• The Bear and the Dragon

  • By: Tom Clancy
  • Narrated by: Frank Muller
  • Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (633 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Bear and the Dragon  By  cover art

The Bear and the Dragon

By: Tom Clancy
Narrated by: Frank Muller
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.53

Buy for $19.53

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

In The Bear and The Dragon, the future is very near at hand indeed.

Newly elected in his own right, Jack Ryan has found that being President hasn't gotten any easier: domestic pitfalls await him at every turn; the Asian economy is going down the tubes; and in Moscow, someone may have tried to take out the chairman of the SVR - the former KGB - with a rocket-propelled grenade. Things are unstable enough in Russia without high-level assassination, but even more disturbing may be the identities of the potential assassins. Were they political enemies, the Russian Mafia, disaffected former KGB? Or, Ryan wonders, is something far more dangerous at work here?

Ryan is right to wonder. For even while Russian investigators pursue the case, and some of his most trusted eyes and ears - including antiterrorism specialist John Clark - head to Moscow, forces in China are moving ahead with a plan of truly audacious proportions. Tired of what they view as the presumption of the West, eager to fulfill their destiny, they are taking matters into their own hands. If they succeed, the world as we know it will never look the same. If they fail...the consequences may be unspeakable.

Blending the exceptional realism and authenticity that are his hallmarks with intricate plotting, razor-sharp suspense, and a remarkable cast of characters, this is Clancy at his best - and there is none better.

Please note: This is the abridged edition. An unabridged version is also available.

©2000 Rubicon, Inc. (P)2000 Random House Inc., Random House AudioBooks, a Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"When the door blows open and the shooting starts, nobody does it better than Tom Clancy." (The Dallas Morning News)

"Frank Muller puts out an amazing performance, whipping off endless Chinese and Russian names - even in dialogue - as if they were his native tongue." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Bear and the Dragon

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    280
  • 4 Stars
    187
  • 3 Stars
    110
  • 2 Stars
    34
  • 1 Stars
    22
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    154
  • 4 Stars
    77
  • 3 Stars
    28
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    17
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    169
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Clancy's World is Fun

In Clancy's World, Jack Ryan is president, and man are we ever glad. The Russian's are our friends, the Chinese are our enemy, and even some of the people we think of as our friends, like India, simply are not as great as we'd like them to be. Clancy spins a web where the asian continent would like nothing more than to dominate the west, and would do so through the taking of the world's oil supplies. The premise of the book, a conflict between Russia (the Bear) and China (the Dragon) and the entry of the U.S. on the side of the Bear makes for an enjoyable read. If you like living in Tom Clancy's world, you'll like the technical details and the spying that goes on in this book. It is yet another reason to be glad Tom Clancy is on our side.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Muller + Clancy -- it gets no better!

I'd given up reading Clancy books some years back, but couldn't pass up the chance to listen to a favorite author, read by my favorite reader! A great listen - just as expected!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good, once you get over the Narrator's voice!

This was my first audiobook download, and at first I must say, I was dissapointed! Straight away the Narrator's way he ended the sentences struck a nerve and I thought I'd give up after a few minutes.
I stuck with it over my 45min journey, and although I found it slow going to begin, the story got good enough to over-power my opinion of the Narrator.
Once into the story, I really enjoyed it! I found the Narration got better as the book progressed, and I really looked forward to the next time I got to listen. Overall it was a positive experience, but I can see how others don't like the Narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good

This was my first Clancy book and it was exactly what I expected. It didn't seem forced or far out to me. Overall it was very enjoyable and very well read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story, & author, terrible reader

Would you try another book from Tom Clancy and/or Frank Muller?

Clancy - absolutely. Muller - no on your life

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was trying too hard. Tom Clancy books are very macho and this narrator was trying too hard and being way too overdramatic. The whole book is done in a very breathless / breathy style which doesn't fit a Clancy book at all. Made me think of a new actor in a community play trying way too hard and over acting.I bought this book originally in 2003 and could not finish it for that reason. 10 years later and I going to try and finish it again because I like Tom Clancy so much, Don't know if I will be able to complete it this time as the narration is SO bad.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes, Everything about Clancy's books are marvelous.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

alternate universe???

Why is it in these Spy novels that the US is always this amazing benevolent master over all we survey. I'm as patriotic as the next American and I truly Love my country, but give me a break. the pace of this novel is way rushed and hard to follow. the narrator is awesome.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

The book whisperer

If you like a narrator who ends every (and I mean every) sentence by whispering the last word like some crazed heavy breathing phone caller, then this is the download for you. It's a shame that I could not get through 30 minutes with this narrator, what a waste of a credit. Make sure you can stand the voice, no matter what the book it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent story and narration considering

The story is what you want from TC - excellent military insight and a plot that makes you think. The acting is very believable. The only reason I gave it 4/5 was that it took me a bit to get over the narrater's desire to always end statements in a whisper. As the story heats up, this trait becomes to fit a bit better though...so just hang in there for it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Must for Tom Clancy Fans

Great book, one of Clancy's best. The narration is spot on - well nuanced, but not over-dramatized.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

The Book Whisperer is right!

I love Clancy novels but I just can't get over the guy whispering after every sentence. Made me laugh out loud for the first chapter. Come on...let's get a reader that is as good as Clancy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful