Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan Novels) 
The president, unsatisfied with the success of his "war on drugs," decides that he wants some immediate success. But after John Clark's covert strike team is deployed to Colombia for Operation Showboat, the drug lords strike back taking several civilian casualties. The chief executive's polls plummet. He orders Ritter to terminate their unofficial plan and leave no traces. Jack Ryan, who has just been named CIA deputy director of intelligence is enraged when he discovers that has been left out of the loop of Colombian operations. Several of America's most highly trained soldiers are stranded in an unfinished mission that, according to all records, never existed. Ryan decides to get the men out.
Ultimately, Clear and Present Danger is about good conscience, law, and politics, with Jack Ryan and CIA agent John Clark as its dual heroes. Ryan relentlessly pursues what he knows is right and legal, even if it means confronting the president of the United States. Clark is the perfect soldier, but a man who finally holds his men higher than the orders of any careless commander.
Along with the usual, stunning array of military hardware and the latest techno-gadgets, Clear and Present Danger further develops the relationships and characters that Clancy fans have grown to love. Admiral James Greer passes the CIA torch to his pupil, Ryan. Mr. Clark and Chavez meet for the first time. Other recurring characters like Robert Ritter and "the President" add continuity to Clancy's believable, alternate reality. This is Clancy at his best. --Patrick O'Kelley
Reviews
So I thought that reading an old novel starred by one of my heroes, Jack Ryan, would be an excellent company for my week vacation in South Carolina. And it was. But I realized that, this time, I didn't enjoy it that much. Maybe it was the low value ascribed to human life, maybe it was the parallelism I could draw with the present situation in the US and my current distaste with the old adagio `the end justifies the means', maybe I am tired from war, violence and terrorism from everyday news.
Anyway, if your conscience is so hardened that you don't care about this anymore, go for it. You'll have fun.
By the way, South Carolina was great: friendly people, warm and sunny weather, tasty food, nice beaches, and lots of history.
This book is excellent, both in its exciting storytelling and realistic twist. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys very technical writing, or anyone who enjoys a good action story.
The plotting is very tight, and action is nicely placed. At 600 odd words this is still a long book, but short for Clancy. The asassination of the American ambassador is as a couple of reviewers pointed out, not until about 300 pages in, but there is more than enough to keep your attention until then. Clancy's strong point was never characterisation, and some of his books I feel just sag with the weight of words (and extraordinarily long chapters). I remember reading other novels of his and skipping paragrapahs here and there. This one I didn't put down until I had finished it.
Politically, it's his most sophisticated as well. I always feel that sometimes Clancy was too comfortable painting a picture of the US as whiter than white - here, he brings in elements of moral ambiguity as an illegal war is started in Columbia.
There is still enough military hardware and action too keep you going as well - and not too much to overload you. Overall, I feel this is his best work, his most balanced and clever book. If he could produce something half as good as this, it would still be better than the tripe he has served up recently.