50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of Debt of Honor by Tom ClancyDebt of Honor
Modern · Fiction, Thriller, Adventure

Debt of Honor

by Tom Clancy
1994 · 1012 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 25 hours to read · about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Called out of retirement to serve as National Security Advisor, Jack Ryan, with CIA officers John Clark and Domingo Chavez, must help an untested president meet the challenges of a new world order as a dangerous international crisis builds.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 6 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was one of the ten best-selling books of 1994.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's long, and its ending leads directly into Executive Orders.

By the numbers

64.2Must-Read Score
  • Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller53 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (6 weeks at #1)One of the ten best-selling books of 1994 (Publishers Weekly)

Reads as

Gripping, Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Tom Clancy

Cover of Without Remorse by Tom ClancyWithout Remorse
Without RemorseTom Clancy
Cover of Red Storm Rising by Tom ClancyRed Storm Rising
Red Storm RisingTom Clancy
Cover of Patriot Games by Tom ClancyPatriot Games
Patriot GamesTom Clancy
Cover of Clear and Present Danger by Tom ClancyClear and Present Danger
Clear and Present DangerTom Clancy

If you like this, read next

Cover of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden KeefeSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandPatrick Radden Keefe
Cover of Verity by Colleen HooverVerity
VerityColleen Hoover
Cover of Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnGone Girl
Gone GirlGillian Flynn
Cover of The Martian by Andy WeirThe Martian
The MartianAndy Weir
Cover of 2666 by Roberto Bolaño2666
2666Roberto Bolaño
Cover of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirGideon the Ninth
Gideon the NinthTamsyn Muir

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is Debt of Honor worth reading?

Yes. It spent 6 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was one of the ten best-selling books of 1994. It ranks #1,969 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.2 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Debt of Honor about?

Called out of retirement to serve as National Security Advisor, Jack Ryan, with CIA officers John Clark and Domingo Chavez, must help an untested president meet the challenges of a new world order as a dangerous international crisis builds.

How long does it take to read Debt of Honor?

About 25 hours (1012 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Debt of Honor?

If you liked it, try Executive Orders by Tom Clancy, The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy or Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy.