About the book

It didn't start with Red October. Cold War London, The CIA, M16. Jack Ryan: The Early Days. When young Jack Ryan joins the CIA as an analyst he is thrust into a world of political intrigue and conspiracy. Stationed in England, he quickly finds himself debriefing a Soviet defector with an extraordinary story to tell: senior Russian officials are plotting to assassinate Pope John Paul II. The CIA novice must forget his inexperience and rely on all his wits to firstly discover the details of the plot - and then prevent its execution. For it is not just the Pope's life that is at stake, but also the stability of the Western World. Praise for Tom Clancy: 'A virtuoso display of page-turning talent.' Sunday Express 'Exhilarating. No other novelist is giving so full a picture of modern conflict.' Sunday Times 'A brilliantly constructed thriller that packs a punch like Semtex explosive.' Daily Mail