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Book Review of Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
hardtack avatar reviewed on + 2701 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This is one of my all-time favorite books! I guess it is due to the time I spent in the Marines. Most of this book is about training in the Mobile Infantry when the hero is in boot camp, and later when the hero is in officer training. This book is about developing leadership and assuming responsibility: to yourself, to your comrades and to society at large. Only a few chapters are concerned with fighting the "Bugs," the aliens seeking to destroy Earth.

Good leadership is a precious commodity, not everyone has it. So I naturally like books about leadership, due to my experience in the service.

The movie of the same name that was supposedly based on this book is a disaster. In fact, if Heinlein had still been alive he would have sued the movie studio for depicting women the way it did and for destroying the characters he so lovingly developed.

This book was one of Heinlein's best. If you read it and like it, then get a copy of "A Citizen of the Galaxy" immediately, as it has a similar premise regarding responsibility to others.