Through the combination of plane flights, layovers, car drives, and ferry rides I sat/stood through this July, I was able to get through one book: Clear and Present Danger, by Tom Clancy. It managed to keep me enthralled for all 650+ pages. Every time I put the book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. This is the element I enjoy most about reading. And when I say reading - make no mistake - I'm not talking about reading for school. When I have to read something, moreover something that I did not choose, for school, I find it difficult - no, impossible - to enjoy myself. I have disliked every book I've read in school for the past eight years, except maybe the Odyssey. However, I digress. Now, about Clear and Present Danger…
I have trouble pinning down one reason why I liked this book so much. One factor might be that it was written by my favorite author, Tom Clancy. In fact, before July, this was the only TC book that I had not yet read. Clancy uses a simple, third person (omnipotent) point of view and his terse prose prove readily understandable. I find this important in a pleasure reading book. Years and years of reading stuff that’s hard to understand has had the opposite effect of what my teachers have intended; I stay away from difficult-to-read books as a matter of course now – I’m so sick of trudging through it. Apart from the writing style, I find I like Clancy books because they all share a subject matter in which I’m interested: the military. Whether I am reading Clancy’s Shadow Warrior: Inside the Special Forces, or Rainbow Six, a fictional story about a multi-national, NATO tier-one Counter-Terror team, I always find myself entertained. His level of research in his works of military history and historical fiction is unparalleled, and I never fail to learn something about my future profession. Moreover, his fictional works are always plausible – if not expected. Clancy always takes care to consult experts – mostly ex-military officers – in order to present viable works. His book, Debt of Honor, foreshadows the events of 9/11, when a commercial aircraft is intentionally crashed into the Capitol Building. Clear and Present Danger proved to be no different. It is the story of a secret war being fought by our armed forces in Latin America – the War on Drugs.
The story has from two to five plot lines developing, depending on which part of the story you are reading. The central plot, and the part that I find most interesting, is the tale of a Special Operator named SSGT Domingo "Ding" Chavez, starting with operations in his unit (1st Btn, 17th Reg, 7th Infantry). The details Clancy exposes in his books are evident here. One part that sticks out in my mind is when Clancy described Chavez's operational loadout. He explains how important Extra-Strength Tylenol is, and explains its nickname, "light-fighter candy." He really gives you a sense of what AND WHY his characters are doing and thinking things throughout the story.
For all the reasons mentioned above, I would highly recommend Clear and Present Danger to any and all readers who may be interested in the military. If you're not interested - don't bother. You will be bored out of your mind.
THATS ALL FOR NOW - MORE TO COME!
Hazard--I know what you mean. I remember when I read Hunt for Red October staying up half the night one night because I was a little too excited to sleep. (I'm a little older now, so that doesn't happen as often.)
ReplyDeleteMy military fiction is mostly historical, especially the novels of Patrick O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell, both of which are set during the Napoleonic Wars in the British navy and army, respectively. But I agree with you that it's a subject matter that allows for great development of tension and suspense.