The Sum of All Fears
by Tom Clancy
★ Top 25 book of 1991 · #11 on Best Books of 1991
As Jack Ryan works toward a plan that might end long-running Middle East conflict, terrorists stage one final act that pushes the world toward nuclear catastrophe. With the American president struggling, Ryan races to find a way out.
Best for: Fans of tense political thrillers with global stakes and nuclear danger
The Sum of All Fears is #11 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Sum of All Fears is about
Jack Ryan has risen to Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, and the world he works in is full of old secrets that refuse to stay buried. Years earlier, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, an Israeli nuclear bomb was lost when the plane carrying it went down over Syria. Now a Middle East peace effort is gathering pace, helped along by Ryan's idea of turning Jerusalem into an independent city-state, much like the Vatican.
Not everyone in Washington is on his side. National Security Advisor Elizabeth Elliot holds a grudge against him and manipulates the president, while Ryan relies on trusted operatives John Clark and Domingo Chavez. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants led by Ismael Qati discover the lost weapon and, with help from a German physicist, plan to put it to use at the Super Bowl in Denver. This sequel to Clear and Present Danger weighs political infighting and weak leadership against a very real threat.
The Sum of All Fears on the Best Books of 1991
The Sum of All Fears came out in 1991. Of the 23 books first published in 1991 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #11 on our Best Books of 1991 list.
Why it made the list: 213 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (23 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1991 list
- Xenocide Orson Scott Card, #9
- Farmer Duck Martin Waddell, #10
- On Directing Film David Mamet, #12
- Scarlett Alexandra Ripley, #13
See all Best Books of 1991 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1990 Best Books of 1992.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 158 want to read it, 14 are reading it now and 41 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.5 out of 5 from 23 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 57 | 55% |
| Reader love | 9 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 70 | 20% |
Questions about The Sum of All Fears
When was The Sum of All Fears published?
The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy was first published in 1991.
Was The Sum of All Fears one of the best books of 1991?
The Sum of All Fears is #11 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar. 213 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (23 ratings).
Why is The Sum of All Fears on the Best Books of 1991 list?
213 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.5 out of 5 (23 ratings).
More of the best books of 1991
- Outlander Diana Gabaldon, #1
- Needful Things Stephen King, #2
- American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis, #3
- Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, #4
- The Firm John Grisham, #5
- Reaper Man Terry Pratchett, #6
See the full Best Books of 1991, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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