Without Remorse
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Without Remorse is a novel by Tom Clancy set in 1970, in the middle of the Vietnam War. It makes passing references to Jack Ryan and his family, but is focused on John Clark. The book serves to give a history of Clark's life, and develop his persona of being intelligent, resourceful, and just.
Plot summary
John Kelly, a former Navy SEAL, is devastated when his pregnant wife is killed in a car accident. He limits himself to seclusion. Six months later, Kelly meets a girl named Pamela who is involved in the sex trade and drug trafficking, and becomes romantically involved with her. Soon after, they are attacked while Kelly attempts to reconnoiter the drug operation that Pamela was involved in. Kelly is critically wounded, and his girlfriend is captured, raped, tortured, and killed.From this point on, Kelly takes charge, both in a private war against the drug business which killed the girl he loved, and in a military operation to free dozens of secretly held POWs, where he is operating as John Clark, believed to be CIA. Kelly eventually takes this role over in order to eliminate a leak in the CIA who causes the POW mission to be botched. Despite the aborted resuce mission, Kelly does manage to kill the camp commander and capture the KGB Officer in charge of interrogation while making his escape from the area surrounding the camp.
This book also begins Clark's involvement with Sandra O'Toole, who nurses Clark back to health (as Kelly) after the failed scouting attempt on Pamela's drug operation. She also assists in healing another girl, Doris, that Kelly frees directly along with Professor Samuel Rosen, though the girl is later murdered.
The end of the book documents how Kelly, using a boating accident, effectively kills off his John Kelly persona, who was wanted for the murder of several dozen drugrunners, including those responsible for Pamela and Doris's deaths. Now John Clark, the end of the book also shows that he has in fact married Sandra O'Toole by this time, paving the way for her role in future books such as "Rainbow Six".
It is a prequel to the Jack Ryan books, featuring Jack's father in a supporting role. Jack Ryan himself is mentioned several times as a young adult about to join the United States Marine Corps.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Paramount Pictures pictures bought the film rights to Without Remorse soon after the novel was released. There were several attempts to start work on the film, but it was always dropped soon after, along with attempts to adapt Clancy's hit novel Rainbow Six into a film as well. But the film version has recently been put on the fast track. With the final script near completion, director John Singleton has signed on to direct the film, and Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix has been cast as John Kelly.The film was intended for a late 2007/ early 2008 release however, Paramount has recently put Without Remorse into turnaround, and Singleton, who signed a 5 picture release deal with Paramount when he signed on to Without Remorse, will most likely leave the picture now, along with Phoenix.
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Fiction: 1980s: The Hunt for Red October | Red Storm Rising | Patriot Games | The Cardinal of the Kremlin | Clear and Present Danger 1990s: The Sum of All Fears | Without Remorse | Debt of Honor | Executive Orders | SSN | Rainbow Six 2000s: The Bear and the Dragon | Red Rabbit | The Teeth of the Tiger Non-fiction: 1990s: Submarine | Armored Cav | Fighter Wing | Marine | Into the Storm | Airborne | Carrier | Every Man a Tiger 2000s: Special Forces | Shadow Warriors | Battle Ready |
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