Ensign Flandry: The Saga of Dominic Flandry, Agent of Imperial Terra: Book 1

Rating:
Summary: Green Alien, Green Hero
Review: For 19-year-old Ensign Dominic Flandry, the galaxy is a harsh place. A recent graduate of the Terran Naval Academy, he's recruited by Commander Max Goldstein, of Earth Intelligence. He's assigned to infiltrate the Draconian Empire and get their military secrets. There's only one problem, he's branded a traitor and is hunted by both sides. Poul Anderson's 1966 science fiction novel is the first installment in the sereies. An excellent read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Books are Timeless
Review: This is the first book of the Poul Anderson series, "Flandry, Agent of Imperial Terra" and it was published in the mid-sixties. I say this up front because the book, story and characters live outside the copyright date and achieve that timeless quality you expect from authurs like Asimov, Burroughs and of course Poul Anderson. Flandry is just an ensign when we meet him in this story and at first, he doesn't even feel like the staring character. As the story unfolds, we expect more and more from our young ensign until the fate of Terra and other worlds hang on his every decision. Don't get me wrong, he's not made Emporer by books end. Through and through, he is just an ensign who plays the cards that are dealt him. It is said that great events make great men and we see Ensign Flandry take on a captivating shape. I haven't read the next books in the series, but have high hopes for the Long Night of the Terran Empire.