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Beginning Operations (Sector General) Paperback – 2 Jun. 2001

by James White (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 352 ratings
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Back in print, the first three volumes of James White's "Sector General" SF saga, in a single omnibus edition. With a new introduction by Brian Stableford.
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  1. Print length
    512 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    2 Jun. 2001
  4. Dimensions
    13.97 x 2.9 x 21.59 cm
  5. ISBN-10
    0312875444
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0312875442
  7. See all details
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Product description

Review

"Sector General is one of the few places in SF that one would really, really like to exist." --David Langford

"Over the years White has built a large and enthusiastic audience for his Sector General series, which concerns a fully realized interspecies hospital on the rim of the Galaxy. His fascinating cast of characters and his belief in the basic decency of all intelligent life-forms have seen him through six Sector General books over the past quarter century." --James Gunn, The New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

"Neat, humorous, and humane." --The Ultimate Guide to SF

About the Author

James White lived in Northern Ireland. He was a popular writer of science fiction for over forty years. He was best known for his twelve novels in the Sector General series, beginning with Hospital Station. He died in 1999.

Brian Stableford lives in Reading, England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (2 Jun. 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312875444
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312875442
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.9 x 21.59 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 352 ratings

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James White

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
352 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

KP1
5.0 out of 5 stars Books arrived as expected
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 August 2024
Verified Purchase
Books are for a gift, so I can't comment on their content but they arrived before the due date of arrival.
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J. McDonald 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
4.0 out of 5 stars James White: Beginning Operations (Sector General).
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 March 2022
Verified Purchase
An omnibus edition comprising the first three novels of the twelve in the Sector General Series; the titles are Hospital Station, Star Surgeon and Major Operation.
It's an interesting and intelligent Sci-fi scenario – an interplanetary hospital station on the edge of known space, catering to all species and staffed by a reflective mix of medical staff; it pre-dates TV shows like Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which run with similar ideas, but White`s novels are more firmly part of the contemporary literary genre of the period in which they were written (early 60s into the 90s).
I quite enjoyed them for what they are, having read a good many Sci-fi novels of the same vintage; only the last third of Major Operation failed to engage me to the extent that the other stories had – some rather ponderous and convoluted over-description that slowed the story somewhat.
Otherwise, a good introduction to the series, which I certainly intend to continue with.
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c barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant series. Stood the test of time .
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2020
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Brilliant series . Originally read in my youth and enjoyed just as much these many years later.
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J. A. Hudson
5.0 out of 5 stars Beginning Operations - James White
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2012
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This it what Sc-Fi writing is all about. James White is gentle man with a mind and heart bigger than the universe. I only hope that the future is as bright and as glorious as he says.
3 people found this helpful
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E. Cornell
4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to the series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2016
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Great sci-fi read, sexist as hell (but these are some of James White's earlier stories) but if you can ignore that then it's good fun
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edwin say
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2014
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the later stories are not as readable as the first one
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yavin1
5.0 out of 5 stars Best medical, science fiction stories out there
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2016
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Ah, Sector General.

Best medical, science fiction stories out there.

James White tragically unappreciated in his native country.
4 people found this helpful
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Purchaser
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 October 2019
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entertaining S.F.
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Solveig
5.0 out of 5 stars Alt aber gut
Reviewed in Germany on 27 June 2016
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Ich bin vermutlich alles andere als unvoreingenommen, da ich die Bücher bereits vor über 25 Jahren das erste Mal gelesen (und geliebt) habe. Umso schöner, dass ich sie nun auch auf dem Kindl habe.

SiFi ohne (großartige) Raumschlachten, vom Aufbau ein bisschen gewöhnungsbedürftig, manche Wiederholungen (Einteilung der Arten, Besonderheiten der Arten etc.) hätte es nicht so oft gebraucht und trotzdem macht es einfach Spaß.
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Tammy A Thurston
5.0 out of 5 stars Begining Operations (SectorGeneral)
Reviewed in Canada on 19 September 2014
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I have waited years for the re-release of James White's Sector General Novels.

This very original series deals with unique aliens with amazing situations
in a multi-species hospital environment.

I remember reading this series over 25 years ago, it's interesting characters
has held up over time and I immediately bought all the omnibuses.
I find them a thoroughly satisfying reads

Tammy Thurston
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BLLingg
5.0 out of 5 stars THANK YOU Amazon!!!
Reviewed in the United States on 29 July 2011
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Somehow, I overlooked this one when I got the other Sector General Kindle Books (Alien Emergencies & Mind Changer). And boy did I ever notice the lack!
Beginning Operations has, no duh, the Beginnings of Sector General. How O'Mara first became a Monitor and THE Head Psychologist. How Conway first came to Sector General and brought with him a Bad Perception of the Monitors as well as how that perception was changed with his experiences. How his relationship with Murphy began and grew over time. How Conway had his first experience with Telepathy. And how he grew & developed into an excellent Diagnostician.

When I was reading Alien Emergencies & Mind Changer, I had to really strive to remember the tales from the earlier Books that I had read so long ago since they were all referred to, either overtly or covertly, in the latter Books. (Had I located this one first, I wouldn't have had to experience all that frustration. Oh well.) In fact, it was so torturous at times that I was VERY VERY tempted to just go out and purchase a Used Book. But I have vowed that I will never ever again burden myself with non-Kindle Books except where "necessary", as in Crafts or National Geographic, where pictures & color is critical. And I was able to keep my vow in spite of the agony!!! But boy oh boy, am I glad this agony is now relieved! (I still have it with Andre Norton & Anne McCaffrey!)

The Kindle Version is great. The Table of Contents functions. (Not that I need it. This is one book I'm reading from Front to Back with only an occasional excursion into the Table of Contents, like just now, to make sure, as I write this, that there really is one and that it really does work!) I haven't even noticed any typos. Although they could be there, but I'm so engrossed in my reading that I completely overlook them!!!

I really do enjoy the James White Sector General Books. The concept itself is great. I keep my Kindle Books organized by Categories. And the Category for Sector General is "SciFi - Hospitals". I had to do it that way instead of by Author & Series because I included Alan E Nourse's "Star Surgeon" along with White's Sector General. And if Langford or someone else should continue to write about Sector General, I will have no problem trying to search my Kindle for Books by Author.
4 people found this helpful
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John Willson
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating sci-fi from the early days and the edge of the galaxy
Reviewed in Canada on 10 April 2019
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In a time when a lot of sci-fi was just naval adventures ported into a spacefaring setting, this pacifist author told fascinating stories about a galactic hospital tasked with treating any and all species, no matter how alien.

This is a collection of short stories with the same setting and main character. In each one, Doctor Conway must decipher an unfamiliar alien's physiology, figure out what ails it, and save its life, all without the benefit of a common language or culture. These are puzzles of advanced anatomy, pathology, psychology. But they're more than intellectual challenges: in every case, the fate of the hospital, or the outcome of a war, hangs in the balance.

The collection begins with a short story that White wrote much later than the others, but which gives us the origin story of an important secondary character. I think it was a poor choice. The story isn't engaging if you're not already a fan of the series. I prefer to read works in the order they were written. I recommend starting on the second tale, and saving the first til last.

While reading, one is rarely aware that these stories are about 50 years old -- aside from the occasional, startling bits of sexism that pass through the text, unremarked upon by the characters. The writing is adept and not too stylized. Overall: recommended for readers in the 21st century.
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gilroy0
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good 1960s sci fi
Reviewed in the United States on 26 December 2016
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This is an interesting piece of work that feels at once very much part of its time and yet apart from it. A space opera very much in the tradition of the scientist-hero Big Problem genre, it has very little swashbuckling and a rather inclusive and even pacifistic message. Worth the read for its own merits and for insight into a changing field.
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