This Paperback Book item from Ace Trade was reviewed on 4-Nov-2008.
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1) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. Robert A. Heinleins novel "Starship Troopers" still creates controversy, generations after it was first published. Indeed, the well-known movie "Starship Troopers" was actually a veiled criticism of the book!
Is Heinlein´s book racist or fascist? Is it a Cold War allegory? Is it anti-democratic and militarist? How does this novel square with Heinlein´s reputation for being a libertarian and near-hippie? These questions are still being hotly debated.
"Starship Troopers" describe a future society in which only people who have served in the military enjoy full citizenship rights. Only honorably discharged soldiers have the right to vote and run for office. Strangely enough, the non-citizens enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship and the right to start businesses. Heinlein´s future society thus looks like modern America, but with a Marine Corps-like military caste superimposed on top. In the novel, humanity wages a never-ending war against several races of intelligent space aliens, including the collectivist Arachnids, who resemble spiders. Many people take the Arachnids to be a symbol for Communism in general or Red China in particular. Imperial Japan is another possibility.
Heinlein´s novel attempts to solve that ancient question: how can a society make sure that the best people serve in office? This question is particularly acute in democracies, where anyone can stand for office, and everyone can vote. Heinlein´s solution is to limit the franchise to those who have served in the military. In this way, only the best are selected for the job. And those willing to put their lives on the line must be the best. But does that really solve the problem?
A military is not necessarily a good administrator or politician. The best in times of peace might be different from the best in times of war. Heinlein´s system only works if a total and never-ending war is raging. Indeed, the war against the Arachnids certainly seem to be such. But if so, it´s naive to expect freedom of speech or extensive rights for non-citizens. The system would become a military dictatorship pure and simple, like in the movie "Starship Troopers".
The soldiers in the novel are probably inspired by the philosopher-kings and Guardians of Plato´s "Republic". After rigorous military training, the officers are given courses in moral philosophy, history and politics. But there are also similiarities with ancient Athenian democracy. Every citizen of ancient Athens was expected to serve in the army or navy. There was a connection between rights and duties. But note that many non-citizens in Athens were slaves!
Ultimately, "Starship Troopers" is unconvincing, even naive. You simply cannot give political power to the military, no matter how the military is recruited, and expect everything else to stay the same.
¤ 2) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. this book was not so much about the war with the bugs as it was about the politics and the brutality of ricos government. it didnt give vivid details of war or battle, it didnt give any feeling to the soldiers, it was a good book however. by reading it it makes you think about the flaws in our own society and whether you would be considered a solution to the problems, or one of the people causing them. overall this is very interesting book¤ 3) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. If you like Heinlein or military science fiction this is a must read in my opinion. Fast paced and engaging, I plowed through page after page.¤ 4) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. Most everyone has seen the movie. I liked them both equally. Course I like Sci-Fi.¤ 5) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. When Heinlein first penned this work in response to a call by some politicians to unilaterally disarm the United States, I doubt if he thought it would become one of his best known and most controversial works, a work which continues to have steady sales and whose influence on the science-fiction field has been enormous.
It´s a simple story, one of the growth of Juan Rico from boy to man, as he enlists in the military of the future, and learns just what duty and responsibility mean, what his own capabilities are, and just what he wants out of life.
What is controversial about this book is the philosophy that suffuses it, is in fact the heart of this book, as Heinlein posits a future where, in order to vote or hold political office, you must prove your willingness to support and defend the society through either military service or service in one of the non-combatant auxiliary services. As part and parcel of this idea, no one can be refused entry into these services, even if blind or paralyzed, so political franchise is available to anyone who so desires (as opposed to some of the limitations that have been put on the voting franchise by various states at various times - and remember that this book was written in 1959, long before the Voting Rights Act of 1965). Heinlein further posits that such a society, even though the people who hold office were no better, smarter, or otherwise more qualified than our current leaders, would be a more stable society than our current one because their authority is balanced by their proven sense of responsibility and duty towards that society, a point that is certainly debatable, but in the absence of any real-world society so structured, must remain a conjecture.
Right alongside this idea are statements that rights must be earned (a critical failure of our current society is the inculcated belief that people have these rights just because they exist - that they are `owed´ things without having to make any effort of their own), that correct moral attitudes are not inherent but must be taught (and a lack of corporal punishment in the early developing years does not help in this education), that war is a political statement whose level of violence must be geared towards what the political goal is, that the dictum that `violence never solves anything´ is hogwash, that communism is based on faulty premises, and a whole host of other such ideas.
Now quite a few people have labeled this book as `fascist´ because of this military service requirement, when it is no such thing (just look up the definition of fascist). Heinlein does glorify the military to some degree, but he also shows (often by counter-example) just how screwed up the military can be. And far from robotic adherence to commands, he clearly indicates that military people should question orders they think are suspect (at the right time and place - not while the bullets are whizzing over your head). There is a well-established court system, that like ours is pretty much insulated from political influence, and a political election process that is far away from any fascist government organization.
His depiction of boot camp and later military operations is excellent, comparable to similar descriptions in things like Leon Uris´ Battle Cry. Rico is very well portrayed, a man that is very easy to empathize with and understand his thought processes. The plot seems to ramble a bit, as the story is not really about the Bug war, but about Rico´s development. Once you understand this, it is very logical, coherent, and often exciting. The philosophy is presented with anecdotes, analogies, and concrete examples that make it easy to understand and far from being just `dry lecture´, though perhaps that is the only real flaw with this book, as there is perhaps just too much of this `telling´, rather than `showing´. But in general this is extremely readable, with Heinlein´s typical unforced, near-folksy prose and clear thought processes.
This book has been, at various times, on the recommended reading list of all of our military service academies. I would go further, and recommend that this book be added to the list of `required reading´ that our high school students are subject to. Whether you agree with ideas of this book or not, at the very least this book will make you think, and that´s not a bad thing for students to learn how to do.
--Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)¤ 6) Paperback Book Starship Troopers by Ace Trade. In one of Robert A. Heinlein´s most controversial bestsellers, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe-and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind´s most alarming enemy.¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 2-Dec-2008, 04410141009780441014101, 310-510-000-860-940-060-I6B-8 
Starship Troopers, Book, Image © Ace Trade
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