| Researcher | Author: Title | |
| John Sherman | Clancy, Tom: Patriot Games | |
| Assignment 1: Bibliographic Description | ||
| 1. First Edition Publication Information | G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishers Since 1838 200 Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10016 Copywright 1987 Jack Ryan Enterprises Ltd. | |
| 2. First Edition in Cloth, Paper, or Both? | The first edition copy in hard back only (cloth) | |
| 4. Pagination | 273 leaves, 9 unnumbered first page of first chapter is 11 last page is 540 Chapt. 1: pp.11-25 Chapt. 2: pp.26-55 Chapt. 3: pp.56-75 Chapt. 4: pp.76-93 Chapt. 5: pp. 94-111 Chapt. 6: pp. 112-139 Chapt. 7: pp.140-157 Chapt. 8: pp.158-177 Chapt. 9: pp.178-199 Chapt. 10: pp.201-213 Chapt. 11: pp.214-224 Chapt. 12: pp.235-254 Chapt. 13: pp.256-268 Chapt. 14: pp.269-298 Chapt. 15: pp.299-314 Chapt. 16: pp.314-329 Chapt. 17: pp.330-345 Chapt. 18: pp.346-361 Chapt. 19: pp.362-380 Chapt. 20: pp.381-395 Chapt. 21: pp.396-415 Chapt. 22: pp.416-431 Chapt. 23: pp.432-451 Chapt. 24: pp.452-478 Chapt. 25: pp.479-503 Chapt. 26: pp.504-540 | |
| 5. Edited and/or Introduced? | Not edited or introduced;however, a poem by Edmund Burke and a quote by William H. Webster, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, October 15, 1985 serve as a type of introduction on the page before the first chapter | |
| 6. Illustrated? | no illustrations | |
| 8. General Appearance | The book is well printed. The ink is not smudged, and it is very easy to read. Each chapter title is in bold, black lettering, and each letter is a little over an inch long. The margins of each page are also an inch long on each side of the page. Printed on the cloth spine of the book is the title in large,white letters, the author's name in smaller print left of title, and the publisher's name at the bottom. The cloth is two shades of gray and the author's signature is written in gold on the cover. The plastic covering of the book is dark blue. The author's name is written in big white letters on the top of the cover with a phrase written in red below it. A picture of a rifle is below the author's name and below that is the title (written in bold, white letters. On the spine of this outer covering is the author's name and the title written in white and the publisher's name in red. | |
| 10. Description of Paper | The paper is thick and durable with a sandpaper like texture | |
| 11. Description of Binding | The adhesive binding is still holding the book together well. No pages are missing from the book. | |
| 12. Title Page Transcription | PATRIOT GAMES/ Tom Clancy/G.P. Putnam's Sons/New York | |
| 14. Manuscript Holdings | Author holds his manuscript. | |
| Assignment 2: Publication History | ||
| 1. Other Editions: | The original publisher,G.P. Putnam's Sons, only issued the book in hardcover. Source: www.yahoo.com--keyword: Tom Clancy--Tom Clancy Info Center (clancyfaq@cosbyassoc.com) | |
| 4. First Edition printings or impressions? | uknown | |
| 5. Editions from other publishers? | Reader's Digest Association (Canada), Ltd., 1988 Wydawnictwo. Adamski i Bielinski, 1997, 1995 in Poland Plaza & Janes, 1992, 1989 in Barcelona, Spain Ai Kuo Che Yu Hsi, (year not listed) in China Albin Michel, 1988 in Paris Novosti; Liberty, 1989 in New York (Russian edition) Berkley Publishing Group, 1987, 1988 in New York Diamond, 1987, 1988 (location not listed) Mo'adon Kor'e Ma'ar'v, 1989 in Tel Aviv Emece Editores, 1989 in Buenos Aires Rizzoli, 1989 in Holmes, Pa. Fontana, 1988 (Location not listed) Chivers, 1988 (Location not listed) G.K. Hall, 1988, 1987 in Boston, Mass. Collins, 1987 in London Movies: DUS Home Video 1992 Paramount 1992 Paramount home video 1992 Cassettes: Books on Tape 1987 Source: WebCat--keywords;Tom Clancy, Patriot Games | |
| 6. Last date in print? | G.P. Putnam's Sons still prints the hardcover edition of Patriot games, as does Demco Media; however, Berkley Publishing Group no longer prints their paperback editions. source:ENTC 312: Library Resources, go to Advanced Book Exchange, then to Books/Publishing, then to Books in Print, and then to Title Search for Patriot Games. | |
| 7. Total copies sold? | uknown | |
| 8. Sales by year? | unknown | |
| 9. Advertising copy: | Putnam add for Tom Clancy's Patriot Games. The add included a picture of the cover art and a short summary of the story. source: Publisher's Weekly Vol 231, Jan 19, 1987 pg. 19 | |
| 11. Other promotion? | Clancy made an appearance on David Letterman to talk about the movie version of Patriot Games. source: father | |
| 12. Performances in other media? | Movie, 1992, Patriot Games by Paramount Pictures Home video, 1992, by Paramount videodiscs Casette, 1987, by Books on Tape Soundtrack, 1987, Music By James Horner, manufactured by RCA and distributed by BMG Records. Source: WebCat--keywords: Tom Clancy's Patriot Games | |
| 13. Translations? | (German)Collins: London, 1987 (Dutch)Ongelijke Strijd: Utrecht, 1988 (Polish)Wydawnictwo. Adamski i Bielinski: Poland, 1987 (Spanish)Plaza&Janes: Barcelona, 1989 (Chinese)Ai Kuo Che Yu Hsi: China, 1992 (French)Albin Michel, 1988 (Russian)Novosti; Liberty: New York, 1989 (Arabic)Mo'adon Kor'e Ma'ar'v: Tel Aviv, 1989 (Portuguese)Emece Editores: Buenos Aires, 1989 (Italian)Rizzoli: Milano, 1988 source: WebCat--keyword: Tom Clancy, Patriot Games | |
| 14. Serialization? | N/A | |
| 15. Sequels or Prequels? | Prequels: Without Remorse Sequels: The Hunt for Red October The Cardinal of the Kremlin Clear and Present Danger The Sum of all Fears Debt of Honor Executive Orders Source: Ander's Tom Clancy Web Page | |
| Assignment 3: Brief Biography | ||
| Thomas L. Clancy, Jr. has been one of the most prolific writers of our century. He had been hard at work ever since the publication of his first novel, The Hunt for Red October, in 1984. Since that time he has published eighteen works of fiction, seven of which have been best sellers. These works begin with the Jack Ryan series that started with The Hunt for Red October and continued with Red Storm Rising, Patriot Games, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of all Fears, Without Remorse, Debt of Honor, Executive Orders, and Rainbow Six. His list of works of fiction also includes the Op Center series: Mirror Image, Games of State, Acts of War, and Balance of Power, as well as, Net Force: One is The Loneliest Number, Net Force: The Deadliest Game, Politica, and Ruthless.com. Clancy has also written many works of nonfiction such as Submarine, Armored Cav., Fighter Wing, Marine, Airborne, Into the Storm, and Carrier. Three of Clancy's works of fiction, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger have been made into movies, and his Op Center novels have been condensed into a television mini series. All of his works, both fiction and non- fiction have been widely read, and this great success and fame has drastically changed his personal life. Thomas L. Clancy was born on April 12, 1947 at Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore, Md. Clancy grew up in the area surrounding Baltimore. He attended eight years of Jesuit schools starting at Loyola High School in Townson, Maryland. He graduated in 1965 and went on to Loyola College in Baltimore from which he graduated with a B.A. in English Literature in 1969. After graduation Clancy became an insurance broker, and he eventually purchased and operated his own independent insurance business. However, his love of the military, especially the navy, prevented him from being satisfied with the insurance business, and so he turned to writing. Tom Clancy's first novel, The Hunt for Red October, was published when he was thirty-seven years old. It was praised by President Reagan, and it quickly became a best seller which lead to the writings of his subsequent novels. This success allowed him to leave the insurance business and concentrate on his carreer as a writer and created more time to focus his attention on other subjects of interest, such as spending more time with his family, collecting art, politics, nature, and sports. Clancy recently became a partial owner of the Baltimore Orioles and sole owner of the Minnesota Vikings. He also has recently bought his own railroad car and tank. He spends much of his free time with his wife Wanda and their four children (names of kids not released), and the entire family makes many outings to sporting events in support of their two teams. They also all enjoy spending a lot of time in nature on hikes, climbs, and other trips. Clancy has become active in politics by having meetings with both Reagan and Bush during their respective administrations, and he gives lectures to members of the C.I.A. He has become a trusted friend to many people within the intelligence community and is considered an associate member of the C.I.A. Clancy enjoys being involved in politic,however, he claims to have no desire to run for political office himself. Another of Clancy's hobbies involves computers. In November of 1996 he cofounded the computer game company Redstorm Entertainment, and he is presently chairman. This company has recently manufactured such games as Politika and Rainbow Six. The success of Clancy's novels has enabled him to become involved in many aspects of life that may not have been accessible to him had he remained in the insurance business. Clancy promises his reader to try and consistently create interesting and challenging novels, and many believe that more bestsellers are in his future. Clancy currently lives in Prince Frederick, Maryland with his wife Wanda. | ||
| Assignment 4 | ||
| Contemporary Reception: | ||
| The publication of Tom Clancy's novel Patriot Games was very anticipated by the public and critics alike. Unlike its predecessor, The Hunt For Red October, it did not receive public reviews from President Reagan who called the book "the perfect yarn"; however it did receive praise from many critics and instantly became a public favorite. One reviewer, Karl Penny, stated in the School Library Journal that "it was a more old-fashioned first class thriller than his first two novels". This same critic goes on to say that there was less of a focus on the military tactics and hardware, but Clancy instead focuses on "plot and characterization". Later in 1987 another critic, writing for Publisher's Weekly, disagrees with Penny's opinion of a strong character development. This critic argues that the characters are "thin" and there exists a cheap "sentimentality about family life". However, he does agree that Clancy continues to marvel the reader with a "marvelously tense yarn" that is full of "sarcastic humour" and interesting details involving military technology, "systems and procedures" and a soldier's life (Publisher's Weekly June 5, 1987). Most critics praised Clancy's novel as being a stroke of military fiction genius; however, some were not so impressed. For example, John North writes in the Library Journal that the novel lacked "the sustained tension of the previous novels". North does believe that it is filled with great action scenes, but he argues that the "suspense is broken by redundant back ground matter and loose ends within the plot". All three critics agree that it is above the average thriller and that the novel will be very popular with the public. | ||
| Subsequent Reception: | ||
| There was little information available concerning the subsequent reviews of Clancy's novel. However, the novel was made into a movie by the same title in 1992, five years after the book's original publication. The movie was a box office hit but not a critic's favorite. For example, in an article written for the New York Times Robert Roger Ebert wrote that " the movie settles into more traditional patterns". Ebert was impressed by Clancy's knowledge of high-tech equipment, but he did not feel that the movie lived up to Clancy's novel. Ebert again complements Clancy's knowledge on military strategy by mentioning how impressed he was with the involvement of the IRA within the plot; however, overall the movie was not one of his favorites. There was little other available information concerning Patriot Games' subsequent reviews. I referenced the Annual Bibliography of English Literature, the Contemporary Literature Criticism, and Lexis-Nexis to no avail. All of these sources either concentrated on reviews from 1987 or did not mention Clancy's novel at all. In fact, the C.L.C. did not mention any of his novels after commenting on Clancy's emergence onto the literary scene with his novel the Hunt for Red October. | ||
| Assignment 5 | ||
| Critical Essay: | ||
| Tom Clancy's third novel Patriot Games was published in 1987, and it quickly rose to the top of Publsiher's Weekly Bestsellers List. This novel is the second book published in the Jack Ryan series,the first being The Hunt for Red October. It is an easily readable book that keeps the rader captivated by having an intricate plot and by being full of interesting military terms and strategies. The fact that Clancy is well informed on military life and strategy makes for a realistic, story and his choice of topics also works to his advantage.The novel begins with Jack Ryan on a working vacation in London wiht his wife Cathy and their four year old daughter. While on vacation Ryan heoically saves the Prince and Princess of Wales and their young son from attack by IRA terrorists. In doing so he becomes a hero to the British people and an enemy of the attackers, the Ulster Liberation Army (ULA), an "ultra-left-wing splinter of the Irish Reublican Army (IRA)" (Patriot Games, inside cover). The rest of the novel focuses on the Ulster Liberation Army's violent attempts to unify Ireland and their efforts to destroy Ryan and his family.Patriot Games was a very popular novel with the American people, and this is seen by its staying power on Publisher Weekly's Bestsellers List. The novel stayed on the top fifteen list for approximately thirty weeks (Publisher's Weekly Vol.232 1-13 and Vol. 233 1-12). It entered the top fifteen on September 25,1987 at number two and remained there until May 6,1988 when it left the list as number thirteen (Publisher's Weekly Vol. 233). While on the bestsellers list the novel received much attention from critics.The majority of critics agreed that Clancy's novel was a stroke of military fiction genious; however, it was never considered serious literature. Critics were impressed with Clancy's knowledge of military tactics and hardware (Karl Penny- School Library Journal). Although for some critics, Clancy's knowledge of military life was not interesting enough to cover up the "thin characters" and "cheap sentimentality of family life" (Publisher's Weekly). Other critics went on to criticize Clancy for a suspenseless plot that was "broken by redundant back ground matter and loose ends" (John North-Library Journal). Although Patriot Games received some harsh criticisms, most critics agreed that it was above the average thriller and would be very popular with the public.There are many reasons for the novel's popularity with the American Public. One reason was the public's fascination with terrorism at the time of the novel's publication. Much of the novel deals with the actions of the Irish Republican Army. The IRA is a nationalist organization dedicated to the reunification of Ireland. The Catholic Irish want their Protestant Northern neighbors to overthrow British rule and reuinite with them. In 1969 the IRA split into two different groups, a peace-loving majority and a terrorist provisional wing (yahoo.com-ecyclopedias -IRA). In Patriot Games Clancy follows the actions of the ULA which is the terrorist provisional wing that is trying to acquire reunification through violence. At the time this novel was published a war was being fought between England and Ireland, and so the struggle was constantly in the papers. This media coverage made the conflict between England and Ireland a popular topic, and so Clancy was simply writing about a topic that had already been brought to the public's attention. He also did this with his novel The Hunt for Red October in which he wrote about a Soviet Sub Commander who defects to the United States. At the time tension was high between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S., and the public was very interested in the topic. Therefore, one could argue that Clancy owes much of his success to the timing of his novels. He is very skilled at picking current events in which the public is interested as topics for his novels.Another possible reason for the popularity of Clancy's novels is that he is very knowledgeable about his subjects. He writes military novels, and he knows his material. For example, he held meetings with C.I.A. officials, military engineers, and officers to learn as much as possible about the workings of government agencies, military strategy, and technology (Ander's Tom Clancy Web Page-Yahoo.com). He knows which guns are used for what type of combat; he knows the machinery involved in building military machines, such as a Soviet Sub; and he knows how agencies such as the C.I.A. will act to terrorists' threats. It is because of this knowledge that Clancy can draw the reader into the world of terrorism and military action.Yet another reason for the success of Patriot Games is the success that his first novel, The Hunt For Red October, enjoyed. This novel was well received by the public, and this is the novel in which Jack Ryan is introduced. Ryan quickly became one of the favorites among techno-thriller heroes, and the public could not get enough of him (especially with the release of the movie The Hunt for Red October). The public wanted to see more of Jack Ryan, therefore, it made sense for Clancy to write another Ryan book. Presently, there are eight books in the Jack Ryan series.Patriot Games was succesful enough to inspire its reproduction into other mediums. For example, in 1987 it was made into a book on tape. Then in 1992 it was made into a movie by Paramount Pictures which caused sales of the novel to increase again five years after its original publication (WebCat--keywords:Tom Clancy's Patriot Games). The movie was a Blockbuster hit grossing multimillions even though it was not a critic's favorite. For example, film critic Roger Ebert argued that "the movie settles into more traditional patterns". As were the novel's critics, Ebert was impressed with Clancy's knowledge of military strategy and his knowledge of high-tech machinery, but he believed that the plot was predictable (New York Times Web Page--Movie Reviews 1992, Roger Ebert).Clancy has enjoyed working with Hollywood and has stated that more movies are to come. Along with making his novels into movies, he also makes video games. In November of 1996 Clancy founded the comuter game company Redstorm Entertainment. He presently runs the company as chairman and oversees the production of the company's games. So far the company has produced such games as Politika and Rainbow Six. Clancy has said that he would like to have an accompanying game for every novel he publishes from now on.Clancy is a private person. He refuses to release much information about his private life, such as the names of his children; however, he is involved in many activities that place him in the public eye. For example, he is owner of the Minnesota Vikings and partial owner of the Baltimore Orioles. He is currently hard at work on a new novel. | ||
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