The Sum of All Fears

By: Tom Clancy

Narrated by: Scott Brick

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)

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.

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.

a very tense story

this book it's very tense very quickly the second you realize where this is all heading you are unnerved this book was written before 9/11 I think it's even scarier now listen when they talk about Pandora's Box The Duality in that is amazing get this book

Story comes together

I saw where some of the reviews said that the story had too many characters. I think the multiple story lines made the book all the better. It worked well as the book came together for the climax. In fsct, at the end I would sit in my car after arriving at my destination just to listen longer.

Intense to the point of nightmares.

Well written and expertly performed. I could not anticipate most of the turns of plot which made it all the more riveting.

I regret paying any heed to some reviewer who panned the book. Otherwise I would have read it 18 years ago. And I should have read it when published.