The title Rainbow Six is actually the code name for ex CIA agent John Clark, director of a newly formed counter-terrorism unit, Rainbow. This tight knit group of former special forces and counter-terrorist units from around the world have one primary objective, stop the bad guys at any cost. John Brittling is that bad guy. He and his organization, the Horizon Corporation, have developed an Ebola like virus code-named Shiva virus with one purpose, the complete annihilation of the human race in order to restore the world to its former state and bring it back under the influence of nature and animals. Rainbow will have to connect the dots in order to save the human species before the clock runs out.

Considering the fact that the Shiva virus is so like the Ebola virus that has recently plagued our society I felt like I was reading a horror story instead of an action novel. Despite never actually serving in the military, Tom Clancy brings to life the realness of combat and reading scenes where Rainbow is performing in action were heart-pounding moments. Being interested in any subject concerning the armed forces, this book was especially well received on my part. I feel that because the book is quite long (over 700 pages) I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is not as intrigued by this subject as I am.

I have read all of Tom Clancy's fiction so far and have been rarely dissappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this entry as well, although it seems to be written at a level one notch below his usual standards. There is lots of action and lots of insights into the world of anti-terrorism but I felt one element was missing. I never found myself fearful of danger. All of the Rainbow organization are supermen with little chance of being bested. You knew they were going to win out every time; the interest was in how they would accomplish each mission. The only time I was concerned for the safety of the characters was when a different group of guys was brought into the main action. I expected some to die there, and they did. It was like watching one of the original Star Trek TV shows where the one guy you've never seen before that beams down to to the planet was the guy you knew was going to get eaten by the slime monster. I expect a lot from Clancy so I am being very critical here. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read, despite the number of pages, and the whole thing flowed together nicely. Read it for the action, read it for the familiar characters, read it for the "Good guys win" feeling, but just read it.

This was the best book I have ever read. This author writes with so much detail, it is at first, hard to understand but soon I did. The way Tom Clancy wrote the operations during this book made me want to read it more and more. The best part about this book was how each story in the book all connected at the end.

I have been playing the Rainbow Six xbox games regularly since they launched over two decades ago. I realised that, despite this, I had never read the book that inspired them, so I thought it was about time. Things have changed significantly since this book came out, the descriptions of technology being the most obvious. The ability to crack (or not) encryption rates for one, and the inability of the FBI/CIA to trace a simple email. One of the main characters (and an elite super fit soldier) regularly smokes his pipe, which just sounds so weird reading it at this point in time.
I think what hasn’t changed was the most depressing, the references to us as humans destroying the planet, not learning to be greener, not caring about the cutting down of the rainforest. Sadly, all that is depressingly similar to now, where climate change is having such an impact. In the book there is also a worry about Russian interference with other countries' politics and the propaganda and Russian spies. Plot wise, this is an action-packed anti-terrorist force doing its thing, across several different settings. Think guns, flash bangs, helicopters, all exciting action to read through. It does accumulate to a fairly far-fetched but exciting James Bond ending which I found a very enjoyable read. Yes, it is a long book, but I found myself looking forward to catching up with what the team were up to next.