Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (1987), Edition: Reissue, 725 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. When Muslim fundamentalists blow up a key Soviet oil complex, making an already critical oil shortage calamitous, the Russians figure they are going to have to take things into their own hands. They plan to seize the Persian Gulf, and more ambitiously, to neutralize NATO. Thus begins Red Storm, an audacious gamble that uses diplomatic maneuver to cloak a crash military build-up. When Soviet tanks begin to roll, the West is caught off guard. What looks like a thrust turns into an all-out shooting war, possibly the climactic battle for control of the globe.
Media reviews
Although the writing is unduly prolix, especially in its loving treatment of submarine warfare, the story is well told. The many readers of Mr. Clancy's first book will enjoy ''Red Storm Rising.'' His is an oddly comforting version of World War III.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jpsnow
Another of my favorite Clancy novels. In the face of a severe oil crisis, the Soviet Union wages war against NATO. The story is almost entirely comprised of military scenarios. Among the sub-plots are a group who survives the attack on Iceland and serve as scouts, a ship captain who overcomes his
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first loss, political maneuvering in Russia, and the battle between submarine forces and their hunters. Clancy brings out the economic and chain-of-command factors quite well. This book was published in 1986. The overthrow of the Politburo in 1991 was very similar. Show Less
LibraryThing member terricoop
The last reviewer is incorrect, “Red Storm Rising” is not a Jack Ryan novel. It is a novel of World War III and is chilling in how a global conflagration can come out of a room full of scared and paranoid old men.
“Red Storm Rising” is the ultimate cold war novel. Because of a terrorist
“Red Storm Rising” should be required reading for all contemporary leaders. In between all of the gut-churning action and heartbreaking loss of life is a message about the horrors of war, the fallacy of ‘first-strike’ effectiveness, the absolute fallacy of the concept of ‘preemptive strike’ and the true cost of war in blood and treasure.
As Winston Churchill is credited as saying, “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.”
A message our leaders need to hear loud and clear. The surrender scene in the book is excellent. The American commander concedes to his Russian counterpart just how close the conflict had been.
Why readers should read this book: A huge, grand, epic novel of war on land, sea and air. A techno-thriller, written with Clancy’s unequaled mastery of technical and military language. There is a romance, for those who like that sort of thing, but it occurs in the harsh reality of hiding from the Russian Army in Iceland. Also a refreshing break from the Jack Ryan series. This is one of the best war novels ever written.
Why writers should read this book: If you want to write a techno-thriller or war novel, pay close attention to how Clancy handles the technical language. He can put you inside the tank, inside the sub, on the deck of the carrier, and behind the stick in the warplane. It never sounds fake or forced. Even the uncharacteristic romance is gritty and realistic. Simply superb.
“Red Storm Rising” is the ultimate cold war novel. Because of a terrorist
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attack, the Soviet Union faces a severe domestic oil crisis. Instead of reaching out to the world, the Politburo believes the rest of the world will see them as weak and vulnerable. So, in a fit of paranoia and overconfidence, they go to war to seize the Persian Gulf.“Red Storm Rising” should be required reading for all contemporary leaders. In between all of the gut-churning action and heartbreaking loss of life is a message about the horrors of war, the fallacy of ‘first-strike’ effectiveness, the absolute fallacy of the concept of ‘preemptive strike’ and the true cost of war in blood and treasure.
As Winston Churchill is credited as saying, “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.”
A message our leaders need to hear loud and clear. The surrender scene in the book is excellent. The American commander concedes to his Russian counterpart just how close the conflict had been.
Why readers should read this book: A huge, grand, epic novel of war on land, sea and air. A techno-thriller, written with Clancy’s unequaled mastery of technical and military language. There is a romance, for those who like that sort of thing, but it occurs in the harsh reality of hiding from the Russian Army in Iceland. Also a refreshing break from the Jack Ryan series. This is one of the best war novels ever written.
Why writers should read this book: If you want to write a techno-thriller or war novel, pay close attention to how Clancy handles the technical language. He can put you inside the tank, inside the sub, on the deck of the carrier, and behind the stick in the warplane. It never sounds fake or forced. Even the uncharacteristic romance is gritty and realistic. Simply superb.
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LibraryThing member bookworm546
A very good book about a ww3 which could have happened in the 80's. If found the battles in germany with russia vs the west very good pace. the submarine parts tended to drag on a bit but the other plots with the russian portoburea backfire bombers the takeover of iceland and generals getting
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killed millitary takeovers makes for good reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member rw_flyer
Late cold war communist Russia suffers a catastrophic oil meltdown, so they must have the middle east. To get there, Russia invades Europe as a play to eliminate NATO. A great alternate history plot and engaging stories.
LibraryThing member Sturgeon
An interesting look at World War III
NOt my favorite Clancy novel.
NOt my favorite Clancy novel.
LibraryThing member Kade
Aside from the almost cliche Tom Clancy pretext for the plot of a major terrorist strike destroying a facility that provides a majority of the USSR's oil (which is Left Behind-stupid in terms of opening acts) this is an amazing look into what World War Three would turn out like in the late
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1980's/early 1990's. Strategists and academics from both sides have concurred that Clancy was amazingly apt in some of his predictions, such as the high expenditure of munitions and the loss of effectiveness of blitzkrieg tactics to light anti-armor platforms and stealth aircraft. Wish it had stayed focused on the meta-strategy instead of focusing in on a few focal characters in different hotspots. The ground war especially is somewhat lacking in its coverage from the Allied side. Show Less
LibraryThing member www.snigel.nu
I liked military related stuff when I was younger, so Tom Clancy was my favourite author for a while. I have rid myself of this illness since.
LibraryThing member emed0s
It's Tom Clancy's fiction so it's preposterous but somewhat fun to read if you enjoy the mere recitation of names of military equipment and units.
LibraryThing member ianw
I'll do the same review for all Clancy's novels because they're all pretty much the same. Very long, very detailed, and after a while, very repetitive. If you stop after just a few of his books you'd probably give them 4 or 5 stars, but beyond that they start to grate. Especially where Jack Ryan is
I've given three stars as a compromise between my reactions when reading my first Clancy (brilliant) and last Clancy (doorstop).
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involved. I mean, Clancy spends hundreds of pages getting his details just right, the settings perfect etc., then he has Ryan dodging more bullets than James Bond! I finally threw my hands up and surrendered when Ryan becomes President. I can't remember what piece of crap that was in.I've given three stars as a compromise between my reactions when reading my first Clancy (brilliant) and last Clancy (doorstop).
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LibraryThing member tyroeternal
Another Clancy novel full of hundreds of details and just as many pages. Though it took me weeks to finish, I still have to give it 5 stars, because in the end it was just plain good.
LibraryThing member Zare
First Clancy novel I read. Very interesting story - and if I may say so, very believable because universal society rule says -> if you are in social trouble go to war, because in that case you have 50:50 chances (or better if your military might is [vastly] superior to your opponent ) to calm down
Only thing that annoys me is that we-win-no-matter-what-they-do. Although I can understand this I think this scenario is least likely than all. More realistic scenario can be found in "Third World War" by Humphrey Hawksley - when major powers collide population survivability is extremely low for all sides in conflict (and those caught in the middle).
Beside that good novel with lots of interesting military hardware info (Clancy's trademark :) )
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your folk and proceed on (I think recent events are more then proof for this).Only thing that annoys me is that we-win-no-matter-what-they-do. Although I can understand this I think this scenario is least likely than all. More realistic scenario can be found in "Third World War" by Humphrey Hawksley - when major powers collide population survivability is extremely low for all sides in conflict (and those caught in the middle).
Beside that good novel with lots of interesting military hardware info (Clancy's trademark :) )
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LibraryThing member Anagarika
Mr. Clancy has a great knowledge of the military. Good story.
LibraryThing member Borg-mx5
When I do like Tom Clancy, it is when his style is like this book. He is reporting not so much as writing. Here he creates a fictional war and cuts from scenario to scenario to give us the latest updates. I enojoyed this one.
LibraryThing member reading_fox
One of Clancy's better books, probably becasue it doesn't feature Jack Ryan anywhere. Russia's still the big bad enemy and struggling for fuel decides to invade Europe, using - a bit of a departure for clancy - brains instead of brute strength. Fortunetly the american cavalry can get there to save
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the day. Enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Anagarika-Sean
Mr. Clancy has vast knowledge of the military. Good story.
LibraryThing member Zare
First Clancy novel I read. Very interesting story - and if I may say so, very believable because universal society rule says -> if you are in social trouble go to war, because in that case you have 50:50 chances (or better if your military might is [vastly] superior to your opponent ) to calm down
Show More
your folk and proceed on (I think recent events are more then proof for this).[return][return]Only thing that annoys me is that we-win-no-matter-what-they-do. Although I can understand this I think this scenario is least likely than all. More realistic scenario can be found in "Third World War" by Humphrey Hawksley - when major powers collide population survivability is extremely low for all sides in conflict (and those caught in the middle).[return][return]Beside that good novel with lots of interesting military hardware info (Clancy's trademark :) ) Show Less
LibraryThing member fordj
You MUST read this book. I've read hundreds of books and this one is still near the top. It defines the "Realistic War Fiction" genre that Tom Clancy started in the 80's. Fast paced and absolutely believable!
LibraryThing member sriemann
I believe this was my least liked of the Tom Clancy books I have read - it dragged on in a few sections, and the military maneuver details were overdone to my taste. However, since it was the second one I read and the first was really good, I kept going, and was glad I did.
LibraryThing member JGolomb
I finished my second Tom Clancy novel in three weeks. And I've become a fan.
I enjoyed "Red Storm Rising" more than "Clear and Present Danger". "Red Storm Rising" was Clancy's second novel and doesn't include either of the characters that make up much of the core of his fabulously popular high-tech
I'm not a military guy and I've not read much around a modern military (though I've read my fair share of ancient Roman Legion battles), but I became hooked on Clancy's details surrounding the tactics of all branches of the military and the somewhat less fulfilling political machinations that drove the bigger picture war efforts. Clancy's mostly able to differentiate a multitude of battles, though seemed to struggle a bit with an ongoing series of submarine engagements.
There's no character depth here, and quite frankly, I was perfectly happy to let the detailed plot drive the story. "Red Storm Rising" is an exciting and engaging read. It's not great, but it's a whole lot of fun.
I enjoyed "Red Storm Rising" more than "Clear and Present Danger". "Red Storm Rising" was Clancy's second novel and doesn't include either of the characters that make up much of the core of his fabulously popular high-tech
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military thrillers: Jack Ryan and John Clark. Clancy builds credible motives for the Russian-fueld World War III, and the plot drives all 600+ pages of this novel that bounces between perspectives of characters ranging from military leaders, to intelligence officers, to the most engaging of all, an Air Force weatherman thrust to the fore of the international battle.I'm not a military guy and I've not read much around a modern military (though I've read my fair share of ancient Roman Legion battles), but I became hooked on Clancy's details surrounding the tactics of all branches of the military and the somewhat less fulfilling political machinations that drove the bigger picture war efforts. Clancy's mostly able to differentiate a multitude of battles, though seemed to struggle a bit with an ongoing series of submarine engagements.
There's no character depth here, and quite frankly, I was perfectly happy to let the detailed plot drive the story. "Red Storm Rising" is an exciting and engaging read. It's not great, but it's a whole lot of fun.
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LibraryThing member beslagsmed
Once again Tom has done a great job. The format allows one to keep in the book from all angles. He brings out what might have happened during the cold war. Tom's research pays off as he has all the correct military equipment and such doing the right job. He keeps the story up front and personal.
LibraryThing member KirkLowery
A chillingly plausible scenario for WWIII. And I agree with him: WWIII will have no nukes.
LibraryThing member Hae-Yu
This is one of the best single-volume war novels I have ever read. The action is tense and non-stop once the shooting starts. It's a large novel, but reads quickly.
The novel spans the cause, buildup, commencement, execution and completion of a short WWIII between NATO and Soviet conventional
Red Storm Rising's primary story is the action. As such the different theaters (air, sea, land, intel), many characters, geopolitics, and other facets are subservient to driving the action. You may see reviews which critique Clancy's handling of this or that (no strong characterization, wish there was more focus on this or that theater, the politics wasn't as fleshed out as desired...) but the reviewers miss the point that the action is the story. Readers unfamiliar with the techno-military jargon will be able to sort through the zoo of Bears, Badgers, Tomcats, Hornets, Eagles, Falcons, Aardvarks, Sea Stallions,... and the numerous alphanumeric designators. You'll get the concepts from the contexts.
This is a great book I could not put down. No obvious typos or other editorial sloppiness
The novel spans the cause, buildup, commencement, execution and completion of a short WWIII between NATO and Soviet conventional
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forces. Using the then-state-of-the-art in technology, arms, and doctrine, Clancy and Bond weave a very taut tale imagining how these different technologies and tactics might interact once unleashed. Some promising technologies are brought low, others are used in unintended ways by the inventive minds in the field and staff, thereby shifting battlefield advantages.Red Storm Rising's primary story is the action. As such the different theaters (air, sea, land, intel), many characters, geopolitics, and other facets are subservient to driving the action. You may see reviews which critique Clancy's handling of this or that (no strong characterization, wish there was more focus on this or that theater, the politics wasn't as fleshed out as desired...) but the reviewers miss the point that the action is the story. Readers unfamiliar with the techno-military jargon will be able to sort through the zoo of Bears, Badgers, Tomcats, Hornets, Eagles, Falcons, Aardvarks, Sea Stallions,... and the numerous alphanumeric designators. You'll get the concepts from the contexts.
This is a great book I could not put down. No obvious typos or other editorial sloppiness
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LibraryThing member AdrianGHilder
If you've ever wondered what the cold war of the 1980's period turning into world war 3 would be like, this is the book for you.
The Hunt for Red October was a far easier film to make than this, which is probably why even now this is one Clancy story that has not made it to the movies.
Watch the
The Hunt for Red October was a far easier film to make than this, which is probably why even now this is one Clancy story that has not made it to the movies.
Watch the
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military technology at the command of NATO and the old USSR collide. Show Less
LibraryThing member Teufle
A great cold war adventure of a world that "Could have been". The book lists several weapon systems that were planned but never introduced, and ultimately suffers from a lack of detail and action during the actual combat but is overall a hell'va read for those who still wonder what the Cold War
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going hot would look like. Show Less
LibraryThing member kcshankd
Re-read after many years, the reason why I enlisted in the Navy and volunteered for submarines. Held up fairly well, still a good read.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986-08
Physical description
6.88 inches
ISBN
042510107X / 9780425101070
UPC
071831004956
Other editions
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