Rating: 
Summary: Strongly recommended!
Review: When I got this book, I had the impression that it was going to be a story about gung-ho soldiers, running around and blasting things up, so when I reached the fourth page, I put it down (I must admit that I had been negatively influenced by the movie trailer I had just seen the night before). Well, I am glad to say that I was completely mistaken! It is one of the most interesting and thought provoking books that I read this year; it certainly deserves a 10! It is an interesting exposition of military "philosophy" and the author's ideas are quite interesting (although I may not personally agree with some of them); I really don't have to say much more than the other people who reviewed this book... If you're not looking for plain action or adventure, I strongly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: A Great story, with some intellectual content to match
Review: This is one good book. Aside from the exciting and interesting story, it presents some interesting views on society, duty, democracy, and the military machine. For a former Corporal with a tour in Bosnia like myself it is one of the few occasions where I have read a book that really captures an "Army Spirit" and manages to communicate it well. The "Moral Philosophy" contained in it gives food for thought, and makes some interesting points though you might not agree with them, though if you can't seperate your opinion from some interesting intellectual material this book is not for you. A great book, and a great read. I just wish it was longer. Evert-Jan C. Duindam
Rating:
Summary: The book is great; the movie sucks.
Review: I get rather annoyed when a director has such contempt for both the audience and the material that he ridicules the former by trashing the latter, betting the audience is too stupid to notice. Verhoeven has said the he did not read the book, and that he thinks SF has no merit. Verhoeven's distorted Mobile Infantry make the Iraqi army look like Navy SEALs -- he either learned nothing in his stint in the Danish Marines, or he holds the moviegoing public in contempt. Overall, it was as bad a translation of a book to the screen as I have ever seen. Verhoeven and his screenwriter decided to take a book about civic virtue and substitute their own agenda, twisting the meaning into something it isn't and then making a parody of that. Thus, a discussion of the of citizenship in a democracy becomes how to get ahead in a police state; civic virtue in risking one's life to protect a wounded comrade becomes summarily executing the wounded; and individual thinking and initiative become torture for asking the wrong question. In an earlier review, kaseido@earthlink.net from Los Angeles, CA makes several assertions (e.g., Heinlein's "notion that political power grows solely from the barrel of a gun") which make me wonder if he had actually read the book. By far the worse, though, was his comparison of Heinlein's Federation in _Starship Troopers_ with the Draka in Stirling's _The Stone Dogs_. He says: > In both, the Citizen class are educated, upstanding, courageous paragons of virtue living attractive, prosperous lives
> based on a commitment to military service. Stirling shows us the slave labor and butchery of dissidents behind the
> pretty picture: with Heinlein we have to figure it out for ourselves. The society of Stirling's Draka is explicitly, self-consciously, and unashamedly based on slavery justified not by religious or moral "right" but simply by force of arms. Heinlein's Federation bears no more resemblance to the Draka than does any Western democracy. One can certainly argue that Heinlein's Federation is unrealistic (to which I would argue that the book is about civic virtue, not government); claiming that Draka-like atrocities occur and that we have to "figure it out for ourselves" is the literary equivalent of libel.
Rating:
Summary: ST: Book-Moral Philosophy Movie-Morally Conflicted
Review: THE BOOK --------------------------------------------------------------------- Starship Troopers is a military, not political, manifesto. It explains in an entertaining way why humans fight. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- As in the classic Foundation series (by Isaac Asimov), much of the action is behind the scenes. Instead of a grandious vista of an interstellar war, Robert A. Heinlein presents the conflict of species from the viewpoint of Johnny Rico, an enlisted man in the earth's defense force, the Mobile Infantry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- During his trials and tribulations in school, training and battle, Rico begins to consciously understand why he initially joined the service. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps the inspiration for Ender's Game (by Orson Scott Card), Starship Troopers pits humanity against the communist society of Arachnids - a hive-based race of spider-like creatures. The Bugs attack, and with no direct communication between the two races, the fight is afoot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Warning: The ideas in this book mightily offend civilians on the far left of the political spectrum. The in-your-face challenge by the author to their dearly-held socialist beliefs can result in such misdirection as that given by Amazons primary reviewer. The "official" review distorts the viewpoints and applications of the "moral philosophy" which permeates the book. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Trust not in the reviewer; and, please, don't take my word for gospel either. Read the book for yourself. Whether you agree with the politics or not, you will have the opportunity to learn why humans "who are willing to put themselves between their blessed home and war's desolation" are true citzens of their society. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MOVIE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Well if you ever read a book before you saw the movie, you know that the book is better. In this case, the book is also morally superior to the movie. (e.g. in the movie, disabled comrades are often killed outright; in the book, soldiers in the MI willingly sacrifice themselves to save their fallen brethren.)
Rating:
Summary: The movie, and the Amazon reviewer, desecrates a fine book.
Review: The only connection between the recently released movie and this book is the title, and a few character names. I have read the book three times in the past few years (1st time in '90), and I knew that the story could not possibly be told accurately in a movie. I went to see the movie purely for escapism and the special effects, but I left afterwards feeling gut-kicked, as if my hero had been disgraced by no fault of his own. Not only did the movie not follow the book at all (when I say the character names were from the book, that is all I mean--just the names, not the actual characters), the movie added things that were never in the book. (The love triangle in the movie has no reflection in the book.) It is sad to think that some people will see the movie before, or even in place of, reading the book. Even the Amazon reveiwer above, mentions things that have no connection with the book at all. "...when anti-Communist paranoia was reaching fever-pitch...." What does that have to do with the book? "
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I loved this book Heinlien really outdid himself this time. I have read alot of his books and this one really stands out. The movie doesn't even do justice to this book. If you saw the movie and thought it was cheese read the book and I promise you will not be able to stop.
Rating:
Summary: Reality Check
Review: Hello!ARE YOU AWAKE? Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS was Meant to provoke thought and controversy. It is not a perfect political manifesto and was never intended to be. RAH was always ahead of his time with his ideas - check his other works such as THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS, FARNHAM'S FREEHOLD, DOUBLE STAR, BEYOND THIS HORIZON or STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND. The politics put forth are no more palatable but none the less possible. There lies the heart of the matter for a man educated as a Navy officer and engineer - anything is possible IF sufficient resources and motivation are present. The question of how to get there(and would we want to) from here was left as an exercise for the reader. Do you get it yet? Heinlein wrote for the teen audience because they are the leaders of tomorrow and their minds are open enough to accept,consider, perhaps even understand the ideas and warnings in his writings and because they didn't "know it can't be done". RAH's books are not meant to please everyone (engineers quickly learn this difficulty) but love it or hate it, you Will think about it. ST(the book) fills this role very well.
Rating:
Summary: Shame On Amazon Review
Review: The perfect ten for me. It stayed there (at the top of SciFi) for 30+ years (since I discovered Heinlein after coming to the US from Communist Yugoslavia). The book is NOT for wimps and those who do not allow thinking and exploration of ideas and possibilities. Shame on poor Amazon.com reviewer for his imbecilic insertion about "anti-Communist paranoias". Not that it has ANYTHING to do with this great book but Heinlein saw clearly 50 years ago what Amazon's reviewer still can not or does not want to see.
Rating:
Summary: HEINLEIN'S CLASSIC LIVES ON!
Review: Few books have held my attention as strongly as this novel. The time RAH spent in the Navy shows through and brings this story to life. If you enjoy military sci-fi you must read this book. I would like to note to those who complain there aren't enough battles, that most of characters' time is spent in training, prepreation, and waiting for battle. . .ask someone who has served, how much time they spent fighting.
Rating:
Summary: Resonates with those who've served.
Review: Anyone who's been throough basic training will be touched by Heinlein's intelligent and thoughtful treatment of a classic coming-of-age theme, as will those who searched as a teen without knowing waht they were looking for. Heinlein's classic page-turning style will engage and challenge the reader on the import of every subject from historical ethecs to mathematics. Take a poingant and insightful look into the heart of a soldier and come away with a new understanding of what it means to serve.
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