Tom Clancy, the American espionage writer, is bringing all his fictional characters together into one thriller novel about modern terrorism, according to his publishers.

Published: The Telegraph,  07 Apr 2010

The novelist's first book in seven years, called "Dead or Alive," will be published in the United States and Britain on December 7 according to the Penguin Group. Penguin imprint G.P. Putnam's Sons will have a first print run of 1.75 million in the United States.

"This is Tom Clancy for the first time bringing all his all-stars together, including Jack Ryan," said Ivan Held, President of G.P. Putnam's Sons, adding the novel takes in the last quarter century of Clancy's literary characters. "They will be going after modern terrorism."

The 62-year-old bestselling author is best known for his books "Patriot Games" and "The Hunt for the Red October" that featured former U.S. marine turned CIA analyst Jack Ryan and were later turned into films starring Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin.

"Dead or Alive," which is written with former U.S. Navy veteran Grant Blackwood, will chronicle efforts by Ryan, his son as well as colleagues at a secret U.S. counter-terrorism organization to capture "The Emir", a mastermind of terrorist attacks on the West, said Penguin.

Other characters to appear in the novel include Irish-American catholic John Clark, who was portrayed by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber in the film adaptations of Clancy's novels "Clear and Present Danger"The Sum of All Fears and "."

And from the New York Times: April 7, 2010

New Clancy Thriller Contains the Sum of All Characters
By Dave Itzkoff




Super groups: They worked for Blind Faith, the Avengers, Them Crooked Vultures and the 1992 men’s United States Olympic basketball team, so why not Tom Clancy?
On Wednesday, Penguin Group said it would publish a new thriller by Mr. Clancy that would bring together many of his best-known characters from his last-quarter century of literary output. The new novel, called “Dead Or Alive” and written with his frequent collaborator Grant Blackwood, will feature the characters Jack Ryan, the C.I.A. analyst-turned-American president; his son and fellow analyst, Jack Ryan Jr.; the C.I.A. operative John Clark; his apprentice, Ding Chavez; and the agency executive Mary Pat Foley. In a statement, Penguin said the novel will pit them against “The Emir, a sadistic killer who has masterminded the most vicious terrorist attacks on the West” and who “has eluded capture by the world’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies.” “Dead Or Alive” will be released by the G. P. Putnam’s Sons imprint of Penguin on Dec. 7.