Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy

[Viggen 644]

Any idea when exactly the book is supposed to take place? Late 1990s?

[+Swordsman422 61]

Given that the USS John C. Stennis is mentioned to be  newly commissioned into service, No earlier than 1998. 

[JediMaster 451]

Clancy's books have always struggled with timelines. That's what happens when you make your main character President and do things like nuking the Super Bowl.

 

Supposedly Reagan was President in the 80s (only referred to as "the President" in books of that period), but then Bush was not elected but rather the Dukakis stand-in Fowler. Then a ton of stuff happens and it's all over the place, except than in later books references back are made as if Clinton and W were elected as well.

Despite engaging in a war with Japan and Iran+Iraq and China...9/11 still happens, the US still goes into Iraq and Afghanistan, and somehow THOSE are still more devastating than a nuke at the Super Bowl, and wars with three of the biggest powers on the planet...you just have to give it up and go with it. The books are roughly taking place around the time they're published with a couple of exceptions like Without Remorse, even though things like the F-22 being operational wasn't until years after the war with Japan would've occurred.

[Viggen 644]

It's funny to read of Super Hornets and Intruders sharing a flight deck. I've decided on roughly 2002-2004.

[macelena 1,070]

The worse is we were left without an epic F-14 vs F-15J massive dogfight...or did i miss something?

[shotdown 8]

Jack Ryan's universe lacks a coherent timeline, so don't bother with trying to guess when this or that happenned.

 

 

 

 

 

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Spolier alert.!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Patriot games" begins with Ryan saving the prince and princess of Wales (Charles and Diana, although their names were never mentioned in the book) and their newly born first son, and ends with Jack Jr being born the following year. This means the book had to start in 1982 and end in 1983.

But, Ryan's next adventure (Red rabbit, his first mission with CIA) ends with Alí Agca's attack against Pope John Paul II, somethins that actualli happenned in 1981.

"The summ of all fears" ends between the end of Dessert Storm and the fall of the USSR, that means 1991. At the end of the book Jack Ryan leaves the CIA.

"Debt of honor" happens 3-3,5 years later, so it should be in mid-late 1994, but the story ends 11 months before next presidential ellection, according to president Durling (so this should happen at least in late 1995, early 1996).

Ryan then becomes president and stays in office for 5 years, so Rainbow six ends 1 month or so before he leaves the White House (Sidney olimpic games) ¿can "The bear and the dragon" take place in such sort time span? I seriously doubt it (I guess Tom Clancy decided to retroactively keep Jack away from a second period to save him from being in office in September 11th 2001).

Also, Ryan becomes president 10 years after the terrorist attack he suffered in "Patriot games", according to some politician. Even if it means "roughly 10 years" (most likely 12 years), Jack jr. would be 12 when Jack Sr. becomes president, 17 when he leaves, and 19-20 when Jack Sr. decides to run for the ellection again. Yet, in the book where this happens, Jack Jr. is actually 23. I guess that's what happens when you set the events of your books in a near future. Things sometimes change in a very unexpected way and the world where those events were supposed to happen no longer exists by the time they should happen.

Of course, if you forget the timeline they are great books.

Edited July 28, 2015 by shotdown