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From: jrrt@mtuxo.UUCP (r.mitchell)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by Tom Clancy
Message-ID: <1263@mtuxo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 09:43:34 EST
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Posted: Wed Jan 29 09:43:34 1986
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 		    THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER by Tom Clancy
 		       A book review by Mark R. Leeper
		...One almost feels sorry for the Soviets
		in this book as they are so thoroughly out-gunned and
		out-thought by the Americans that one wonders why they
		bother opposing the John-Wayne-like Americans at all.  
	The Soviets *did* have a few aces in the hole, however -- which I
	refuse to spoil.  Nevertheless I admit a certain disparity between
	technical levels.  Whether or not this is accurate -- I suspect it
	might be, from other things I have heard -- I cannot swear, and I
	really didn't find this a detraction from my enjoyment of the book.
	-- Barb Jernighan
First, a disclaimer.  Everything I write is my own opinion and does
not necessarily represent official Navy policy and opinion.

Second, a declaration.  I spent four years as a Weapons and Operations
officer on a ballistic missile submarine.  I maintain contacts with 
the sub community.

Third, a caution.  I really liked THFRO, enough that after reading
a friend's copy, I purchased the book in hardcover.  I'm biased.

There *is* a clear disparity between the technical levels of the
Russian Fleet and the American one, at least if one can believe the
reports in generally-available documents like JANE'S, AVIATION WEEK
AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY magazine, and so on.  The difference might be
exaggerated a bit in THFRO, for dramatic appeal, but not much.

	THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is a good story and an enjoyable
	book to read. 		Mark R. Leeper
I agree.  After reading it, I went out and splurged on a bunch of
other submarine-related fiction (THE GOLD CREW; RUN SILENT, RUN
DEEP, etc).  Clancy's book is by far and away the best-written of
them all.  His attention to detail isn't obtrusive, just convincing.
That's all scenery, though, the best part of the book is the story.
The broad scope and numerous characters do limit the amount of
characterization somewhat.  Perhaps I was reading things into the
characters, by endowing them with characteristics of Navy people I
know whom they resembled.  Nonetheless, the book gives enough subtle
information that I never felt the characters were cardboard.

The best part of the book, though, was the suspense (what is Clancy
up to...?), and the satisfying wrap-ups of each plotline.  I'd give
THE HUNT FOT RED OCTOBER at least 3 of -4-to-+4.

	P.S.  Mark mentioned a shade of surprise that so much technical
	data was allowed.  The original hardbound was published by the
	Naval Institute Press -- their second fiction in over 100 years.
Oh?  I was under the impression Clancy's was the first.  What *was*
the first fiction the NIP published?

	My personal theory, as all the information contained in the book
	*is* in the public domain -- though recently and not generally
	announced so -- was to defuse (obliquely) the Walker spy case.
	"If the technical information appears in a popular piece of
	fiction, it can't be *all* *that* sensitive."
Perhaps this is better discussed in net.politics.  For now, though,
I'll mouth off here.  The information isn't that recent, and
although sub capabilities aren't generally topics of press
conferences, articles in AW&ST, NEWSWEEK, and THE NEW YORK TIMES
over the years have said just about anything Clancy did.  Also, I
don't agree with your theory.  My personal understanding of Naval Security
philosophy is that classified information is very highly regarded --
people's lives and American security are at risk -- so keeping
classified material classified is a job taken seriously. 
*Technical* classified material is treated even more gingerly than
*political* classified material.

Besides, although I don't know the publishing industry well,
wouldn't the lead-times required for publishing a novel, suggest
Clancy wrote it all before the Walker case broke?

Rob Mitchell  {allegra,ihnp4}!mtuxo!jrrt

Es un entreverado loco, lleno de lucidos intervalos.
(He is a muddled fool, full of lucid intervals.  *Don Quixote*)