Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
24 used & new from £3.64

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Starship Troopers
 
See larger image
 

Starship Troopers (Paperback)

by Robert A. Heinlein (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 21? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
20 new from £3.64 4 used from £3.64

Frequently Bought Together

Starship Troopers + The Forever War (S.F. Masterworks) + Old Man's War
Price For All Three: £16.67

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Forever War (S.F. Masterworks)

The Forever War (S.F. Masterworks)

by Joe Haldeman
4.6 out of 5 stars (61)  £5.49
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (New English Library science fiction)

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (New English Library science fiction)

by Robert A. Heinlein
4.4 out of 5 stars (19)  £5.49
Old Man's War

Old Man's War

by John Scalzi
4.2 out of 5 stars (39)  £4.19
I Am Legend (S.F. Masterworks)

I Am Legend (S.F. Masterworks)

by Richard Matheson
4.7 out of 5 stars (119)  £5.49
Ender's Game (The Ender saga)

Ender's Game (The Ender saga)

by Orson Scott Card
4.8 out of 5 stars (96)  £5.24
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks; New Ed edition (14 Mar 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340837934
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340837931
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 42,107 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #7 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > H > Heinlein, Robert A.

Product Description

Product Description
It is told through the eyes of Starship Trooper Johnny Rico, from his idealistic enlistment in the infantry of the future, through his rigorous training to the command of his own platoon of infantrymen.

His destiny is a galactic war of unlimited violence and destruction, in which he and his fellow troopers scour the metal-strewn emptiness of space to hunt down a terrifying enemy - an insect life form which threatens the very future of mankind.

About the Author
Robert A. Heinlein was one of the greatest science fiction writers of the century and won the coveted Hugo Award on several occasions. He died in 1989.

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Johnnie joins the Mobile Infantry, 17 Sep 2005
By Sally-Anne "mynameissally" (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
Robert Heinlein has crammed a gripping story, some fascinating philosophy, ideology and politics into this relatively short book. And incredibly, for a book about soldiers at war, there's hardly a word that could be categorised as 'swearing'. The soldiers are pleasant and wholesome, if occasionally a bit gruff. The reason they are so well behaved is that good manners and a sense of responsibility are "paddled" (a euphemism for beating) into them, resulting in "lumps" (swelling injuries) from an early age. In this future society anyone may vote if they earn the right by volunteering a couple of years of their life (which they may well lose before ever getting the franchise) in the service of the state. Juan (Johnnie) Rico's route to citizenship is via the MI: the Mobile Infantry. He can anticipate a period of tough training after which, if all goes well, he completes his service and then gets back to civvy street and the world's his oyster. However, a war breaks out between humans and a sort of planetary empire of intelligent arthropods before his two years are up. The story of Starship Troopers is Johnnie Rico's account of what happened to him after he volunteered: his training and transformation into a proper soldier; use of military technology (the MI use powered suits of armour that give the wearers great strength, a range of formidable weapons, communications devices and the ability to bounce high and fast over great distances); the friends and officers who influenced him; the victories and setbacks he experienced personally and as part of a military body at war and his thoughts about what it all meant.

Descriptions of the political system, how it came about and Johnnie's thoughts and feelings about it, is a thread that runs right through the book. It's an attractive ideology on the face of it, that works because it's logical and based on a solid foundation: the understanding of human nature. People behave reasonably well, crime levels are low, everybody tows the line, there are no revolutions. This is human nature as we've never seen it, in fact: idealized. The system seems to be a sort of right-wing socialism. In this future though, there are better enemies to fight than other human nations. There are aliens to play the role of our hated "other": hostile alien bugs that are occupying territory human populations could be expanding into. And just as you would expect from a human enemy, these intelligent bugs are bound to have a different point of view.

The combination of exciting adventure and stimulating philosophy makes this an effortless read. Recommended.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Science Friction!, 28 Mar 2007
In Starship Troopers Robert Heinlein does what he did best: challenge human convention; conviction and ideologies with scathing ease. Set in a future where social inclusion or 'citizenship' is earned through right of passage (ie: undertaking national service in a fruitless war against arachnids in a distant star system) Heinlein's vision is daunting and bleak, yet satire adds a degree of science friction evident in many of his works. Those who are looking for the 'in your face' gorefest approach of Verhoven's movie take on this book will be sorely disappointed; but if you enjoyed the film's darker satirical edge then you may still take something away from this great book.

Highly recommended.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Heinlein at his best, 22 Jul 2007
By M. Porter (Essex, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
Considering that Heinlein wrote this book as one of his series of `juvenile' novels it is quite amazing how much effect it has had. It seems the novel is violently hated by many because of it's, apparently, militaristic approach (a fact which Verhouven seems to have picked at the cost of almost everything else!). In my view it is one of the most interesting political documents in the realm of SF - on a par only with that other great Heinlein classic, `Stranger in a Strange Land'.

In the first place it's a rollicking classic `coming of age' story with the spoilt hero growing up to be a man (shades of Perseus, Theseus, and the rest). The baddies are `bad', the goodies are good - and Rico is a goodie but that doesn't detract from his characterisation: he still struggles with his conscience.

To correct a reviewer below, you don't become a citizen for fighting the `bugs' specifically, but for serving in the defence of your country. Not a bad concept one may think but probably too difficult to impose right now! There is much political philosophy in the book but, in general, the major drive is of individual `responsibility' together with an idea to appear later in `The Moon is a Harsh Mistress', i.e. TANSTAAFL - there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. It may not be top-hole political philosophy but it can sure make one think!

I have an original paperback of this brought when I was much (much!) younger that is now so brown and broken I had to buy a new copy. I read it regularly and would recommend it to any SF reader as one of Heinlein's very best.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An All-Time Classic
Starship Troopers is one of the finest examples of science fiction ever produced. It races through the career of Johnnie Rico from his internal debate about joining the military... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MLA

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely good & thought provoking
I read this book first many years ago and enjoyed it, in amongst many other books I was reading at the time but did not, looking back really understand it fully. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mart

3.0 out of 5 stars Classic but of its time
Well, it's a classic but very much of its time. It is a Bildungsroman about Juan Rico, who volunteers for the spaceborne infantry and grows up fighting for humanity against the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nicholas Whyte

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting experiment (look up Rodger W. Young) on the net.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Interesting experiment (look up Rodger W. Young) on the net. Read more
Published 10 months ago by bernie

4.0 out of 5 stars Short, as most books ought to be
I'll try to make my review short; as the title says, the book is short - about 1 cm thick. Good books, including good SF doesn't have to be thick like a brick. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Peter Bjørn Perlsø

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
I first read "Starship Troopers" as a young teenager in 1960 and it had a massive effect on me. Apart from being a first rate story, even at the tender age of 14 I agreed with... Read more
Published 12 months ago by ray dorrity

5.0 out of 5 stars Starship Troopers
I think this is a great book. Much better than the film. The story runs along at a cracking pace but still has time to look at our current political malaise but offering a... Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2006 by K. P. Rose

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
This is the first book of Robert A. Heinlein that I have read. It is quite interesting and rises a few moral and political questions, such as public flogging, which I interpret as... Read more
Published on 8 April 2006 by _astra_

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic must read classic
I'm a fan of the modern day film, but the original is a very different story that is a classic of Science Fiction literature.... a must read!!! :o)
Published on 22 Mar 2006 by davamartin2

3.0 out of 5 stars Is he serious? I think he is..........
You might well be looking up this book up having seen the Verhoven film (beautiful young people, hideous alien bugs, a facist state and lots of gore). Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2006 by no_relation_to_ben

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

Shop clearance shoes

 

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

Shop Converse

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates