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Summary
Newly elected, Jack Ryan has found that being President is not easy: domestic pitfalls await him at every turn; there's a revolution in Liberia; the Asian economy is going down the tubes; and now, in Moscow, someone may have tried to assassinate the chairman of the SVR - the former KGB - with a rocket-propelled grenade. Were the potential assassins political enemies, the Russian Mafia, or disaffected former KGB? Or is something far more dangerous at work here? While Ryan dispatches his most trusted eyes and ears, including black ops specialist John Clark, to find out the truth of the matter, forces in China are moving ahead with a plan of truly audacious proportions. If they succeed, the world will never look the same again.
First things first, I want to make it clear that I lean towards the liberal side when it comes to politics. However, I don't mind engaging in intelligent discussions with those who hold opposing views, as long as it doesn't involve the same old conservative clichés. I also don't have much patience for liberal clichés either. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I actually welcome hearing different points that I may not have considered before, which could prompt me to reevaluate my own views. Unfortunately, this book falls into the trap of repeating the same shallow conservative ideas over and over again, and it becomes incredibly tiresome.
Now, let's talk about the story itself. It's excellent and the narrator does a fine job. However, my main issue lies with the constant regurgitation of conservative ideologies throughout the book. Clancy had a tendency to do this in Rainbow Six, but it's even worse in this one. It feels like an insult to the reader's intelligence, as if Clancy believes we need to hear the same concept multiple times before it sinks in. It's a shame because the stories are actually good, they have a nice flow, and the characters are genuinely relatable. I've enjoyed following them throughout their lives and careers, but the author's knee-jerk conservative preaching really hampers the overall experience.
It's unfortunate that Mr. Clancy is no longer with us. I genuinely hope that whoever takes over the series (fingers crossed for Mark Greaney!) will avoid repeating Clancy's mistakes.
If you're considering buying the book and you're already familiar with the Jack Ryan and John Clark characters, then this one will satisfy you just as much as the others. It's a good story, but it leaves you wondering whether the editor was too intimidated by the author. With some careful editing, the story could have remained intact while allowing the author's views to be expressed, resulting in a more enjoyable reading experience for the audience.
Clancy sure knows how to spin a captivating tale, no doubt about it. However, I must admit, this particular story is riddled with inappropriate language and demeaning terms like "Jap" and "Chink," which has made it quite a challenge for me to ignore the offensiveness and truly engage with the plot. It's a real letdown. Despite the promising storyline, I can only bring myself to give it a modest three-star rating.
Don't waste your time on 'The Bear and the Dragon' if you're a fan of the Jack Ryan series. Trust me, it's the worst one we've listened to so far. The author really drags the story out unnecessarily, I mean, there are so many pages that could have been skipped without affecting the plot. And let's not even get started on the story itself - it's completely unbelievable, like a far-fetched fairy tale. Save yourself the disappointment and give this one a pass.
This is a slow-paced story where Clancy focuses more on sharing his ideas on how to fix the world as if he were the president. There are offensive racial slurs against Asians throughout, and the Roman Catholic church is portrayed as the most significant human institution ever.
What bothers me is that Clancy, who is often praised for his thorough research and accurate technical details, clearly did not consult with a network administrator. A crucial part of the plot involves undetectable extraction of data from a CCP computer, which would have triggered immediate network alerts.
I can see how this would appeal to the MAGA crowd, but it may not resonate with others. If Clancy had stopped here, it would have been his worst work. Unfortunately, the world also has to contend with Red Rabbit.
I was a fan of Tom Clancy's books since I was in high school, but now I feel like I've caught up to where I left off. Sadly, "The Bear and the Dragon" will be my final read from him. His previous book, "Executive Orders," was on the edge for me. The style has shifted from intricately detailed and engaging political drama to a heavy-handed neoconservative rant. It's disappointing that for the third time, he veers into discussing abortion in US politics within a story that's supposed to be about Russia and China. Furthermore, the poorly executed attempts at erotica within the Chet storyline were just too much for me. Overall, I have to give this book a thumbs down.
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