Rating: 
Summary: Boat of a Million years
Review: I actually wanted to rename this book the "Goat of a Million Years" because this is a goat of a book. I agree with the other reviewers that have taken this book to task for its boredom. Its not as boring as say the Foundation trilogy or such deadly dull books as Downbelow station or Glory Season, because it does have some interesting parts. And once you start you want to stick with it. But for me I just didn't reap any rewards and must confess to skimming through huge chunks of it. The posthuman section sounded more like an academic lecture than a story. Finally this is no more a novel than the Foundation trilogy was. It is a collection of short stories some written and published previously I believe with I think some new material. Therefore it lacks the narrative flow a novel should have. I would pass and read Dune instead if you're new to sci-fi or such books as the Forever War or Gateway. To me those are real good science fiction adventures. The popularity of some books that are really rather dull and mediocre books is baffling and the lack of taste may explain the decline of sci-fi literature.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantastic Epic Story
Review: I read this book some 2-4 years ago and when I came across this review site I decided to add my two cents worth.TBOAMY realy did hit my imagination dead centre. I love epic stories and this was one to live up to all my expectations. Being a budding Sc-Fi author myself I look to people like Anderson and am in awe. The detail and (at least apparant) acuracy of TBOAMY really did make it a rich story. The way you are with charachters for such a long time really makes you feel you know them and when it finished I felt as if there was still a part of me that was still there with them, coasting off into infinity. Along with the creators of Babylon 5, Luc Besson, and George Lucas Anderson has inspired me and my writting.END
Rating: 
Summary: Sorry, Poul, I gave up.
Review: I will usually stick with a book through to the end. If it starts bad, I can hope for a smashing ending or a pickup in the story about the middle of the book. Unfortunately, I saw no reason to continue this book past page 100, a rare occurence for me. Don't get me wrong, Ive read Anderson for years. Brain Wave, Tau Zero, the Flandry saga are all classics. His award-winning short stories are examples of what a good sf short should be. Here he lost me. The immortal race hidden among us humans has been a staple of legend for centuries. More recently it was popularized by The Eternal Mercenary series and the Highlander. Here he adds nothing new and it just a long journey through history. I notice that star travel is supposed to come into play near the end, but I can't make it. I apologize, Mr. Anderson, for giving up on this one, but I couldn't see any reason to go on.
Rating:
Summary: If you have not read this book, then just 'Do It'!
Review: I've just finished reading this book, and it's great! I can't add much to the previous reviews, except to say they are all accurate. One thing I can say however, is that the story lingers with you long after the book is finished. Most satisfying! This is a classic, thank you Poul!
Rating: 
Summary: if u have got time to kill....
Review: if u r a veteran sci-fi reader, it will just kill ur precious time and conclude in managing to fulfill a certain place in ur bibliolife. If u r a newcomer, u shall find a lot.
Rating: 
Summary: False Advertising.. but very good
Review: If you look at the cover of the book, you would presume that this is a classic science fiction book. There is a futuristic spacecraft gliding amoung the stars. The book is quite different. I thought of the classic movie "Intolerence" when I read this. It is a lot of disjointed stories that progress through time (the last 2400 years and slightly into the future) about Immortals. This book is like Anderson's very great (5 + stars) book:
Hrofl Kraki's Saga which he translated and adapted from Scandivian lore. A lot of the characters are Norweigen. Also, a lot takes place in the Holy Land as some characters have to convert religions with the rise of Christianity and of Islam. I liked the book - it was a good read and one can learn a lot of history in the process. I do not give it 5 stars as it is a little to disjointed and is never quite pooled together. It is
not really science fiction and it is really not fantasy; it is more like a James Mitcher epic (but far shorter). I would recomend Anderson's "Hrolf Kraki's Saga" over this one, if you like Anderson's great writing and want a historical book (not sci fi).
Rating:
Summary: Boat of a Million years
Review: Interesting and unusual story of a few immortals living through human history, from the distant past to the far future. Good character development and social commentary, along with a suitable amount of action and drama combine for a satisfying result. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of Anderson's better efforts
Review: Interesting and unusual story of a few immortals living through human history, from the distant past to the far future. Good character development and social commentary, along with a suitable amount of action and drama combine for a satisfying result. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth reading despite the misleading cover!
Review: Most of this book is a lead-up to the voyage in the starship on the cover, so the title and cover picture are somewhat misleading as to most of the story. Actually the main story follows a group of immortals through their origins and through history. The characterization and details of history in the main part of the book, along with the plot tension found in anticipating the meeting of the characters was very interesting to me. The historical part of the book is even more interesting because Anderson doesn't give you modern names or references to the different historical locations and this enhances his characters by letting you know them through their own cultures. It's a terrific book for fans of Anderson's historical and time patrol books. It's strength is in seeing the characters move through history and how they cope differently with moving through time. The last part of the book which details the starship voyage and what happens to future humanity is not as detailed and seems rushed and crammed into the last quarter of the book. It's a huge book though and filled with wonderful stories and scenes. You'll still love the book even if the end of the book seems a bit rushed..Poul Anderson puts you right into history with his characters so you feel like you are really there.
Rating:
Summary: Balanced Optimism
Review: Poul Anderson is not (was.. he died just recently) the most optimistic of writers. He did not believe in the predestined success of humanity.. at least as a whole. (This is as opposed to David Brin.. who is hugely optimistic.) In this book he presents a set of characters that, by accident of genetics, find themselves immortal. We follow them from pre- or barely- historical times well into the future. Through their eyes we watch humankind as a whole struggle, achieve, fail, die and live. We watch these immortals as they set themselves apart
for survival reasons.. twice. The grand sweep of the book through humankind's history is wonderful. The book gets a bit lost at the end.. we wander too far from humanity, though it is a natural conclusion. In the end, perhaps... it is not the book that wandered too far, but humanity itself. Wonderful story, wonderful storytelling...
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