14 Best Tom Clancy Books In Order To Read

Tom Clancy is a popular name when it comes to techno-thriller novels! Not only his books are popular but he has also made it to the screen as his novels have inspired so many movies as well as series. He is also popular among gamers as many of the titles are inspired by his themes. In his career, Tom Clancy has written around 40 books and all of them have been translated into multiple languages. To date, millions of copies have been sold.
Even after his demise in 2013, his work is still carried forward through his co-authors and his franchise still lives among us.
Tom Clancy debuted in 1984 with his book The Hunt for Red October. The book was a hit and it later adapted as a film which came out in 1990, although it was just a starting, given the intelligent writing and use of technology and thriller storyline, everyone became a fan of Tom Clancy. The use of technology in his thriller is also a reason he is also known as a successful sci-fi author and this was a reason why we are playing video games title based on Tom Clancy’s writing.
If you’re new and haven’t read any of Tom Clancy’s novel before then you might get overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the first Tom Clancy’s novel to read. Here we have listed down the best books by Tom Clancy that you should read if you are a fan of techno-thriller and spy espionage stories. Go ahead and take a look to find out the best Tom Clancy books of all time!

Tom Clancy Books

1. The Hunt for Red October

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The Hunt for Red October is the first novel by Tom Clancy and it came out in 1984. The book has impressed readers worldwide and it quickly became the bestseller book as well.
Even though it was the first book by Tom Clancy, it is said to be the 3rd installment of the Jack Ryan Series, but you can read it without having to go through the first two books if you want.
Here, you would be introduced to the beloved character of Jack Ryan who is an ex-marine CIA analyst. The story starts with information about the Russian sub which is said to be deep inside the Atlantic Ocean and this sub is known as Red October. Now it’s all up to Jack Ryan to bring back the submarine to America.
The story was so convincing that readers thought it was real and Tom Clancy get his stories inspired by real events. The debate of whether or not the story was real, never got to an end, but this book has made Tom Clancy one of the best authors for the techno-thriller genre.

2. Patriot Games

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Patriot Games is another popular and one of the best books by Tom Clancy that you must read if you are in awe of the character of Jack Ryan. This book is known as the beginning of the Jack Ryan Saga as the author first talks about the character.
The book features Jack Ryan as a family man who is on a vacation with his family and finds him in the middle of an IRA terrorist attack. Tom Clancy must handle this situation to save everyone and more importantly the Royal Family of British. Amid all this, he is also worried about his wife and daughter and that’s when he decided to join the CIA!
The book also inspired the 1992 film and people appreciated both the book as well as the movie. This one is surely the best Tom Clancy book that you would find and we would suggest you read this first if you want to read the whole Jack Ryan series books in order.

3. Rainbow Six

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Rainbow Six was published in 1998 and it introduces us to the new character of Tom Clancy’s book, that is, John Clark, who is an ex-Navy SEAL Officer. John now takes the mission and is always ready to serve his country from the terrorist attacks.
John Clark has been assigned a new international task force who are combating the terrorists on a global platform. He is always on a mission and each one is more dangerous and difficult than the last one. The use of technology and intelligent writing is what has impressed the readers. And this might also be the reason a video game has been adapted from the book which became a successful title as well.

4. The Sum of All Fears

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The Sum of All Fear is another top Tom Clancy book that you will find. This one is too a part of the Jake Ryan series and it was adapted into a film. The book was also among the New York Times Bestseller.
It appears like everything is right in the world again and everything seems normal. However, Jack Ryan knew this might be a calm before the storm. And his suspicion turns out right when the changing geopolitical land space and the peace talks in the Eastern countries go wrong. Terrorists are planning a big attack which includes bombing and rising the nuclear crisis in the country.
Jack Ryan has to make sure the peace talk goes smoothly and everyone is safe, but will this possible with the growing conflict among the western countries as well as the terrorist groups who just wants to show the world their power!
The book features a thrilling storyline and action-packed theme which keeps the readers engaged until the end.

5. Debt of Honor

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The next best Tom Clancy book on our list is Debt of Honor. Jack Ryan has now retired from the CIA but that doesn’t mean he is going to live happy and peaceful without any action-packed thrill in his life. He has now taken up the job of a National Security Adviser.
A Japanese industrialist is seeking revenge from America and he has a big plan which might cause a threat to the security of the White House. Jack Ryan of all people knows that something big is coming up and he must do something to protect the people of his country and most importantly the President.

6. Clear and Present Danger

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FBI is facing a threat from the drug dealers as they are unhappy with the growing interference in their business. They have threatened to assassinate the head of the FBI. And with that Jack Ryan has a new job to neutralize the threat. But it’s a joy going to be easy because Jack Ryan has a lot to learn about the drug dealers and how they can tackle them.
Jack Ryan is dealing with one of the most dangerous and powerful organizations and he must beware of the danger that he will face along his journey to neutralize the threat and takes care of national security.

7. Executive Order

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Jack Ryan has accepted the vice-presidency for a year but with his luck, the year is not going to be easy. With the new missions and national security threats, Ryan is facing more trouble than ever at his new job.
There are no ordinary challenges as Ryan must think about how can someone run a government without actual government! The whole nation is anxious and full of fear of what’s gonna happen next! He must keep his calm and think of better strategies. The story is simple yet full of drama and thrill that will keep you entertained and it’s always fun to watch Ryan work under pressure and through odds.

8. Red Rabbit

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Red Rabbit is another best book by Tom Clancy which features the early days of Jack Ryan before heading the CIA. It was published in the 1980s and it’s known as the second installment in the Jack Ryan Series.
The story starts with the first day of Jack Ryan at the CIA office and it’s far from a normal one. Although he is still in London where he found some letters that are full of conspiracies and intrigue and he has some tough choices to make. Jack has finally got his first operation but will be able to make it successful?

9. The Cardinal of the Kremlin

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This time Tom Clancy has brought a Star Wars touch in his novels! Jack Ryan has to race against time after losing a target in the South American Seas as he has to develop a Start War Missile. This is because the Soviet Union has developed a technology that can cause great harm to his nation and the security of his people.
If the Soviet Union succeeds at developing the missile then this would mean World War III which is no good for anyone. The game is hunter and prey has started and it is super exciting and thrilling!

10. The Bear and The Dragon

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The Bear and The Dragon features a new chapter in Jack Ryan’s life where he becomes the president of the United States. But this has become the most difficult job of his career. Jack is facing the economic crisis and downfalls which might mean he is failing as a president. Although there are the mere problems that he is having.
The biggest challenge he is facing is the assassination of the SVR chairperson. There are so many suspects and so many agendas which have to be figured out before anything else happens and put the security of the American people in jeopardy!

11. The Teeth of the Tiger

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The Teeth of the Tiger has also grabbed the position of New York Times Bestseller which means it is one of the best Tom Clancy books that you can read.
The story features Jack Ryan Jr. And he is trying to get recruited as an FBI agent. Jack Ryan Jr. wants to follow in the footsteps of his father and fight against terrorism. Although as soon as he starts working as an agent he realizes some harsh realities of this world which seems surreal but he must work hard to live up to everyone’s expectations.

12. Locked On

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Locked On is known as one of the most popular books and it also grabbed the spot of the most favorite books for some people.
Jack Ryan has decided for another presidential election instead of early retirement. But this time his opposition is quite dangerous that he seems. The opponent of Jack Ryan can go to any length to win and this time Jack’s old friend John Clark’s reputation is at stake. Ryan must do something before he destroys John’s as well as his reputation!
Parallelly Jack Ryan Jr. is on a mission to combat terrorism and he is all set to find out the ongoing agenda of one of the most dangerous terrorist groups.
Is there any connection between these two incidents? And if there is will Jack Sr. and Jack Jr. be able to find out what’s going on and fix it on time?

13. Threat Vector

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Threat Vector involves the Chinese government when the Chinese president is under pressure from General Su Ke Qiang to invade Taiwan. President Jack Ryan must figure out a plan to stop all this otherwise it may hurt America and its reputation at the global platforms.

14. Command Authority

tom clancy books
The story of the Command Authority starts with Jack Ryan Sr. who has unsuccessfully hunted KGB assassin by the codename Zenith, now after 30 years, Jack Jr. has decided to finish something his father started. But there are so many things he must learn and figure out otherwise he may end up putting himself as well as the reputation of his father at stake!

Conclusion

So these are the best Tom Clancy books that you should miss out on. All of them were successful and received positive reviews from the readers as well as from the critics so it’s safe to say that these are the best Tom Clancy books that you can read.
Thank you for visiting our page and we hope you have found the best Tom Clancy book to start with.

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