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Arts & Entertainment
 

Spy books good read

Clancy novels offer thrills, education

Nerd Alert

Barrett Goldsmith

Dude, being a spy is cool. 

You move silently in shadows, collect top secret information and then vanish in a puff of smoke. 

You get to go to some exotic place, learn its language and customs, then snap some guy's neck with your bare hands. Nice. 

At least, that's the impression I get from watching The Bourne Supremacy and other movies of the same ilk. These movies and the books on which they are based are intriguing and a lot of fun. I'm as big a fan as the next guy. 

But these "spy" stories are spinoffs, in a sense. Robert Ludlum, who wrote the Bourne series and a handful of similar novels, has created a sub-category of fiction based on the writing of Tom Clancy. 

Whereas Ludlum focuses on individual spies and assassins in his stories, Clancy has crafted a complete alternative reality for America's security apparatus. Clancy's world includes the intelligence community, law enforcement, the armed services and all the political figures who have a stake in their performance. 

From the captain of a nuclear submarine to a cop in Denver to a computer analyst to the president of the United States, Clancy presents a network of people working to keep America safe and keep the world in order. 

And some cool spy stuff. 

Before I recommend these books, let me just say that you may need to skip a paragraph or two sometimes. The books can get a bit heavy on the technical side of things, and skimming over a few lines about weapons and particle physics might not be a bad idea. 

But if you have a couple of hours to spare and you're looking for something to keep you interested, try reading Clancy's series about Jack Ryan. The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Sum of All Fears are the best of the Ryan novels. 

Ryan is an ordinary guy who gets forced into extraordinary circumstances, and he's one of the few true heroes in modern literature. He has to deal with the pressures of work, traffic, fatherhood, smoking and stale coffee.

Of the three actors who have portrayed Jack Ryan on the big screen, only Harrison Ford did the role justice. Ben Affleck was too young and Alec Baldwin was in The Shadow. 

So pick up a copy of Red October, the first book in the series, and try not to picture Alec Baldwin.
 

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