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Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Heinlein sure loves the military
Review: I was once told that military coups don't happen because the military is greedy or evil but because there is a real feeling in the armed services that they are the only people in the country who can run an efficient government without corruption or bureaucracy.

I thought of that a lot when I was reading this book. Heinlein gives a society in which a more subtle military coup has taken place and then works hard to convince the reader that this would be an ideal society. Of course there are qualifications. Only veterans can vote and run for office. People who don't volunteer can live perfectly happy lives. THis also plays into the fact that America routinely votes generals into office and is routinely disappointed at their mediocre performance in the job (Ulysses S. Grant, Eisenhower, etc.)

But despite whether or not you agree with Heinlein's politics, it is a great book. Starship Troopers should have a card for enlistment in the back. The man loves the male dominated military, the toughness, the trials by fire, the cameraderie and loyalty. The main character is believable as he is a prototype for Heinlein and the growth from adolescence to manhood is the compelling part of the book. You like Rico. You want him to succeed.

I only give it four stars because at points it gets to be too much. Nothng is happening except another lecture on why this is a great and perfect society and what is wrong with 20th century society (no one would spank their kids, etc.) but Heinlein pulls out of these stretches of dullness eventually and the book becomes cool again.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great book, poorly read
Review: This book is my all time favorite Sci-fi book. I have re-read it several times. I was excited to find it on inunabridged audio cassette format.

Unfortunatly, who ever hired Lloyd James to read it really blew it. He reads this exciting adventure story like he is bored stiff. He drones on in a monotone voice with extremely few voice inflections and long pauses between conversatons. He doesn't even try to sound like real people would speak their parts.

My girlfriend and I are very disappointed with this audio book. As much as I love this book all I can say is DON'T BUY THIS AUDIO BOOK!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Combination of war and political philosophy
Review: A novel of intriguing ideas and violent battle scenes. I've never read anything quite like it. Heinlein could have been described as a very pro-military but anti-war libertarian. He didn't believe in conscription, but once you were in the military you'd better realize you were there to follow orders and because of this your life could easily be forfeit in battle. Heinlein is _not_ glorifying war here: he's showing what a horrible thing it is. His view that society should only be run by those with military experience (because they've shown they're willing to give their lives for society) might actually work: throughout history it generally hasn't been the military that has started wars (they know too much about it); it's been politicians. This is indeed a thought-provoking novel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Don't just watch the movie, read the book!
Review: I haven't seen the movie for Starship Troopers myself, but I've heard it doesn't come close to the excellence of the book. This book is about so much more than just boot camp and war. In this book Heinlein explores issues of morality and citizenship. That's truly where the greatness of this book lies. It questions the assumptions of society and makes the reader think. That's what I call an excellent book, and on top of that it's entertaining.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The War Lover
Review: I first read this book in 1970, when I was an undergraduate. I went to college after having served in the US Army as an infantryman in Vietnam. One of the English professors asked me what I thought of Starship Troopers. I replied that it was obviously written by someone who had an intimate knowledge of the military, but had never served in combat, because no one who had ever experienced combat could possibly have written this book. And I discovered that I was quite right -- Heinlein graduated from Annapolis in the 1920s, and was given a medical discharge from the Navy in the 1930s.

The reason I said this was because Heinlein sees war as morally good -- which is quite empathatically not my experience, nor the experience of any other combat veteran I have ever asked about it. I suspect that one reason why some people accuse Heinlein of being a fascist is that the Nazis and Mussolini both praised war as a moral good.

I would say about Heinlein the same thing that was said about H G Wells -- he was a born storyteller who sold his birthright for a pot of message. Starship Troopers is well written, but the philosophical view it espouses stinks.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: space bug
Review: I have read the book and also watch the film(you should ask when you gave rating 1 star then why you spend money)well I tought it will be interesting to see the animations but it was not.I guess the book is really bad and it is more spoiled by the movie (plasma firing bugs by their backsides to the federation destroyers uhh,more unbeareable then jar-jar(starwars episode 1) I think there must be a little logic even in a science fiction book.In this one there is none,if you buy this book you will laugh a lot so if you are not looking for a sci-fci book but a comedy one then read this one. (ofcourse this is my opinion; who have read this book and liked ofcourse have their point of view)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Classic and Unique Cornerstone of Science Fiction
Review: The classic story of Johnny Rico looking for identity and personal self respect in a futuristic society where citizenship must be earned. Heinlein really pushes the outside limits of this concept which makes it an intriguing read. I first read this many years ago, and have never forgotten it. It holds it's own unique cornerstone of classic Science Fiction.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Influential and Life Altering
Review: Starship Troopers is one of those books that you read over and over. I usually read it about every six months. The part that gets you is not the action scenes but the philosophy of citizenship. My mother read it during the Gulf War--in which my sister fought--and she said that it should be required reading. I agree. My brother read it--and he joined the army. Infantry. I am a teacher (not English though) & I wish I could think of a way to incorporate it into my curriculum. I am sure I will come up with something. I am a huge Heinlein fan and agree with the other reviewers when they say that Heinlein has a unique, intriguing world perspective--one that has caused me to reconsider my own life. READ THIS BOOK.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Insight into Human mechanics
Review: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein displays the society we have as a background for a different order of things in this futuristic setting. The war which the book's plot revolves around only serves as Heinlein's way of pointing out what is right and wrong with humanity. Not only is the work entertaining, but it is insightful as well. A must read for any who like deeper thoughts or even just space novels.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A novel genius! Heinlein was the best writer ever!
Review: I am a ... boy from Ontario, Canada. My opinionmay not matter to many of you, but a great man once said to "lookat the wolrd through the eyes of children." This is a fantastic book, which I read for the first time at the age of 9, and I didn't much understand it. But, over the past 5 years I have read it at least 4 more times, and every time I read it I discovered something new. I began to see that it was no longer the descriptive action scenes that drew me, but the compelling discussion of Moral Philosophy of the world at the time. It discusses the future in a way that no other writer has ever explored, which makes this book great. And, as I see it, this is as close to the future as any author will ever achieve. This is the best book in the world, and I was glad to find out that the US army made it a must-read, because it is!


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