January 16, 2014

“Command Authority” by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney – The Essence of Power

Command Authority by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney (Book cover)
Sadly, not too long ago worldwide-beloved author Tom Clancy left a giant void in both our world and that of literature, but it seems he did not depart before giving us one last tour de force in Command Authority, a Jack Ryan novel co-authored by the renowned Mark Greaney.

Now, before moving on to the book, some things should be made clear; Greaney truly did the bulk of the work on this one (as have most co-authors with Tom Clancy), and the writing is pretty much all of his.

In other words, Greaney is basically writing his novel in accordance with the style, rules and characteristics established in Tom Clancy’s world (his part in all of this should not be underplayed either).

With that being said, the story follows Jack Ryan as he becomes the catalyst at the center of a plan to unravel a rather mysterious man in Russia (the current Chief of State) whose recent skyrocketing to power turned many heads in concern.

That’s mostly because he wants to return the country to the way things were before the Iron Curtain fell. Little do people know though, the powerful man’s recent success can be credited to a secret buried long ago, one only Jack Ryan has the ability to elucidate.

Though I know some people would qualify what I am about to say as pure blasphemy I actually do believe that Mark Greaney improved upon Tom Clancy’s style, or at the very least, he made this book better than the legend would have. First off, Greaney’s style isn’t as dry and monotonous, there is less filler in his text, with a carefully-crafted and smooth narrative structure which doesn’t leave you hanging for nothing, nor does the point of view of the story shift around endlessly.

Other than that though, I would say that this is a very solid and perhaps even somewhat typical Clancy novel; the intrigue is political in its nature and stretches across the globe, with power being the ultimate objective coveted by the villains.

Command Authority by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney (Book cover)
All in all, I have to say that Command Authority has become one of my favorite novels set in Tom Clancy’s world, and Greaney sure has a bright future ahead of him.

He even managed to scatter those factual and technical details we have come to love so much throughout the book without breaking the pace or making it feel too heavy and strenuous. I believe that fans of international political thrillers and Clancy’s style in general will have a blast with this one.



Tom Clancy (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013)

Tom Clancy (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013)


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With numerous books, movies and even video games under his belt, Tom Clancy was one of the most accomplished writers out there, being specifically known for his enthralling and accurately-detailed military novels, such as The Sum of All Fears and The Hunt for Red October.
Mark Greaney

Mark Greaney


Personal site

Mark Greaney is the best-selling standalone author and co-author to numerous Tom Clancy novels. He made his debut with The Gray Man, instantly becoming a crowd favorite and spawning a series that is still going strong. His most well-known work as a co-author to Clancy is undoubtedly Threat Vector

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