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Authorship history

Who writes Jack Ryan?

The Jack Ryan series was created by Tom Clancy, who wrote 17 of its 45 novels (1984–2015). The most recent entry, The Coldest War (2026), was ghostwritten by M.P. Woodward; earlier books in the rotation were written by Mark Greaney, Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, Marc Cameron, Don Bentley, Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson and Ward Larsen.

See the full Jack Ryan reading order → · Tom Clancy's author page →

The full authorship picture

  1. CreatorTom Clancy17 novels
  2. GhostwriterMark Greaney4 books — from Support and Defend (2014) to True Faith and Allegiance (2016)
  3. GhostwriterGrant Blackwood2 books — from Under Fire (2015) to Duty and Honor (2016)
  4. GhostwriterMike Maden4 books — from Point of Contact (2017) to Firing Point (2020)
  5. GhostwriterMarc Cameron7 books — from Power and Empire (2017) to Command and Control (2023)
  6. GhostwriterDon Bentley4 books — from Target Acquired (2021) to Weapons Grade (2023)
  7. GhostwriterBrian Andrews3 books — from Act of Defiance (2024) to Executive Power (2025)
  8. GhostwriterJeffrey Wilson3 books — from Act of Defiance (2024) to Executive Power (2025)
  9. GhostwriterM.P. Woodward4 books — from Shadow State (2024) to The Coldest War (2026)
  10. GhostwriterWard Larsen1 book — Rules of Engagement (2026)

Several of these writers' credited books overlap in publication order rather than following on cleanly from one another — the table below shows exactly who wrote which book.

Every book, with its credited writer

Publication order. Every credit below is the byline recorded for that specific book — this is the checkable source for the summary above.

  1. The Hunt for Red October (1984)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  2. Patriot Games (1987)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  3. The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  4. Clear and Present Danger (1989)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  5. The Sum of All Fears (1991)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  6. Without Remorse (1993)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  7. Debt of Honor (1994)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  8. Executive Orders (1996)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  9. Rainbow Six (1998)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  10. The Bear and the Dragon (2000)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  11. Red Rabbit (2002)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  12. The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)novel

    by Tom Clancy

  13. Dead or Alive (2010)novel

    by Grant Blackwood & Tom Clancy

  14. Locked On (2011)novel

    by Mark Greaney & Tom Clancy

  15. Threat Vector (2012)novel

    by Mark Greaney & Tom Clancy

  16. Command Authority (2013)novel

    by Mark Greaney & Tom Clancy

  17. Support and Defend (2014)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mark Greaney

  18. Full Force and Effect (2014)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mark Greaney

  19. Under Fire (2015)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Grant Blackwood

  20. Commander in Chief (2015)novel

    by Tom Clancy · Ghostwriter: Mark Greaney

  21. Duty and Honor (2016)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Grant Blackwood

  22. True Faith and Allegiance (2016)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mark Greaney

  23. Point of Contact (2017)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mike Maden

  24. Power and Empire (2017)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  25. Line of Sight (2018)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mike Maden

  26. Oath of Office (2018)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  27. Enemy Contact (2019)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mike Maden

  28. Code of Honor (2019)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  29. Firing Point (2020)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Mike Maden

  30. Shadow of the Dragon (2020)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  31. Target Acquired (2021)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Don Bentley

  32. Chain of Command (2021)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  33. Zero Hour (2022)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Don Bentley

  34. Red Winter (2022)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  35. Flash Point (2023)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Don Bentley

  36. Weapons Grade (2023)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Don Bentley

  37. Command and Control (2023)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Marc Cameron

  38. Act of Defiance (2024)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Brian Andrews · Ghostwriter: Jeffrey Wilson

  39. Shadow State (2024)novel

    · Ghostwriter: M.P. Woodward

  40. Defense Protocol (2024)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Brian Andrews · Ghostwriter: Jeffrey Wilson

  41. Line of Demarcation (2025)novel

    · Ghostwriter: M.P. Woodward

  42. Terminal Velocity (2025)novel

    · Ghostwriter: M.P. Woodward

  43. Executive Power (2025)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Brian Andrews · Ghostwriter: Jeffrey Wilson

  44. Rules of Engagement (2026)novel

    · Ghostwriter: Ward Larsen

  45. The Coldest War (2026)novel

    · Ghostwriter: M.P. Woodward

Frequently asked questions

Who writes the Jack Ryan series now?

The Jack Ryan series was created by Tom Clancy, who wrote 17 of its 45 novels (1984–2015). The most recent entry, The Coldest War (2026), was ghostwritten by M.P. Woodward; earlier books in the rotation were written by Mark Greaney, Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, Marc Cameron, Don Bentley, Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson and Ward Larsen.

Who created the Jack Ryan series?

The Jack Ryan series was created by Tom Clancy, who wrote 17 of its 45 novels (1984–2015).