Dead or Alive

I've got every Tom Clancy book Audible has done, but they all suffer - BADLY - from Michael Pritchard's narration.

Lou Diamond Phillips does a superb job of performing this latest Clancy thriller.

Don't be deceived by thinking the Lou Diamond Phillips, the actor you see in movies and on TV is the extent of his dramatic range. He is absolutely wonderful at capturing the characters, accents, genders, etc in this Audiobook

5 Stars +++

Lou Diamond Philips?! MORE! I've been a member of Audible since it started, and I can say this for the first time- "LDP reads this book to me better than I could read it to myself". LDP has played enough military and police roles in movies that he understands where TC is coming from (I'd love to see him in a movie as Ding Chavez!) I usually read the ebook first, and if it's good, listen to it on audible later while I'm driving or doing work around the house. I deleted the ebook this time!

I've read every Clancy book and have liked most of them. He has an undeniable style and finesse. I must caution you; if you're squeamish to the military or have a liberal bone in your body you should probably click away from this page with haste. As a veteran I can tell you that Clancy's books are realistic, right down to the thoughts and attitudes of the troops and analysts. This book was no exception. Welcome back Clancy, John, Chavez, and the Ryans, and 'well met' to the new players.

THIS IS A MUST LISTEN... MULTIPLE TIMES!

Great read. Lou Diamond Phillips does an excellent job narrating. He has a masterful command of pronunciation of names in many languages. Fully enjoyed the insight into the workings of the "spy" world. Makes me believe there's a place and time for "torture".

Lou Diamond Phillips did a super job narrating this story. I had read or listen to all of Tom Clancy's books. Glad to see him writing again I had almost given up hope for any new books from him. The only negative part of the book was the pushing of right wing politics. I would prefer sticking to the story and leave out the politics. I do like the pro military story he tell and all the military detail is great as well as his in-depth story of analysis techniques of the CIA and related agencies. Hope the next book comes along soon.

I had a problem with the characters and all their locations and what each was bringing to the story. Some parts of it were just too 'wordy' but overall it was a good and down right scary plot. Narration by Phillips was very well done. I hope he can in time be as polished as G. Guidell.

Tom Clancy is at his most excellent - true to form on this book. Same old players chasing new, sneaky bad guys. You get detail without getting gore. The current headlines weave into the story with just enough scare to keep you reading. Ties all the ends together. Just a great book.

After the last novel "Teeth of the Tiger" which was flat and of no substance, this was a definite improvement. It was great to have the old guard come back and I really like the way Tom Clancy integrated the old characters with the new. That said, the timeline of the plot of the "bad guys" is convoluted. That was the only thing that prevented this book from being a great story. Tom Clancy had an original idea, technically correct, great characters but I think he spread himself too thin and it caused the timeline of the book to be both confusing and inaccurate.
As far as the narrator, much to my surprise, Lou Diamond Phillips did a good job reading this book. So If you love the characters from the old Jack Ryan series, and want to see them in a more modern setting then this is a pretty good book. If its your first time reading a a Jack Ryan series, I would not recommend this book at all. Try starting with the Hunt for Red october.

First of all, Lou Diamond Philips is brilliant in his performance. I look forward to more. I wish i could say the same about Tom Clancy. He's never been the same since the USSR collapsed. The story was okay, not his best by far, but better than his other recent efforts. I did find his intrusion of right wing politics only annoying, with one exception. His pandering portrayal of the Saudi royal family and the implication that the Democratic Party was more corrupt and "ungodly" was insulting to every American, and beneath him. I am surprised and curious as to what the reason was behind this, but he should be called out on it. He uses 9/11 for his own gain when it's convenient, but obviously learned nothing from it.

I graduated from the War college in 1984. Full of piss and vinegar, I went to Korea. Enroute, I read Clancy's novel. Red October. I was uneasy the entire flight, that someone would discover I was reading classified information, so close was it to compartmentalized information I had obtained from the college. In Dead or Alive, I got the same feeling. "The Campus" a new below the horizon security and clandestine operations entity, is self funded. John Clark, Dingo Chavez, and Jack Ryan's son Jack Jr. combine their skills to keep the Jihadists from throwing our country into turmoil. In his particular style, Clancy takes on the U.S. intelligence community, by mostly ignoring them. If your heart isn't palpitating after the first chapter. You don't know anything about soldiering.

I was enjoying this book until about the halfway mark. Then it became very difficult to maintain interest. It just ran out of gas. I re-read his older books quite often and enjoy them every time. But this one won't be one of them. The most interesting parts of this book seemed to be the setup for a future book.