Dead or Alive
Jeffrey L. Ward (Maps), and David Burnett (author New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2010. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. [6],950, [2] pages. Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have been bestsellers and more than 100 million copies of his books have been sold. His name was also used on movie scripts written by ghostwriters, nonfiction books on military subjects occasionally with co-authors, and video games. He was a part-owner of his hometown Major League Baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, and vice-chairman of their community activities and public affairs committees. Originally an insurance agent, his literary career began in 1984 when he sold his first military thriller novel The Hunt for Red October for $5,000 published by the small academic Naval Institute Press of Annapolis, Maryland. His works The Hunt for Red October (1984), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991) have been turned into commercially successful films. Actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and John Krasinski have played Clancy's most famous fictional character, Jack Ryan. Another well-known character of his, John Clark, has been portrayed by actors Willem Dafoe, Liev Schreiber, and Michael B. Jordan. Tom Clancy's works also inspired games such as the Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, The Division, and Splinter Cell series. Since Clancy's death in 2013, the Jack Ryan series has been continued by his family estate through a series of authors. Dead or Alive is a techno-thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Grant Blackwood, and released on December 7, 2010. It is Clancy's first novel in seven years after The Teeth of the Tiger (2003), and follows the hunt by The Campus for "the Emir", a Middle Eastern terrorist based on Osama bin Laden. It unites several characters from the Ryanverse, including former president Jack Ryan, his son Jack Ryan Jr., his nephews Dominic and Brian Caruso, and Rainbow Six veterans John Clark and Domingo Chavez. For years, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus have waged an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten western civilization. The most dangerous of these is the Emir. This sadistic killer has masterminded the most vicious attacks on the west and has eluded capture by the world's law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his cousins, Dominick and Brian Caruso, are determined to catch the Emir and they will bring him in . . . dead or alive. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. Dead or Alive was announced by publisher Penguin Group in a press release on April 7, 2010. Penguin USA president David Shanks stated: "Tom's genius for telling a story with exceptional realism and cutting edge authenticity are his hallmarks as a writer. In his latest novel, he turns up the tension between U.S. forces and their most lethal rivals." Several characters from the Ryanverse such as Jack Ryan, John Clark, and The Campus were brought together in what was dubbed "the All-Star Team". A book trailer was released on November 4, 2010. Clancy promoted the novel in a video discussion with retired U.S. Air Force general Chuck Horner, which was released on December 3, 2010. Dead or Alive was launched by the Yeomen Warders and the Red Devil paratroopers at the Tower of London on the eve of its eventual release. The book was notable for its antagonist the Emir and his terrorist organization Umayyad Revolutionary Council, which were based on real-life terrorist Osama bin Laden and his group al Qaeda. It also inspired the idea that special forces units hunting for a terrorist like bin Laden are more likely to find him living in comfort, rather than in a cave in Pakistan or Afghanistan. This was proven true when bin Laden was captured and killed by the U.S. Navy SEALs in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2011, five months after the novel was published. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: Jack Ryan, Terrorism, Covert Operations, Ding Chavez, Mary Pat Foley, Law Enforcement, Emir, Manhunt, Techno-thriller, Adventure
ISBN: 9780399157233
[Book #83516]
Price: $100.00