Rating: 
Summary: About the racism in this book
Review: I read an essay by RAH about this book. John W. Campbell jr, started the original draft of this story, but never finished it. Campbell gave it to RAH to finish. RAH said Campbell's original was extremly racisist and distasteful and he did his best to get rid of the racism. If I understand correctly what I have read about Campbell (written by Asimov, and Heinlein) he was even a Nazi sympathizer early in the war.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking for revised version
Review: I read this book as a kid. It had a new title which I can't remember where Sixth Column was the original title. I see the book is no longer in print. Perhaps it is available with the new title. The is an excellant book and I look forward to reading in again after all these years.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I thought this book really rocked it was a work of sheer creativity. Only a man of Robert Heinland's caliber could cook up a plot like this. 6th Column is a great book, but don't buy it expecting a military epic. I won't say anything else except that all the comments of this book being very racist are untrue. You simply need to look at the book from the point of view of the occupied Americans. This is a great four star book.
Rating: 
Summary: No classic, but a fun read none the less
Review: If you're looking for an introduction to Robert A. Heinlein's vast corpus of fantastic science fiction, don't read Sixth Column, read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. If you're a Heinlein junkie who's read all his other stuff and you want a quick, fun read covering the typical Heinlein themes (the able man, war, gee whiz technology, "long live democracy"), then you'll definitely want to pick up this book.The basic premise is: the USA has been invaded by "PanAsians," and the government effectively destroyed. Having subjugated India, the "PanAsians" know how to tie down the USA--lots of labor camps, citizen registration and public executions as punishment for any rebellion. But they also have learned not to interfere with their subjects' religion(s). One small military base, a research laboratory, has escaped destruction; luckily the plucky soldiers have an able commander and lots of technology the invaders simply can't match. From there, it's just a matter of time. The reader gets to watch how these men build a movement, screw with the "PanAsian" leadership, and eventually free the USA. Of course the technology is hokey and the dialog can be a bit offensive, but it's realistic (yeah, I think slurs are allowable if they're marching your family off to the labor camps). This book was written in 1949 and reflects some of the paranoia that Heinlein later gave voice to in Expanded Universe. But, it's a fun, quick read and if you like Heinlein, you'll probably like it. It's no classic, but not every book can be.
Rating: 
Summary: The only book I ever threw away
Review: Incredibly stupid plot, ridiculous technology, blatant racism, silly cardboard persons. The worst book I ever read.
Rating:
Summary: racist, lame
Review: It's hard to believe this was by the same author who wrote the rest of Heinlein's books. A forgettable space-opera plot, with ray guns that only kill people with Asiatic blood.
Rating:
Summary: Novel of Freedom lost and Gained by Heinlein
Review: Maybe I am a simpleton or view things far differently then the other reviewers do but I loved this book. I do not feel that the rather straightforward and unencumbered nature of the storytelling distracted from the tale being told. Just the opposite. This book inspired me and invigorated me with a sense personal freedom that I am sure was part of Mr. Heinlein's intent. I do not agree that the Asian references were racist. These references were merely plot mechanisms and devices. Readers should remember that Heinlein was a product of the World War II generation and his life was greatly shaped by the events surrounding that war and they are reflected in many of his works. A great novel with shades of Libertarianism shining through. A definite recommend on my part.
Rating:
Summary: classic SCI-FI book, althought being racist and fascist
Review: o.k so Robert A. Henlein was a fascist writer in the 40's and 50's he hated the communist and orientals (see Starship Troopers,(space cadets), "the puppet mastres" for example )- later mutated, and to become the "flower childrens" darling during the 60's, but he was then also a bright narrator of the classic SCI-FI genera, the kind of books jules vern wrote. if we try to neglect the amount of racisem in the book (kind of remind me "the rising sun" by michael krighton), all the bulshit about white man supriority(it seems that they are only white people in america acording to the book), the books is very exciting, thriling and imaginative, and very well written. approved to adults above 18.
Rating:
Summary: Is this the worst Heinlein book ever?
Review: Or is Farnham's Freehold the worst? Tough call.
I love Heinlein's work, have read ALL of the stuff that was in print when he died (not so much of the stuff published posthumously); and I absolutely cannot recommend this book. Read anything else by him, anything at all.
(But especially The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, The Door Into Summer, Double Star, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, The Past Thru Tomorrow future history stories, the stories collected in The Fantasies of Robert Heinlein, Time Enough For Love, any of the juvies, etc etc etc)
I read somewhere this isn't even his idea; that Heinlein wrote it from a story outline by (I think) John W Campbell, even though he had reservations about it. Skip this one. Or come back after you've read a bunch of his other work, and can see this in the context of his career.
Rating:
Summary: Heros and Villians in All Races Within This Book
Review: Robert always writes an entertaining story. However, this one is unusual in the fact that he did not start this story. He did finish it. His story is basic: another country takes over America through limited nuclear strikes, mass invasion, and complete surprize. A small research lab in the rockies developes a "super" weapon and the people use a "unique" plan to retake America. The charge of racism is false. He has white villians and asian heros and asian villians and white heros. The key element to understand is that he shows the cultural difference from American to China/Japan. His cultural ideas come from a well traveled and educated individual, himself. If you look at the world today, we see a growing threat from China, and a culture that scorns human life (forced abortions, mass killings, mass imprisonments for political reasons, mass slavery, etc.). Therefore, Robert did not present a book that hides, lies, nor denies differences. He shows differences in culture and attitude based on fact, not world politics, or racist hatred. He makes it clear that these are NOT racist but cultural differences. A point in fact, one hero he has in the book is an American of asian ancestry (his parents/grandparents are from an asian country). This hero gives his life to stop a mad white man who was about to destroy the headquarters of the American Army (what remained). The weapons and technology did not ONLY KILL asians, the technology could kill anyone or everyone depending on the settings. The technology also could be used to heal, transmute, and protect. Overall, a good book but not a "normal" Heinlien book.
| 
