Without Remorse - Tom Clancy

Advantages: Fills in the gaps
Disadvantages: None

I was surprised as any to find Tom Clancy writing about somebody other than Jack Ryan. The main character in this book is John Kelly (who through the course of the novel ends up becoming John Clark!), who is an ex seal and experienced diver. The plot revolves around Kelly rescuing a drug addict, cleaning her up and falling in love with her. Unfortunately she is killed by the people who supplied her with the drugs. This messes up Kelly's head and ...
...in a twist, Kelly is called back to military service in an attempt to free some Prisoners of War held in the far east. He is forced to try and balance his quest for revenge with his deep duty to his comrades in arms. In the course of the novel Kelly travels to Asia and is unsuccessful in his attempts to free the POW's. He does however become a vigilante and uses his military skills to get revenge on the Drug Pushers. However, the police close in ... Read review

Advantages: Tells us the story of John Clark
Disadvantages: None really...

...Jack Ryan series. Until Without Remorse came along, anyway. The story is based on the early life of CIA operative John Clark, who we first meet in Clear and Present Danger, as the field leader of Reciprocity. Through this book we learn how he became who he is now and what it is that drives him to do what he does. The main factor in this is the killing of his girlfriend by a pimp called Billy. What ensues is a tale of bitter revenge told in a way ...
...I had become accustomed to. Without Jack Ryan in the story it seemed at first to be hollow or missing something. After only a short while though, the book really grabs your attention and you will sit riveted to it until you reach the final page. A very engrossing tale of Clarks revenge for the murder of his girlfriend and the take-down of the pimps small empire helps to paint the picture of Clarks life. This is important when you read other Clancy ... Read review

Advantages: Additictive reading
Disadvantages: None

Have to say that I believe that this is one of Tom Clancy\'s finest moments. Whilst working well as a book to provide background information on John Clarke, a character seen throughout the Jack Ryan series of books, this novel also works suprisingly well as a stand alone book. Even if you have never read any of Tom Clancy's other books, you will be extremly satisfied with the storyline. The novel itself is more violent than the more strategic nature ...
...living two lives, that end up overlapping to a large degree. Violence that he has seen in Vietnam is replicated on the streets of America through the work of drugs dealers and pimps. Clarke is an ex-SEAL now working as an underwater explosives expert back in America. Having surivived his hitch in Vietnam it is his wife and unborn child who are killed by accident. Clarke is still recovering from his shock when he picks up an attractive hitch-hiker ... Read review

Advantages: develops the john clark/ kelly character who features in other clancy novels
Disadvantages: none

This Tom Clancy edition is very unique as it provides a fascinating insight into one of Clancy's most frequent and mysterious characters, John Kelly. John Kelly features in many other novels including clear and present danger and as the leader of Rainbow six however little is known about his history. In this tale Kelly is in fact John Clarke, an ex-Navy Seal who is coming to terms with the death of his wife. When he picks up a female drifter on the ...
...late wife persuade him to help out this clearly distressed girl. From this point onwards Clarke strives to help this girl and eventually falls in love with her, however he soon discovers the truth about her life and gets entangled in a battle with her past which ultimately ends in her death. At the same time his country needs his services for a secret mission to free pow's and his life becomes torn apart. His desperation following the death of his ... Read review

Advantages: amazing.
Disadvantages: lack of sleep, you can't put it down...

...John Kelly is undergoing is without equal. Kelly's lust for personal revenge against those who killed his girlfriend, balanced delicately against his mission for the CIA, under a young James Greer makes gripping reading. This is the only Tom Clancy novel in which the "dark side" of John Kelly/Clark is truly revealed, where his motivation and dedication in later novels stem from. Even though this book is set in 1970, it still touches on Kelly's past ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent Read
Disadvantages: None

...AUTHOR: The Author for this book is Tom Clancy and this is the 1st book written in the Ryan series but the fourth in the actual story (although Without Remorse does not mention Jack Ryan him self but one of the support characters). Order of the Ryan Series is as follows as published by Clancy: The Hunt for Red October Patriot Games The Cardinal of the Kremlin Clear and Present Danger The Sum of all Fears Without Remorse Debt of Honour Executive Orders Order of the Ryan Series as Storyline: Without Remorse Patriot Games The Red Rabbit The Hunt for Red October The Cardinal of the Kremlin Clear and Present Danger The Sum of All Fears Debt of Honour Executive Orders BACKGROUND: Short background / history on Ryan: He is an ex History Teacher who is visiting London and intervenes on an IRA attack... Read review

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