion was quick, and fell into place too nicely for me. This book is not good as “Locked On” or “Vector Threat,” but is much more enjoyable than “Red Rabbit” or “The Teeth of the Tiger.”
1,334 members, 3.88 average rating, 1/26/2026 show less

It's not a surprise when a Tom Clancy book is turned into a movie, and I have a chance to watch it on TV. It IS a surprise to me when the elements of Tom Clancy's 2013 book, "Command Authority", seems to be playing out on the International News so quickly after being published instead of being turned into a made-for-TV movie.

In this fictional Clancy book, Russian President Valeri Volodin has his eye specifically on Crimea, on exerting his influence in the entire Ukraine, as well as some of the other former Soviet satellite states. In the book, Russian President Volodin recognizes the need to complete his takeover plans before Ukraine opts to join NATO and the European Union. Since President Volodin has control over the state run show more Russian news media, he's able to foment unrest and unite his Country and Military behind him.

Most casual observers of the news during the summer of 2014 will see all these points played out in real life. Russia has taken control of Crimea, and pro-Russian forces are battling Ukrainian military in sections of the Country. Also, Kremlin-funded TV news network Russia Today, has just recently had two news anchors speak out about the network whitewashing Putin's actions and promoting Russian foreign policy. One of the anchors, Sara Firth, recently resigned (July, 2014) due to Kremlin dictating the "news".

Life often imitates art, but in the case of this book, Clancy seemed to be very prophetic, making the book all that much more interesting.

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For some strange reason, I liked this long version OK. Usually, I like the abridged versions of Clancy's work better because Clancy can compute the square root of Avogadro's number right there on the page In the middle of this one, there's often much fighting and action where the tactics and details overwhelm the strategy and why we're here. Looking back, this is a great story. The plot deals with a Russian takeover of Crimea and Ukraine; the Russian leader looks, smells and tastes like V. Putin. I could have been reading history, except that this was written before those recent events. One must wonder how much of the backstory is real? And if so, why don't we vote for Jack Ryan (again)? Junior is always getting in trouble with POTUS show more dad while Ding and Dom sing along. This writing includes a JSOC force lead by an Army guy who magically gets promoted from O-4 to O-6 in the pages of the book but is expected to defend Ukraine against Russian hoards.I can't believe that the US Army would do THAT! I'll look for the next "Clancy" book in the series, even though this was Clancy's last thriller before he died. show less

Otra más, la última con Clancy vivo, de Ryan Jr. En esta ocasión Clancy toma los eventos de Ucrania y Crimea y construye su novela. Qué puedo decir salvo que son lecturas muy entretenidas y en las que se aprende mucho. Luego, claro, está el inmenso ruido de las barras y las estrellas y las águilas calvas sobrevolándonos mientras nos restriegan en la cara la FREEDOM de que disfruan los USA, que a veces no nos deja concentrarnos en la novela. Pero quitando el patrioterismo lo que queda está muy bien.

Clancy was a great storyteller and this book is no exception. I am not a critical-enough reader of Clancy's oevre to discuss whether this book is better or worse than his earlier novels, or the differences in approach, being more interested simply in whether or not the book was enjoyable, Indeed it was. Yes it is heavy on political and military minutia, as is the case in many of the Jack Ryan novels, and many readers may not have the patience for this. Yes the involvement of Jack Sr. and Jack Jr. seems implausible at times, but then the entire Jack Ryan package is extremely implausible. We don't look for everyman in our superheroes though, and Jack Ryan is an American superhero. The book was engaging enough, and driving enough that it show more was difficult to put down, proving to be an entertaining and satisfying read. show less

This book suffered from the same problem as the last few from Clancy (and his co-writer): It is very hard to suspend enough disbelief to have the son of the President of the United States involved in these sorts of scenarios.

The book also seemed to be one of those where the setup didn't quite reach a good payoff, almost as if the authors got bored. Numerous sub-plots were set up and then either abandoned or resolved too quickly. The book would have been better (leaner and meaner) without some of those asides.

The best part of the book was probably the flashback to an episode from Jack Ryan's early career in the CIA.

Oh, and it's worth noting that this book that came out at the end of 2013 had, as its core conflict, a Russian invasion of show more Ukraine! show less

Command Authority is the ninth installment of the Jack Ryan series, and it was kind of sad to read it, knowing that Tom Clancy isn't with us anymore. Nevertheless, I'm sure that Jack Ryan's adventures aren't completely over and Clancy's legacy will live on in fans' hearts for a long time (and fan-fiction will probably start popping up on the internet after a while), so that's something to hold onto, right? I'm also hoping that there are a few unfinished manuscripts that are hidden in a safe somewhere. But for now, let's get onto the review for Command Authority, which was pretty freaking awesome...

Jack Ryan is still the president of the United States, re-elected of course. His son, Jack Ryan Jr. is in the UK, working as a financial show more analyst when the Russians are at it again with their plans for chaos. From the beginning to the end, we are given a fast-paced action novel that will glue readers to their seats. With the extensive research that went into the book, the way that loose ends are tied up and the usual great writing style, it's safe to say that Command Authority will be a good investment for readers who are looking to read something exciting. It should also be mentioned that we have a few flashbacks to the previous books, but it's done in such a wonderful way that it'll simply make you want to go back and read the entire series from the beginning to the end.
After Threat Vector, which came out last year, Command Authority is a superb read and although it's sad that Tom Clancy is no longer here to continue writing some of the best modern espionage thrillers, it's still a nostalgic trip. I would definitely recommend it to readers everywhere...

(review originally posted on www.killeraphrodite.com) show less