Rating: 
Summary: Battlefield Earth adventurous, great read
Review: Once I started in on Battlefield Earth, the 1000+ pages were not insurmountable. I was propelled to stay up late each night until I was finished. The imagery was so strong throughout. It really brought about the resiliency of the human race. There was also a lot of great action. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic and a 5 star with me.
Rating:
Summary: Rich Imagery
Review: Battlefield Earth is the story of one man's search for something better, not for himself, but for his people -- a people who had no concept that anything better was possible. It was offered simply as a pure science fiction story, yet its allegory is inescapable. Written at a time when the 70s were just giving way to the self-indulgent 80s, it chillingly predicted corporate America emerging as a gladiator ring of loathsome back-stabbing ala "Bonfire of the Vanities." The Psycho corporate empire embodies the worst of 80s corporate life -- Wall Street without the social conscience -- while individual Psychlos are obnoxious, insensitive, corporate drones. Indeed, the concept of an alien invasion force being driven by economic and not military imperatives is unusual for science fiction. Jonnie's message is that individual initiative can accomplish the impossible. And to bring this point home, L. Ron Hubbard has set for Jonnie a truly impossible task: teach an illiterate population how to throw off the yoke of an alien occupation with vastly superior technology. And do it before the aliens have a chance to react. Truly impossible. But how he goes about this task provides hours of enjoyment. The book is endowed with rich imagery. Humanity is a ragged mess--the rotting carcass of the old culture whose history is quickly being replaced by superstition. The aliens are at first perceived by Jonnie as darkly foreboding, all-powerful gods, whose very presence instills fear. Yet, as Jonnie acquires more knowledge he -- and the readers -- begin to see them as the bumbling fools they are. Soon, we know these villains as lumbering incompetents whose loyalties can be bought and sold. This book can be enjoyed for its pure entertainment value, or for its rich satire and allegory. Either way, it is a gem of a story.
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Summary: One of my favorite science fiction books
Review: This is one of the better science fiction books I have ever read. The technological concepts are sound, but this is not a book about machines. It's about the triumph of good over evil. The hero, a mere man named Jonnie, takes control of his own destiny, and, through sheer will and smarts and charisma, convince an entire dying race of people that they can indeed overcome their oppressors and regain control of their lives and their planet. There is a wonderful humorous thread throughout this book, that is easy to miss if you take it all too seriously. The humor actually got past me completely until the 3rd time I read this book -- then I realized it is REALLY funny! This is a very long book -- but there are many themes interwoven throughout, and each time I read this book, I see more and more in it to think about. It's a positive tale, similar to the old classics in which the hero is truly heroic. Some of the tongue-in-cheek might indeed be missed by the reader, but even still it is a good story. For those who understand the humor in it, it's a great story. I highly recommend this one!
Rating: 
Summary: A book only John Travolta could love
Review: I enjoy reading SF. A lot of SF. I picked this book up because I enjoy reading from the "golden age" of SF. Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and dozens of others. Battlefield: Earth is as far from "golden" as possible. Stupid characters. Idiotic dialogue. 1000 year old planes flown by "cave men". The movie perfectly reflects the book. Avoid both at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: Not another favorable review
Review: My interest in "Battlefield Earth" was aroused by news of the impending movie. So back in January '00 I looked it up on Amazon, and was amazed by the weight and number of good reviews, especially because I had never heard of the book. The author was vaguely known to me through his efforts peddling something called Dianetics. Caught, hook, line, and sinker. I'm not sure what kept me turning pages. I guess there must be some sort of literary masochist at the center of my soul. Maybe it was disbelief that something this bad could make it to print, and people would buy it; I was searching for enlightenment. Didn't find it. "Battlefield Earth" has a one dimensional plot any child could guess. The characters have no depth. Plot devices which allow this story to lurch toward it's conclusion are laughably shallow. The "scenery" the author paints to describe the world circa 3000AD is as drab and uninteresting as his characters. An alien race of blue lawyers was fun for 1 paragraph, but Hubbard draws it out for about the last 400 pages of the book. I revere books. Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" instilled in me at a young age a certain awe for the concept that ideas may be printed and passed from person to person. And that destroying these books/ideas was inherently evil. I chucked "Battlefield Earth" in the garbage. And then emptied used cat litter on it. Turning back to these review pages now, I feel better about the error in my judgment. I see so many others that made the same mistake. I pity those who come across these pages after the stir of interest generated by a bad movie has died down. I'm sure by then all the reviews will be good ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Makes me feel like a boy in a toy-store.
Review: O.k , it's not the apex of plausibility , fine , it's not really hard sci-fi since it does'nt offer technical explenations ( or at least pseudo-scientific ones ) as to the way the spaceships and weapons and the teleportation work. BUT , i could'nt put it down. I felt as though I'm really in there with Jhonny , riding or fighting Trell. Look , the previous reviewers said the plot is not logical , not possible or plausible. Well , i agree. Still , it does'nt mean that this is'nt a great read. It has this aura of an epic , a saga , a great story. It's a fun , a bit old-style , sci-fi epic story , and one day i'd like my children to read it too.
Rating: 
Summary: Fairly entertaining sci fi
Review: This is basically a fun, action packed science fiction book. Hubbard liked to brag that it was the longest sci fi book ever written. I don't know if it is true, or if that would be something to boast about. Like most sci fi or fantasy stories of the time, it is really a trilogy. There is the freedom of the humans, the victory over the aliens and the aftermath. Hubbard just put it all under one cover. There are a few sections where the story drags. The characters are basically one dimensional. There are some too cutesy moments, especially in the last third of the book. And Hubbard does sneak in his Scientology views every once in a while. But over all, it is entertaining and there are a number of clever devices and storylines. Some people might not appreciate the story because it more earthbound than most. But I think that it adds an immediacy that makes the story more exciting...the book has tension, excitement and a very good war with the aliens.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: I have to say that the movie didn't do much for me, but this book is one of my all-time favorites. The chapters are short and each one left me wanting to dive right into the next. The humor of the second half was well-appreciated
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Summary: Sexist macho science fiction
Review: Unbelieveable! I find it hard to believe that I have so little to do that I was able to finish this book. I think I was hoping Chrissie (the hero's significant other) would ever become less of a void. Do not let your daughters or sons read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Read it
Review: People who give this book one star probably only saw the movie, but they do have valid points. It is a very exciting book that keeps you reading, and that is enough for me, but it does have some weaknesses. The main character seems to be the perfect character without a single flaw. In the intro he says that the book was not edited, and it shows. This book probably could have been better at 900 pages. He does take some scientific liberties, but at our present technology level, who is to say that he is wrong. If you are looking for a science textbook, read one. If you are looking for a fun page-turner, read Battlefield Earth.
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