Rating: 
Summary: Great woven plot fun for all
Review: "Double Star" is yet another Heinlein masterpiece.
The book takes the same type of plot that can be seen in the 1994 movie Dave. In this novel a major goverment leader has been kidnapped before a major religous event that will help the peace process between the earth and mars. So a replacement is found and taught how to act as the leader "to the letter" But after the meeting of peace the real major shows up, and his mind is in pieces. So it is up to the replacement to take his place longer than execpected.
Rating: 
Summary: SF Prisoner of Zenda made boring by bad writing.
Review: (I keep finding good reviews of things here so this is some balance). After the summary there's not a lot more to say really. The plot is lifted from elsewhere which would not be bad if RH had done something interesting with it. Instead it just plods along with an array of poorly drawn characters (particularly the women), lazy plotting and appallingly clumsy writing. And no - the politics is not the problem . . . Like being caught in a bar by your boring old uncle Ralph who really, really wants to tell you a story.... Dire. (Amazon: Why is there no Zero Star option, chaps?)
Rating:
Summary: An interesting idea well-executed
Review: Although there's a fairly strong plot to the novel, as in all the Heinlein I've read, its strengths lie not so much in the action, which in some ways seems rather dated now, but in its comments on the political process, which has stayed pretty much the same. There are also some amusing references to the British system, such as when Lorenzo hands the Emperor a scroll which is supposed to be a list of Ministers for approval, but which is actually blank, and the discussion on the relationship between the Emperor and the elected politician. This isn't the most profound of books, but it's none the worse for it, and well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: As an avid reader of Heinlein, I was a little disappointed by this novel, but not overly so. A fairly interesting little mystery, but you can pretty much figure out the plot within the first few pages or so. In fact, this book lacks a great deal of the social commentary that is Heinlein's hallmark, though it is not devoid of it. Read it as a study in character development -- he does a fine job of letting the main character develop and change, and while our heartstrings aren't tugged quite as mercilessly as in other RAH novels, it's still an enjoyable read for an evening.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good - Politcal
Review: Comes on 5 - 90 minutes tapes. It was well read and professionally done. I listened to them all one after another on a long drive from Texas to Illinois. Really nice way to read a book during normally empty time.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Classic
Review: Double Star is a classic science fiction novel. It is about an actor who "fills in" for a kidnapped statesman. It is also a look at what could very well be the politics of our future. An Earth united under one government that grapples with the idea of peacefully merging with alien worlds even if that meant that humans would become a minority. Also, Heinlein's Martians are one of the most memorable races created by a SF author. Double Star is a great SF novel.
Rating:
Summary: Another good Heinlein read.
Review: Heinlein does a good job as always, but am I the only person in the universe to notice a very strong similarity to "Prisoner of Zenda"?
Rating:
Summary: Only the best rating for one of the best authors.
Review: Heinlein was one of the best, and you would be missing out if you passed up the chance to read this, one of his many masterpieces. This story can still hold its own (despite being printed in 1957) against others in the genre- again, Heinlein was a master story-teller.
Enough people have given the summary of the book, but Heinlein wrote beyond the surface. The story is of an actor who truly discovers a greatness within himself that he at first only pretended to own. It's a story of humanity- in the politics the actor must represent- that humanity must not be doomed to repeat the same mistakes of seeing itself superior to other races, but instead try to learn to live in harmony. Like any good story it takes believeable characters and puts them in seemingly real situations in fantasy worlds, and tells us how we could only hope to act were we in such a predicament.
I'm lucky enough to own a first edition in great shape. I happened across it at a yard sale and had to pick it up. To me it was a "new" Heinlein novel as I hadn't heard of it. It's a light read, and although short, it's deep and fun. The plot loosely reminded me of a certain movie about an actor who impersonates the president... Of course this book was written LONG before that, and is much better. Read this book because it was written by Heinlein. Love it because it was well written.
Rating:
Summary: One of Heinlein's BEST Stories.
Review: I first read Double Star when I was a teenager. I didn't get some of the subtleties until much later, but what a great read for a teenager. My 14 year-old daughter picked it up as a last resort (sci-fi, yuck), and stayed up all night to read it! Engaging charachters that speeds along. Not alot of gadgets or pure sci-fi, just an interesting story, interesting people set in an interesting time (the future). If you have any experience with politics, theatre, crime, soap operas or mysteries, you'll enjoy the read.
Rating: 
Summary: Just entertaining
Review: I know that Robert Heinlein is one of the masters of sci fi, and I know that this book won the Hugo award in 1957. I know that it is considered a classic, but for some reason it didn't strike me as anything great. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely entertaining. In fact, if Hollywood is looking for a good story, this book would make a great movie. But as literature I just found it a little uninspired. Maybe I was expecting something else. But if you just want a good read and are just looking for entertainment I am sure you'll enjoy the book. If you like your sci fi with a little more depth, try "Stranger in a Strange Land" or one of Heinlein's other books
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