Book Review: Patriot Games - Tom Clancy

Patriot Games

Tom Clancy

Tom Clancy, the Stephen King of military thrillers, passed away recently.

In honour of his vast influence in modern entertainment – he is famous for his extensive series of novels and their adapted films (The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, etc.), and his lines of extremely popular military-focused video games (Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, etc.) - I’m reviewing Patriot Games, my very first introduction to the author's works.

Patriot Games is Clancy’s second published book, and chronologically, the first book in the Jack Ryan series.  Ryan is 31, a naval historian and, quietly, an advisor to the CIA.  It is only by complete coincidence that he is in London, at just the right time and just the right place, to single-handedly foil a kidnapping attempt on the Prince and Princess of Wales and their new baby by a dastardly offshoot of the IRA.

Cue the patriotic fanfare at the expense of the British and some hilariously cringe-worthy dialogue as Ryan tries to “man-up” a discouraged Prince of Wales:

“You’re not some dumb kid, sir. You’re a trained pro. Start acting like one”.

Historically, Irish-Americans have long filled the coffers of Irish terrorists under the mistaken guise of patriotism, manipulated by the lure of jingoistic slogans and images of green hills, oppressed farmers, and St. Paddy's Day. Subsequently, Irish terrorists never act on American soil for fear of drying up the financial well.

However, Ryan, an Irish-American himself, becomes such a great thorn in the side of a vicious, rampaging Irish terrorist that the villain decides to do the unthinkable and decide to commit an act of terror in the United States! When the junior Royals, on an American tour months after the kidnapping attempt, decide to drop in on Jack and his family for a cozy dinner, they provide a perfect opportunity for the Irish rogues to strike a blow for the Cause and destroy Ryan at the same time.

The climax occurs on that storm-tossed night in his cliff-side mansion on Peregrine Bay with Ryan battling gun-toting terrorists with nothing but his wits and their Royal Highnesses (originally Chuck & Di, but Will & Kate can be inserted instead for equally amusing imagery).

Patriot Games is partially captivating because it captures the final years in what historians will call the Golden Age of American history. It is 1987 – the best personal computer has two megabytes of memory, the internet does not exist, terrorists use guns and cars, and the United States is still the undisputed dispenser of righteousness and authority. The book is also a cautionary tale about the dangers of blind nationalism and patriotism of all stripes, and an unintentional satire of traditional American patriotism, a eulogy for a global superpower. 

It also makes a good beach read. J