The principal villain among many villains is Ayatollah Mahmoud Haji Daryaei, the religious leader of Iran. He is not a well-developed figure: He is principally a megalomaniac who uses his religious faith as an excuse for his plans to create an empire that will encompass all Muslim nations, and some others besides. His self-serving excuses for his cruelty and crimes contrast with Jack Ryan's soulsearching; his lack of understanding of the desires and needs of his own people also contrast with Ryan's continuous awareness that he is answerable to the American people for everything he does.

Daryaei is a menacing figure, always lurking in darkness while he plans the destruction of America and the expansion of his own power. A careful and patient planner, he finds understanding from the Chinese, who also plan for the long term, but he is quick to act decisively when his carefully created...