“At Quantico he was taught to read maps, evaluate terrain, call in air and artillery strikes, maneuver his squads and fire teams with skill – and here he was, stuck in a … steel pipe three hundred feet under water, shooting it out with pistols in a room with two hundred hydrogen bombs!”
Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Category: Bookish Thoughts (Page 21 of 43)
“What about political education?” Kamarov asked.
Lieutenant Kamarov and Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Ryan laughed. “Lieutenant, somewhere along the line somebody will take you aside to explain how our country works. That will take about two hours. After that you can immediately tell us what we do wrong – everybody else in the world does, why shouldn’t you? But I can’t do that now. Believe this, you will love it, probably more than I do. I have never lived in a country that was not free, and maybe I don’t appreciate my home as much as I should. For the moment, I suppose you have work to do.”
“Commander Ryan,” Ramius said, drawing himself to attention, “my officers and I request political asylum in the United States – and we bring you this small present.” Ramius gestured toward the steel bulkheads [of Red October].
Captain Ramius and Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Ryan had already framed his reply. “Captain, on behalf of the president of the United States, it is my honor to grant your request. Welcome to freedom, gentlemen.”
Senescence – growing old; aging
“Ethan Allen‘s was generation-old technology. Her S5W reactor was too dated for much more use. Nuclear radiation had bombarded the metal vessel and its internal fittings with many billions of neutrons. As recent examination of test strips had revealed, over time the character of the metal had changed, becoming dangerously brittle. The system had at most another three years of useful life. A new reactor was too expensive. The Ethan Allen was doomed by her senescence.”
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Cancy
Feint – a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point to distract from the real target
“A hundred miles behind the four fighters, ninety aircraft were following at thirty thousand feet in what would look very much to the Soviets like an alpha strike, a weighted attack mission of armed tactical fighters. It was exactly that – and also a feint. The real mission belonged to the low-level team of four.”
The hunt for red october, Tom Clancy
Supernumerary – being in excess of the usual, proper, or prescribed number; addition; extra
“Everyone was busy – except him. The pilots were up twice a day or more, exercising with their U.S. Air Force and Navy Counterparts working from shore bases. The ships were practicing surface war tactics. As Admiral White had said at breakfast, it had developed into a jolly good extension of NIFTY DOLPHIN. Ryan didn’t like being supernumerary.
The hunt for red october, Tom Clancy
Deadpan – marked by a fixed air of seriousness or calm detachment
“Dr. Tyler thinks we should hold onto [Red October] if we get her,” Harris said deadpan. “And he thinks he has a way we can do it.”
General Harris, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Obfuscate – to confuse; to make unclear
“[Ambassador] Arbatov probably has his instructions on what to tell us already, but he’ll play for all the time he can. It’s also vaguely possible that he’s in the dark. We know how they compartmentalize information. You suppose we’re reading too much into his talent for obfuscation?”
The President, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Folderol – useless accessory; trifle, nonsense
“Anyway, I hardly thing we need to attach legal folderol to a situation involving nuclear weapons.”
Admiral Daniel Foster, The hunt for red october, Tom Clancey
“We have our differences, gentlemen, but the sea doesn’t care about that. The sea – well, she tries to kill us all regardless what flag we fly.”
Dr. Tait, The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Hi! I'm Cadie. Welcome to my Collection of Bookish Thoughts where I will share with you everything I love about books.