Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: This novel is very interesting in that Arthur C. Clarke takes a completely different approach to the idea of Man being a space faring being, than in his other works. It's basic premise is that an alien race arrives on Earth they eradicate war, racism and starvation. Earth is changed but then it is discovered that the aliens are in fact planning something. It is a dark story, it can almost be descibed as the opposite of 2001. Yet it also has some interesting simularities. I would recommend this book for most people though this is not A.C.C.'s best, check out the Rama series and of course 2001, it is still a very interesting story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Science Fiction Classic!
Review: To say that this is one of the greatest science fiction books of all-time is an almost laughable understatement. It is quite simply one of the greatest books of all-time, in any category. A brilliant masterpiece. There is a sense of awe and wonder throughout the book, you cannot possibly put it down. I have read many Clarke books and this is probably his best, with the possible exception of 2001 (and yes I've read Rendzevous With Rama). If you are a SF or Clarke fan and you have not yet read this, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, breath-taking, and thought provoking
Review: ...This book questions humanity and our never-ending search foranswers to life's most elusive questions. This book touches heart andmind in a way really no book has before. Clarke is both imaginative and a poetic dreamer, and writes with a fantastic ease. This book is very edgy in a very subtle way. Clarke could have used a shoot-em-up style like most modern sci-fi writers but he opted for a more original tension. This book is classic science fiction at it's finest. END
Rating:
Summary: The Epitome of Arthur C. Clarke's Novels
Review: I cannot express in words how powerful and dramatic this story truly is. I have read many of Arthur C. Clark's novels, and I consider this to be his best. The book makes a statement about humanity and prejudice, entwined perfectly with a science fiction mystique. As is with many of his works, the beginning of the story begins somewhat mundane, then builds towards a dramatic climax on which the fate of the world rests. If you read no other book by Mr. Clarke, read this one!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing! Best book ever!
Review: This is, without a doubt, the best book I have ever read. Arthur C. Clarke is a genius. The way it spans so many years and so many characters is awesome, and the Overlords are wicked. I won't reveal too much about this book, because if you've never read it, there are a lot of surprises along the way, and I don't want to ruin that for anyone, and that's what makes it so awesome. This book is far superior to anything ever written, including Clarke's own "2001". Check this out, you won't regret it. Thank you Mr. Clarke, for this brilliant masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Buck Rogers tale.
Review: A classic. The fact that it is still read and enjoyed after half a century says it all. Methinks that the reviewers who sniped at this wonderful book were obviously weaned on garbage the likes of Independence Day.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ !
Review: This is simply a MUST read for humankind. Great, the best, incredible
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking, inspiring, thought-provoking
Review: This is one of those oft-recommended "classics" that sat in my mental "oughta read" list until I recently stumbled across a copy at a used-book sale and took advantage of the happy chance to at last read it. I began reading, and kept reading, and by the end of the day had read the whole thing; there are few books that succeed in keeping my attention so fully from start to finish, so for that alone I give the story five stars. ;-) But the book also succeeds where so many works of fantasy and science fiction fail: in inspiring a depth of emotion and reflection on the deeper issues of human life and circumstance in the cosmos. Good speculative fiction is ultimately about the heart and mind, not merely about packing lots of action scenes and weird characters into the tale, and Clarke is a writer who touches both heart and mind in an elemental, profound way. Childhood's End is essentially a "coming of age" tale for the human race. The prose is fluent and readable, and I liked the way the story swept through a century, giving a breathtaking panoramic perspective with selected close-ups of various people at various points in the course of the unfolding events. The way Clarke handled the final scene is poignant and left me with a lingering sense of deep wistfulness. If you like your fiction philosophical and nuanced, Childhood's End is a worthy read.
Rating:
Summary: THOUGHT-PROVOKING STUFF
Review: Considering this was written what... 50 years ago... it's pretty incredible. The images of enormous space ships parking over every major city in the world was obviously ripped off by the creators of the film Independence Day. The story of our evolution to the next stage is both believably drawn and scary as hell. It may be a little slow by today's standards, but that's not Clarke's fault -- it's ours for evolving into less and less literary creatures as TV erodes our attention spans.
Rating:
Summary: Great Speculation!
Review: "Childhood's End" was a well written (yet short), entertaining (yet fantastic) and thought provoking (but somehow sterile) novel. I would have preferred that the storyteller focus on two or three characters as opposed to touching lightly on ten or so, but the novel stood strong based on chronicling the ascension of mankind toward a "universal mind" and a tempo similar to a t.v. documentary. And though the group mentality of man as presented in the novel seemed unrealistically fatalistic (and passive, considering the threat), its difficult for me to criticize the depiction. Who knows what the collective psychology of earth would reveal given the fact --not the assumption-- that we are not alone in the universe? At this point, Clarke's "Childhood's End" is as accurate a guess as any.
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