Rainbow Six
Large Print Edition
By Tom Clancy Random House Large Print, (1998)
ISBN: 0-375-70324-1
Genre: Techno-Thriller, Suspense
Reviewed by Herbert White - August 28, 2002
Tom Clancy is the master of military styled techno-thrillers, and Rainbow Six helps to prove why he is 'The Master'. This book is part of the Jack Ryan series - in a round about manner, in so much as it focuses on John Clark, Ryan's shadow.
Clark has made an appearance in most of the Ryan novels. However, his role is often overshadowed by the focus on the handsome and wealthy Ryan. This is despite the fact that Clark has had to save Ryan's life on more than one occasion! Consequently, a book that focuses on Clark is more than overdue - but it was worth the wait and Clancy does Clark full justice in this terrifying novel. This time Ryan takes the background role, acting as President of the United States. In the pages of this story you'll also learn a bit more about Clark's past, his family life, and how he reacts to becoming, of all things, a grandfather!
As the story opens, Clark has been named to head an international task force created to act as a multinational SWAT team whose job is to combat terrorism. From the first, the team has its work cut out for it as it finds that it is called up for duty much more often than expected. However, they handle their assignments with panache. Clark quickly begins to wonder if all these incidents are isolated events, or if they are just a precursor for something bigger.
The task force, named Rainbow, is peopled with hard fighting, rock-steady, dedicated men who are willing to die for the 'cause' if they must - but given the option, they'd much rather see the bad guys lined up in body bags, a scene repeated on a regular basis. In addition to hard fighting action, this novel is also filled with spies, saboteurs, and other nasties - along with the main, biological, terrorist threat that I'll not go into detail about in case I give away part of the story. Even the Olympics gets a plug in this mega-techno-thriller. Let it suffice to say that you'll not be disappointed with this story, Clancy's research, or his writing. After Hunt for Red October, this is my favorite Clancy book!. Due to the ongoing focus on the threat of terrorism, Rainbow Six will hold a particular relevance for readers that it may not have had when it was first published in 1998.
Related Reviews:
The Bear and the Dragon, By Tom Clancy.
Jack Ryan is president, Russia has discovered gold, and China has nuclear weapons capable of hitting the U.S., so you can expect a to 'read' some action... (Large Print)
The Cassandra Compact, by Robert Ludlum and Philip Shelby.
Someone has stolen samples of the Smallpox virus from a Russian lab. Can Jon Smith, a member of the ultra secret Covert-One operational force, thwart the efforts of the thieves before they unleash this deadly virus on an unsuspecting population? (Audio)
