# Tom Clancy book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489 "2001-09-14T00:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/1 "2001-09-14T00:19:55Z")
I saw Tom Clancy on the news, briefly, Tuesday. I asked my brother why he was on there and he informed me that Clancy is a respected journalist as well as a novelist, and that he had written a book with a plotline similar to the recent attacks. Is this true (not the part about him being a journalist, but the book)? If so, what book is it? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/2 "2001-09-14T00:25:33Z")
It’s true, it’s called _Debt of Honor_ - IIRC at the very end of the book an airplane is hijacked and crashed into Congress, killing everyone except the VP, which was Jack Ryan, so he is sworn in as President. ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/3 "2001-09-14T00:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > at the very end of the book an airplane is hijacked and crashed into Congress No exactly hijacked (in the traditional sense). The pilot arrranges to be responsible for flying the plane empty back to alaska, cons the people there into believing the plane is to be delivered to New York, then hits DC. The plane is empty of civilians when it is crashed. ---
**Author:** ![Lawmill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lawmill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawmill)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/4 "2001-09-14T00:49:32Z")
I’m not sure whether you can call the act terrorism either. The book focuses on a skirmish between Japan and the US. The pilot in question learns that his son has died fighting for Japan and then decides to crash his plane into the White House during the, IIRC, State of the Union Address. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/5 "2001-09-14T01:27:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lawmill \* > \*\*I’m not sure whether you can call the act terrorism either. The book focuses on a skirmish between Japan and the US. The pilot in question learns that his son has died fighting for Japan and then decides to crash his plane into the White House during the, IIRC, State of the Union Address. \*\* The crash occurred after the war was finished, I believe the President was giving the standard “Hurray! The War is Over!” speech to a joint session of Congress (and Supreme Court and most of the Cabinet) at the time. I always thought it to be a completely outlandish storyline myself before Tuesday… ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/6 "2001-09-14T02:45:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fiddlesticks \* > \*\* > > I always thought it to be a completely outlandish storyline myself before Tuesday… \*\* Me too. I read them out of order (I do not recommend this) so I only read the book that picks up the story after the plane has crashed. I thought it was a real stretch to include such a disaster in the book. I wish that were still a belief I could hold. I’ve been thinking a lot about Patriot Games this week, and whether Clancy’s portrayal of what we know about terrorist movements and training camps is true. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/7 "2001-09-14T03:45:29Z")
If I recall, the gathering at the Capital is for the purpose of announcing Jack Ryan as the VP. Essentially everyone important in fed government dies except for him (he is waiting in the wings to come out), and he becomes President. ---
**Author:** ![Trucido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Trucido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trucido)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/8 "2001-09-14T03:50:03Z")
There is a Dale Brown or Larry Bond book much, much closer in substance to what is happening now. Not dead on, but definitely the same ideas. I can’t remember the exact title. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/9 "2001-09-14T03:53:59Z")
What’s _actually_ happening in the meeting is that the President is swearing in Jack Ryan as the new VP, since the old VP had to resign over some indiscretion or other. The plane crashes before Ryan is sworn in, but he gets sworn in as President anyway. This sets up a Constitutional crisis in the next book. I’ve been trying not to think about the book where terrorists build a nuclear bomb and blow up the Super Bowl… ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/10 "2001-09-14T04:07:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ZipperJJ \* > **… Clancy is a respected journalist …** I’ve never heard this before. Novelist? Yes. Occasional consultant on military issues? Sure. Respected journalist? Seems doubtful. Can anyone point me to an example of his journalistic work? By the way, I read Debt of Honor several years ago. I remember feeling a sense of dread that such a catastrophe was possible but almost certainly improbable. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/11 "2001-09-14T04:09:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > \*\*I’ve been trying not to think about the book where terrorists build a nuclear bomb and blow up the Super Bowl… \*\* You mean **The Sum of All Fears**? Another great read. In the past, I used to swallow these books in one or two sittings. The quality has fallen off in the last few years, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/12 "2001-09-14T04:20:52Z")
A number of Clancy’s books have minor similarities to this week’s terrorist attack. The climax of _Debt of Honor_ is a airliner crashing into the Capitol building. _The Sum of All Fears_ has a plot by Palestinian terrorists to detonate a nuclear bomb in America. _Patriot Games_, _Executive Order_, and _Rainbow Six_ also all feature terrorist actions within the United States in their plots. And _The Cardinal in the Kremlin_ features Afghani partisans invading a foreign power (the Soviet Union). ---
**Author:** ![Deptford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Deptford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deptford)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/13 "2001-09-14T11:34:08Z")
Storming Heaven by Dale Brown is much closer.The plot revolves around Deliberate Suicide attacks made at the behest of a foreign terrorist ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/14 "2001-09-14T13:02:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by ZipperJJ \* > > **… Clancy is a respected journalist …** > > I’ve never heard this before. Novelist? Yes. Occasional consultant on military issues? Sure. Respected journalist? Seems doubtful. Can anyone point me to an example of his journalistic work? Clancy has written a number of non-fiction books on military topics. He has his “Guided Tour” series, with detailed descriptions of the following types of military units: Submarine, Armored Cavalry, Fighter Wing, Marine Expeditionary Force, Aiborne, Carrier, and Special Forces. He has also co-authored two books on military command: _Into the Storm_ (with General Fred Franks) and _Every Man A Tiger_ (with General Charles Horner). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/15 "2001-09-14T15:21:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fiddlesticks \* > I always thought it to be a completely outlandish storyline myself before Tuesday… Clancy’s comment during a recent interview (paraphrased): I never would have written today’s events into a novel, because I would have thought that four different crews with trained pilots all being suicide squads was completely unbelievable. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/16 "2001-09-14T15:30:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*A number of Clancy’s books have minor similarities to this week’s terrorist attack. The climax of _Debt of Honor_ is a airliner crashing into the Capitol building. _The Sum of All Fears_ has a plot by Palestinian terrorists to detonate a nuclear bomb in America. _Patriot Games_, _Executive Order_, and _Rainbow Six_ also all feature terrorist actions within the United States in their plots. And _The Cardinal in the Kremlin_ features Afghani partisans invading a foreign power (the Soviet Union). \*\* Isn’t _Executive Order_ the continuation of Debt of Honor - it starts up in the aftermath of the jet crashing into the Capitol? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/17 "2001-09-14T15:44:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*A number of Clancy’s books have minor similarities to this week’s terrorist attack. The climax of _Debt of Honor_ is a airliner crashing into the Capitol building. _The Sum of All Fears_ has a plot by Palestinian terrorists to detonate a nuclear bomb in America. _Patriot Games_, _Executive Order_, and _Rainbow Six_ also all feature terrorist actions within the United States in their plots. And _The Cardinal in the Kremlin_ features Afghani partisans invading a foreign power (the Soviet Union). \*\* Don’t all Clancy novels deal with terrorism in one form or another? The captain of the Red October is suspected to have gone renegade and intends to attack the East Coast. _Red Storm Rising_ begins with the terrorist attack of a large Russian oil refinery. In _Net Force: Hidden Agendas_, a computer virus is set in motion against the Federal financial systems. _Op-Center: Divide and Conquer_ features a plot to convince the POTUS that his is mentally unstable. _Net Force: Breaking Point_ has an atmospheric weapon with the capability to drive half a country into madness using low frequency wave generation. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/18 "2001-09-14T15:47:28Z")
Before this week, my major complaint about _The Sum of All Fears_ was that the Vikings were winning at halftime in the Super Bowl when the nuclear bomb went off. And then Clancy had the gall to try to purchase the team in 1998! And who would ever hold a Super Bowl at Mile High? Now, though, I’m a little more unsettled about that book. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/19 "2001-09-14T22:07:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Isn’t Executive Order the continuation of Debt of Honor - it starts up in the aftermath of the jet crashing into the Capitol? Yes, the ending scenes of _Debt of Honor_ are the opening scenes of _Executive Order_. However, the terrorist plot in _Executive Order_ is unrelated to the previous book; it’s an Iranian germ warfare attack on the US. _Don’t all Clancy novels deal with terrorism in one form or another?_ I don’t think so. You’re correct about the opening scenes in _Red Storm Rising_ (one I had forgotten). And I suppose you could argue the assassination in _A Clear and Present Danger_ counted. But I don’t think _The Hunt for Red October_ had any actual terrorist activity, nor did _Without Remorse_ or _The Bear and the Dragon_. ---
**Author:** ![MIKE\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MIKE\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MIKE_P)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489/20 "2001-09-14T22:56:40Z")
**Black Sunday** by Thomas Harris(Hannibal,Silence of the Lambs) also features a plot to drop a bomb on the super bowl. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-clancy-book/81489.md?page=2)