Jack Ryan Books in Order

Tom Clancy's flagship techno-thriller saga follows CIA analyst John Patrick "Jack" Ryan from a Cold War submarine standoff through his rise to the U.S. presidency, alongside operatives like John Clark and, later, his son's covert team, The Campus. After Clancy's death the series continued under co-authors including Mark Greaney.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of The Hunt for Red October

    The Hunt for Red October

    1984 · Tom Clancy

    At the height of the Cold War, a brilliant Soviet submarine captain commanding a new stealth-equipped ballistic-missile vessel quietly steers it…

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  2. Cover of Patriot games

    Patriot games

    1987 · Tom Clancy

    While on holiday in London, Jack Ryan instinctively intervenes to stop a terrorist ambush, killing one attacker and capturing another from a splinter…

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  3. Cover of Der Kardinal im Kreml

    Der Kardinal im Kreml

    1988 · Tom Clancy

    Jack Ryan works to protect a prized CIA asset buried deep inside the Kremlin whose intelligence is suddenly at risk of exposure. As superpower…

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  4. Cover of Clear and Present Danger

    Clear and Present Danger

    1989 · Tom Clancy

    When a powerful figure is murdered by a Colombian drug cartel, the U.S. government launches a covert and legally questionable military campaign…

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  5. Cover of The Sum of All Fears

    The Sum of All Fears

    1991 · Tom Clancy

    As Jack Ryan helps broker a fragile peace in the Middle East, a group of terrorists recovers a lost nuclear weapon and plots to detonate it on…

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  6. Cover of Debt of Honour

    Debt of Honour

    1994 · Tom Clancy

    Economic sabotage and a manipulated financial collapse mask a resurgent Japanese effort to challenge American power in the Pacific. As tensions…

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  7. Cover of Executive Orders (Tom Clancy)

    Executive Orders (Tom Clancy)

    1996 · Tom Clancy

    Thrust unexpectedly into the presidency after a devastating attack wipes out much of the U.S. government, Jack Ryan must rebuild the nation's…

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  8. Cover of Rainbow six

    Rainbow six

    1998 · Tom Clancy

    John Clark and Domingo Chavez lead a newly formed multinational counterterrorism unit based in England, deploying against hostage crises and attacks…

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  9. Cover of The Bear and the Dragon (Jack Ryan Novels)

    The Bear and the Dragon (Jack Ryan Novels)

    2000 · Tom Clancy

    President Jack Ryan faces mounting friction with a China whose leaders eye Russia's resource-rich territory as economic pressures build at home. As…

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  10. Cover of Locked On

    Locked On

    2011 · Tom Clancy

    Jack Ryan Jr. continues his clandestine work with the off-the-books intelligence outfit The Campus, hunting a dangerous extremist with ties to his…

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  11. Cover of Command authority

    Command authority

    2013 · Tom Clancy

    As Russia maneuvers aggressively in Eastern Europe under a former intelligence officer turned president, President Jack Ryan confronts a crisis…

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  12. Cover of Tom Clancy commander-in-chief

    Tom Clancy commander-in-chief

    2015 · Mark Greaney

    With Russia destabilizing its neighbors and expanding its reach, President Jack Ryan faces a coordinated campaign of aggression abroad while The…

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Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Jack Ryan books in?

Publication order — Widely recommended by readers and Jack Ryan reading-order guides (e.g. tlbranson.com) Start with “The Hunt for Red October.”

How many books are in the Jack Ryan series?

We list 12 books by Tom Clancy , published between 1984–2015.

Where can I buy the Jack Ryan books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.