Clear and Present Danger (Published in 1989) - Fight the drug menace, authored by Tom Clancy

Most citizens of the US would not have heard of Colombia, or if they have heard of Colombia, they would have associated it wither some great coffee, or also for being the source of a large proportion of the drugs that enter the US. These drugs enter the US through many different transport sources, and it has been the long standing wish of the US enforcement agencies to detect and block such routes in order to stop the inflow of drugs into the country. And with this drug money, the powerful drug barons in Colombia grow richer and more powerful, in many ways, being able to defy the government of Colombia as well. From time to time, there would have been the thought of many of the Presidents of the US and other high-ranking officials to take the powerful US military and intelligence agencies, and use it to hunt down these drub barons and somehow stop this inflow of drugs into the USA.
Tom Clancy has written a number of novels that go into great detail into the politics, administration, intelligence agencies and military of the US and spun novels around them. These books get into great detail and are fascinating to read as well. When you get into such detail, you also realize that the powers of the US military are not that over-whelming (they are in terms of their reach and lethal powers, but following all the rules and legal regulations ensures the constraints on possible actions of the military); Tom Clancy spins a web about the use of US military force to break the powers of the drug barons, and how this is not so easy as it sounds.




The book was published in 1989, and was a bestseller on release, and was soon made into a major movie starring Harrison Ford. The book takes a single starting point, where a friend of the President had been executed by the drug barons for stealing from them, and the President, deeming the import of drugs into the country as a 'Clear and Present Danger' to the country, decides to take action against the drug barons and their vast drug producing areas. However, in a clear indicator about the President not having unquestioned powers, this action by the President is cloaked under secrecy, with Congress not aware of this, and there being no statement by the military that they would start acting against the drug lords in a covert manner (and since this is part of the geographic territory of the country of Colombia, with which the US has had friendly relations, there cannot be an overt action of invading the country to fight against the drug barons).
A plan is setup where US troops are sent into the country, sent in through the direction of the US National Security Advisor (James Cutter) and the Deputy Director of Operations in the CIA (Robert Ritter). Jack Ryan, now a senior official in the CIA and one who also talks to Congress, is out of the loop. The plan first starts out smashingly, with flights being intercepted and troops inside Colombia. But, things start to go haywire soon. Then of course there is the attack on a visiting group of officials, including the head of the FBI and Ryan, when they are visiting Colombia.
And then the ex-Cuban guy advising one of the cartel members starts investigating further, and discovers that the US military has been blowing off bombs in the area and they have boots on the ground. And in the worse possible course of action, the Cuban, Cortez decides that he could use this attack to take over the cartel, and also blackmails Cutter to abandon the US soldiers. Ryan learns of all this and flies into Colombia to save the soldiers, acting without official authority; entering a foreign country to get your own soldiers out under hostile fire without a great plan is not exactly what most people would try to do. What happens next ? It is a masterful and thrilling tale, well worth the reading.

Book - Stardust (Written by Neil Gaiman) - Published in 1999

“Adults deserve good fairy tales, too.” (Neil Gaiman)
“Stardust”…the image it conjures is of an ink-blue, diamond studded sky, where the gossamer Milky Way is like a veil across a lovely face. Neil Gaiman does it again - transports the reader into a fantasy world, only this time it is star crossed lovers we meet, hearts pounding, minds wondering whether the two shall meet or not.
We meet the first generation of star crossed lovers way back in 1839 - Dunstan Thorn and Lady Una, he is a denizen of the village of Wall and she is a citizen of Faerie. Although he is betrothed to Daisy, it does not stop him from falling for Lady Una, a slave to the wicked witch Semele. Una conceives a child, whom she leaves in a basket for Dunstan to find.
Blessed with Faerie magic, Tristran feels differently from the rest of the folks of the village Wall. He is in love with the most beautiful girl in a hundred mile radius (well, he should know since he’s the only one allowed out of Wall) - Victoria Forrester, who really doesn’t take him all that seriously. In fact, she wants to throw him off scent and tells Tristran she’ll consider his proposal if he gets her a star.
Elsewhere, in Faerie, a star is knocked down from the heavens by a King looking for an heir. The King Stormhold is actually Tristran’s maternal grandfather, who dies after knocking down a star with the Power of Stormhold-this star is actually a beautiful creature called Yvaine. When Tristran sets eyes on Yvaine, he all but forgets Victoria, and vows now to help her. A whole world of unhappy souls seem to bay for Yvaine’s blood- from the Illim  to the King’s sons are in a race to find her for she can fulfill their motives-so she must be someone really special!



Tristran, on the other hand, is given a silver chain and a candle stub, that lets him cover great distances when lit. Both he and Yvaine escape the witches, and just so she doesn’t disappear, he imprisons her- sorry though that he has to do so. For her part, Yvaine says she is obligated to him for saving her life, for being grateful for help is the Faerie way.
When Tristran is finally given a ride back to Wall, star in tow, unbeknownst to Madame Semele – he is certain that he will have a happy ending with Victoria. Meanwhile, Yvaine realizes she is about to lose the man she loves, and her home - for since she has chosen to come to Wall, she will now turn into a rock!
More bad news in store for Tristran - his beloved is now engaged to be married to Monday, his old employer. However, not one to come in love’s way, Tristran wishes her well and returns to Yvaine- who is happy that Tristran is hers at last. Lady Una, Tristran’s mother free from her curse, tells Tristran that he is the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Stormhold, but he refuses. So Una rules in his stead .Meanwhile, the happy duo overcome their last obstacle - the witch queen who wants to have Yvaine back, she leaves with the grim warning that like all men, Tristran will break her heart, too.
Many years hence, Tristran returns to rule Stormhold, until the day he dies, after which, Yvaine, his queen rules forever, since she is blessed with immortality.
Gaiman’s fairy love story with magical characters leaves you smiling and a wee bit sad at the end. Originally, Stardust was meant to be a picture story book. It is also a motion picture starring the likes of Robert De Niro, Peter O’Toole and Michelle Pfeiffer. The Book has won Neil Gaiman the Alex Award 2000 from the American Library Association.