• The Sum of All Fears

  • By: Tom Clancy
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 37 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (7,821 ratings)

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The Sum of All Fears  By  cover art

The Sum of All Fears

By: Tom Clancy
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Against all odds we have made it into the last half of the 1990s. The Cold War looks solved, Arabs and Jews are talking, confrontation is on the wane. In this new harmony, one discord - what becomes of unemployed terrorists?

You can bet they aren't going to retire quietly. Shunned by the Soviets, isolated by Middle Eastern realignment, one cadre hits on a scheme to jump-start the war machine. It's brilliant in its simplicity. With a single act they bring the world to nuclear boil. Jack Ryan and Dan Murray sweat to defuse a cataclysmic response.

©1992 Tom Clancy (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

“A whiz-bang page-turner!” (The New York Times Book Review)

The Sum of All Fears delivers!” (People)

“A nonstop roller coaster ride to a nail-biting climax...ingenious.” (Publishers Weekly)

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What listeners say about The Sum of All Fears

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    4 out of 5 stars

Thoughts on The Sum of All Fears

As a Company Representative covering a substantial part of Central Qld, I spend a lot of time in my Car!
Tom Clancy's Books not only deliver excellent stories but also good value in the Hours it takes to conclude them!
The Sum of All Fears has the usual Clancy ingredients, very precise descriptions & strong detail. I think that the Reader, Scott Brick, is perfectly suited to this style of narrative.
His voice & tone add an extra dimension to a long story which could easily become boring with a less accomplished Reader.
As with most long stories, I find it best digested in large chunks! Most of my journeys are 3 hours plus and this enables me to get really involved. I think a Book like this would be less satisfying if it were listened to in ten to twenty minute sessions. I will undoubtedly be working my way through all of Tom's work!

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35 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love everything about this book

Where does The Sum of All Fears rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's near the top of my list. I love the spy genre, with Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin being my favorite authors. I love the way he explains what is happening during the nuclear explosion, and the way he weaves together multiple story lines. Classic Clancy.

What other book might you compare The Sum of All Fears to and why?

I'd compare it to any amazing mystery book that has been raped in film by Ben Affleck.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Jack Ryan, and John Clark get really distinctive voices in the book, and it adds an extra element of realism to it. I especially appreciate the way Mr. Brick addresses the female dialog. He doesn't go over the top, and gives them fairly neutral voicing.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Jack refuses to second the Presidents launch order I was almost jumping up and down in my car.

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28 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well done thriller matched with great narration

My first Clancy book and it clearly won't be my last. Excellent writing style. A well thought out plot. Kept me interested throughout the entire book. Also, Brick's narration matches the book perfectly. Clancy tends to go into detail at times, but Brick's narration makes it interesting. I have to admit, if a different narrator was chosen who could not pull off this type of book, this could have been a 3 star book. That does make me nervous going forward with Clancy's Ryan book series seeing the different narrators. I just have to cross my fingers.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

SUPPPPERRRR slow. but what a pay off!

If you could sum up The Sum of All Fears in three words, what would they be?

Explode. Explode. Tension..

What other book might you compare The Sum of All Fears to and why?

Hunt for Red October. Because of all the tension and mystery. There is a lot of built up danger due to unknowns.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Jack Ryan. I thought he really captured and shaped how Ryan was reacting to the events.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely not. The first 30 hours is all set up with no conflict no nothing, but when it takes off... wow. It is completely worth the wait. Very effective set up, but it was just super slow. The last quarter of the book i could not put down if i wanted to.

Any additional comments?

This book is like a really big really impressive domino set up. Clancy takes time to place each piece, describe its color and weight and shape. Then he flicks over the first piece and it is an indescribable crafted experience.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

This is a really great story with lots of characters but it helps to listen to the Jack Ryan series in chronological order to help with the character development and past events to enhance the story.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Clancy does it again

Tom Clancy changes his writing just a little, instead of writing about things that may or may not have happened like in his other books. this time, he comes out clearly with a fictional alternate universe that drastically changes.

Israel lost a nuclear bomb in the past, and now with trouble brewing in the middle east Jack Ryan came up with a idea to fix the conflicts in the middle east. but not all Muslims are happy. some terrorist group find the lost Israeli bomb and with the help of a few other terrorist friends what will they do with this bomb.

Scott Brick has some great talent as he reads this turning point to his books, from here on out the world will not be the same and so don't miss out on the start of events that will make you think more then before.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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WOW! Awesome story. This guy can write.

The imagery is so vivid that after book you turn on the HDTV and wander why the picture is dull. My first TC book and worth the wait. One of my favorites of all time.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Time well spent.

Like all Clancy stories so far many hours are spent listening. This one is no exception. Be prepared for over 30 hours of edge of seat listening. It has some not very tense parts but it all comes together to keep one entertained. This is definitely worth a re listen at some point in the future.

Mr. Brick. As always nicely done.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

EXCELLENT NARRATION; PLOT A TAD CONVOLUTED

---Firstly, this is truly a TALENTED narrator; the many DOZENS of voices/accents he adopts is amazing!
---Gripping story, but a tad far-fetched. Also, I think Clancy used a few too many plot lines--it was, at times, a bit difficult to keep up...
---All told, a very exciting/horrifying tale of near-apocalypse....Very good!

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen

I come back to this book again and again. Great Clancy and a very intriguing book. Great characters and development. If you are looking for a good book - look no further.

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4 people found this helpful