Rating: 
Summary: An excellent adventure story, but not politically correct
Review: A truly superb novel, and easy and fast to read. Very xenophobic, but it was written near the beginning of WWII. Fascinating and imaginative story line and high tech solutions. As good or better than The Last Planet by Andre Norton, and more "techie". Neither is "just" science fiction!
Rating: 
Summary: Yes the science is bad but...
Review: God I hate political correctness! Listen, other races are different because of very discernable genetic reasons. Recognizing this simple fact DOES NOT MAKE ONE A RACIST. To dismiss this book simply because you find it impossible to accept that some device may one day be able to determine race without human intervention simply astounds me. I don't want to get into a rant on this but...(let me simply state that one of the most imprecise "instruments" of detection (ie. the human eye) can detect race in a fraction of a second). That being said I have to admit that the science of this book is bad (it was handed to Heinlein by Campbell) and the cultural/racial ideas are inflammatory (again they were handed to Heinlein by Campbell). But Heinlein took what he was given and crafted a very satisfying novel out of it. It may not be one of his best books ( but then Heinlein's best are among the very best in all of literature, not just science fiction) but it is a very solid story and well worth spending the 2-3 hours required to read it well.
Rating:
Summary: RAH is relevant today.
Review: Heinlein is as relevant today as he was when this story was originally written. The only difference between then and now is the take over is more in the nature of finanicial than fanatical. His point, directed at the "yellow menace", was that patriotisim relies on action not on talk or posturing. No matter the source of the "menace" it was the actions that counted. Don't be put off by words that this is a racist work. It has more to do with freedom than anything. Heinlein's argument is that the price is worth paying. Don't be scarred away by people who feel sullied by an anachronistic name. Many great works or literature are now considered racist, because at the time of their writing they forced people to think in other terms. Maybe that was why they were written in the first place to change others points of view. This is a good story and a good lesson needing to be learned and valued today. Aside from all that it is a fine adventure story that moves you along at a terrific rate to a satisfying conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: REFRSHING READING
Review: Heinlein was given this story concept by an editor, who had it from a writer who was unable to develop the idea. Heinlein brought this story his traditional determined, ernest characters -- and an awful lot of jingoism and racism. Far from his best -- Sixth Column is only worth the time if you are a Heinlein completist.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of good talent
Review: Heinlein was given this story concept by an editor, who had it from a writer who was unable to develop the idea. Heinlein brought this story his traditional determined, ernest characters -- and an awful lot of jingoism and racism. Far from his best -- Sixth Column is only worth the time if you are a Heinlein completist.
Rating:
Summary: Foaming-at-the-mouth racism!
Review: Heinlein was supposed to be one of the great SF authors of all time, but this book certainly isn't an indication of it! The only thing that "elevates" this story above mindless and juvenile kill everything war adventure is the violent racism in it. If you're willing to forgive RAH his racism (having written the book ca. WWII), then there's nothing. So depending on your forgiveness level, it's either racist trash or just plain trash, and definitely not worth reading in either case.
Rating:
Summary: Give Thanks to the God Mota!
Review: I didn't know what to expect when picking up this Heinlein book. I had heard it deemed a classic of the 1940's, but they were fifty years ago and I had slight doubts as to the relevancy of the tale, especially looking at the odd cover of the man in robes. I wondered to myself: What could this possibly have to do with the PanAsians taking over America?
I shouldn't have doubted. One thing Heinlein never does is disappoint and this novel sparkles with the ideas and imagination that has become his trademark. I don't recall any other novel that has people faking a religion to get back at their conquerors and I don't think anyone has ever done it with the flair for humor, wittiness, or creativity that Heinlein was the master at.
A short novel and a light read, but if you're looking for something enjoyable but not lengthy this is exactly the book you want
Rating: 
Summary: I have to question the conclusions of some of these readers.
Review: I do not think that Heinlein in any way meant to promote a racist viewpoint. This conclusion comes from a careless reading of the novel and knee jerk reactions to some of the racism presented in the novel.
If anything Heinlein seems to criticizing racism and any subtle government encouragement of racism. Early in the book, one of the characters states,
"But from my standpoint they are simply human beings, who have been duped into the old fallacy of the state as super entity".
The citizens of the PanAsian Empire are not the only ones that have been duped; it is clear that we ourselves our products of deception by our own government. White superiority was encouraged in the forties and to an extent is still encouraged in our minds. Those who think that modern day military men would not speak as the ones in the novels do, are wrong. The majority of people in the US are white; the majority of politicians are white. For politicians. it benefits them to encourage the idea that whites are superior in order to keep them in power. This is why every election year, blacks are reminded that they are victims and can get no where without a white man in office interceding for them.
Finny';s comment on a racial inferiority complex is an astute observation not blantant racism. Just as the white culture sometimes encourages a stifling superiority complex, it has in other cultures, created an inferiority complex , a desire to one up arrogant white people by showing them they are just as good. Much of the focus in the idealogy in the Communist Revolution in China, was on creating a viable alternative to Western culture just as good if not better than Western Culture. They wanted something that was an unique product of Asian will, in no way similar to the culture of arrogant Westerners(a reputation we probaly rightly deserve). This is not mindless racism, but a conclusion reached by examination of modern Asian history.
As reviewers have stated previously, Heinlein's point is that our fears stem not from any different biological differences, but from differences in culture. His other point is that no matter how different a culture, there is always one thing similar in all cultures- that of assumed superiority. The whites and PanAsians in the novel are both guilty of that.
In the end however, the human spirit transcended all races and rose to the occation , for as someone pointed out, the hero was not white, nor was he wholly asian. He was not a champion of any cause held by one race, but was a hero because he adhered to a cause that should be held in high esteem by all...he helped his fellow man regardless of race.
Heinlein's simple message is that racist fear is not productive or rational. It quite simply is stupidity of the highest order.
Just a few other commentaries I have.
I'm surprised that no one mentioned that the hero, Mitsui was married to a black woman. Quite a revolutionary idea for 1941.
That makes me further question how anyone could determine that Heinlein was promoting racism. Do not give in to knee jerk reactions I take it that some of you rather pretend racism does not and never did exist instead of having an open and honest dialogue about it. That is not a solution. That only ensures that racism will grow in our collective concious and rear its ugly head in the future when we have long forgotten about it and the grief and horror it caused.
Another bit of commentary...Heinlein's prediction that Asia would become a major player on the world chess board in the future was a pretty accurate prediction. All Asian countries are rapidly growing, politically, militarily and economically. Though it is far in the future, Asia will one day be able to challenge Western dominance if it continues to proper the way it has been currently.
As for my last commentary, I find Heinlein's reflectioons on the state of US Intelligence to be quite amusing especially in light of recent events. On page 17 of the paperback, Heinlein states," A rediculously inadequate militarry intelligence had been the prime characteristic asa power all through its history.The most powerful nation the globe had ever seen-but it had stumbled into wars like a blind giant."
My how little things change. Heinlein was quite the astute observer of history.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for its time.
Review: I first read this book back in the sixties, and it is representative of the "WWIII/Invasion" genre of stories that were quite common at the time in print and on the screen. This is a good one, because despite the racial overtones (perhaps a tad less acceptable now), it is close to believable. I like that in a SciFi book. All too often, the author will make some stupid mistake or leap of faith that renders the rest of the story completely unreadable for me. Heinlein almost never did that. He either had his facts straight, or went somewhere where there weren't so many facts to trip him up. This is vastly different from the "stranger in a strange land" style, but it is definitely Heinlein all the way. And I personally found it difficult to put down. I recommend it as an excellent representative of a specific mid-century style, as a representative of Heinlein's early writings, and as a good though dated read.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Exciting/Can't Put Down Book I Have Ever Read!!
Review: I hate to pick up this book, because I have so much fun reading it that I can't stop until I am done. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE!! The book explores an area of science that no other science fiction movie, book, or series has used for its main focus. The book brings me into the story because it involves the United States being defeated in a single day by the Chinese Army using standard technology. But the Americans, using a new discovery that they found, battle back. Heilein uses the social structure of a defeated country to bring a plan into play that keeps my interest.
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