The Long Patrol: A Tale from Redwall

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As young Tammo dreams of joining the Long Patrol--the legendary army of fighting hares that serves the Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, Ruler of Salamandastron--the brutal reality of a battle with Damug Warfang's mighty battalion of savage Rapscallions fast approaches.

Brian Jacques has proved time and time again his ability to transport readers into a world of fantasy and adventure that many writers of adult books would love to emulate. The Long Patrol certainly proves the point yet again, but distinguishes itself by being perhaps the very best of all the Redwall books so far. Relying less and less on the old, familiar Redwall characters and more and more on the ingenuity and passion of younger blood, The Long Patrol will certainly win Jacques a fresh following while continuing to delight his existing army of fans. --Susan Harrison

Book Description

The murderous Rapscallion army is on the move. Dealt a humiliating defeat by Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, the Badger Lady of Salamandastron, who still pursues them, the Rapscallions are heading inland to take an even greater prize: the peaceful Abbey of Redwall. The elite fighting unit of hares, the Long Patrol, is called out to draw them off. At the forefront is the young hare Tammo, the lead sword in one of the most ferocious battles Redwall has ever facedÂ—ready to fight to the death!

Â“[Jacques is] a masterful storyteller. . . . As in the other Redwall books, the combination of an absorbing plot, robust characterization, and detailed description make the novel a page-turner.Â”
Â—The Horn Book

Customer Reviews:

Another 5 star review for this awesome book!.......2007-09-30

Most of this book isn't very good. Well, I guess it's pretty good, the adventure is pretty action packed and it's fun to read about the travels of the rapscallion army. The coolest parts happen in the end, when the redwallers raise an army and engage the rapscallions in the biggest battle in redwall history! Things aren't looking up for them though, so they'd better hope the long patrol gets there soon! This is the book with the best battle, so if you like action and redwall, read this book!

Well, at least it's short.......2007-08-22

If I was to put all of the Redwall books and sort them from creativity to overdone concept, the pile of creativity would be a pathetically small pile. Yes, I am an adult, who has outgrown Redwall, and even the hardcore Redwall fans are starting to outgrow Redwall. You can only handle so much of the same hack-n-slash plot of good and evil until it gets extremely repetitive. 'The Long Patrol' stands as probably one of the worst Redwall books I've endured, as is up there with the book 'Triss'.

Thank fate it's a small book for a Redwall novel, but even thinness cannot guarantee that it will be over faster. In Camp Tussock, where hares gather and 'train' or rest--that part was never clear--but what is clear is that all of the hares there go to Salamandastron to become soldiers of the Long Patrol. The map that is always included in every Redwall book, does a nice job of laying out the lay of the land, but please don't rely on it for the whole Redwall universe in general. It's not a Lord of the Rings map. It's not even a 'Warriors' map. It' a sloppy map whose geography is always changing from one book to the other. But about the book's plot.

The plot is pretty much simple. A rowdy hare named Tammo wants to join the Long Patrol, but his father does not think he has the material or even the experience. But Tammo's mother sends him off to his quest anyway, but not alone. His guide is a wisecrack, aloof squirrel named Russa Nodrey. Like in many Redwall journeys, their quest is not complete with danger along the way in which they overcome without batting an eye, until they actually get in trouble, and who else helps them but the Long Patrol. The badger lord, a Lady Rose Eyes Cregga, is gearing her hares to war against the Rapscallions, a so-called vicious horde led by a Greatrat, the cruel Damug Warfang.

You already know the outcome to this story before you even read it, and Tammo's struggles to grow up are alright, but when he actually goes to fight, he manages to kill quite a lot of Rapscallions...and he hasn't really trained. He's an inexperienced whelp who spends most of his time in the Long Patrol eating, eating, and eating. Like the rest of the hares. This is about 'The Long Patrol' right? Why did this fail in so many ways? Why wasn't there a more depth story about how the Long Patrol was actually formed, how the hares train, what makes a certain hare good enough to join? Because if a whelp like Tammo could be accepted in the ranks of the Patrol, then what's the point of Camp Tussock? So many plotholes that could've been filled if this story didn't take such a dramatic path. But since 'Loamhedge' wasn't really about Loamhedge--just a quest to the ruins, and 'The Legend of Luke' wasn't really about how Luke became a legend--more of Martin traveling to a wreck and we are filled with maybe 90 pages of Luke slaying a pirate. So 'The Long Patrol' wasn't really about The Long Patrol. Just about another ho-hum adventure of inexperienced fighters slaying a horde of badbeasts, but at least this story had more casualties than all of the Redwall books combined. That's what probably made it somewhat believable, but I still find it so hard to wrap around the idea that the horde of Rapscallions who you can clearly see had experience killing and fighting and actually learning how to wield a sword, could be slain so easily by a bunch of goodbeasts who think violence is bad, yet they all seem to possess the spirits of long-dead warriors and kill without so much as a single mark.

Irony, but of course, it's Redwall. And that's why this book deserves three stars. An average read for children, but obviously bland for adults who've read something far better elsewhere.

Yet another great story from Jacques!.......2006-10-28

The Long Patrol was a typical Redwall book, displaying good vs. evil. This book centered on the famous Long Patrol and I really liked how the hares were portrayed and emphasized in this book. The only problem I had with The Long Patrol is that it wasn't as captivating as some of the other Redwall books. It seemed a little anti-climactic to me, but it was still a very good book. The best thing is that you don't have to be a little kid to enjoy this book (or any other Redwall book)!!

One of his best........2006-10-07

First off i want to say I am a hard critic of the Redwall series because I believe they are becoming very repetitive. This book however is a breath of fresh air, differnt from all the rest. This is easily his best in my book, along with Martin the Warrior and The Bellmaker.

The Long Patrol.......2006-06-01

A young hare named Tammo longs to be in the Long Patrol, a fierce fighting force that protects all of Salmandastron. However, he joins a small army of various animals that, led by Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, battles the legendary Rapscallion, in the name of defending Redwall Abbey. The ending is known, but a few twists and turns make this book worth every page.
This novel is a true representation of Brian Jacques' talent and imagination. Each animal has human characteristics, and readers will enjoy reading Badger-speak aloud. You will grow attached to Tammo and his friends as their goodhearted nature wins against selfishness, cruelty, and anger. People 12 and up will enjoy this book.

Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol Series)

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Better than before
Think Sidestage Lensman
A GREAT sci-fi yarn!
Murphy's Law in Action
Irregular Patrol

Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol Series)
Christopher Anvil
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743488482

Book Description

The crew of the ship were marooned on a planet with no ship repair facilities, where the well-meaning schemes of social engineers had created a nightmare of battling gangs. They had their own invention with them-an emotional amplifier, which could cause anyone to feel a heightened emotion, but this wasn't useful at first. If they heightened the locals' sense of pride, they took pride in becoming better criminals. So they pretended to be the Royal Legions, sent by a distant star kingdom in pursuit of an all-powerful villain who was hiding on the planet. Things were going better than they could have hoped, and the planet was rapidly becoming civilized . . . and then the real Royal flagship showed up. They thought they were doomed-but instead they were told they had shown just the type of initiative and intelligence that the new arrivals were looking for. So they were inducted into the Interstellar Patrol. And that was just the beginning. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Better than before.......2004-11-21

I remember reading most of the stories in Interstellar Patrol, which collects and reissues a series of stories by Christopher Anvil which first appeared (mostly)in Astounding/Analog between 1958 and 69. I remember them fondly, and find on re-reading that they are better than ever.

The science is good, the adventure is fun, but what is most delightful is the interaction between personnel from the Interstellar Patrol, the Stellar Scouts, the Space Navy, and the (civilian and governmental) Planetary Development Authority.

What makes these stories better than before is that when I first read them I was young and, naturally, idealistic. Being much older now and (I hope) more experienced and wiser, I have a better appreciation of the ways in which various branches of government can foul each other up (with some totally civilian entities thrown in for fun) even though they all believe they are working toward the same end. What is fun is to read how one or two intelligent people who keep their eyes on the donut and not the hole can figure out how to overcome the multitude of roadblocks that government agencies (and their devout personnel) can throw in each other's way, given their different views of the end goal. What wins in the end is the ability to think outside the box, which for me is the ultimate joy of science fiction.

I recommend this book (and its promised successors) without reservation - more than worth the money.

Think Sidestage Lensman.......2004-11-10

This book is a collection of stories that have been published before in one form or another. The introduction by David Weber makes that very clear.

What is not clear is that this is space opera of the old style. If you liked (loved?) E.E. Doc Smith's Lensmen series, then you are going to enjoy this. It is simple story telling, without any of the pscyhobabble claptrap that seems to encumber most SF today.

The characters are gruff, they smoke cigarettes(?), they carouse and they shoot first and sometimes ask questions later. In short, Lensman type space opera.

Reccommended without reservation.

A GREAT sci-fi yarn!.......2004-09-21

Some old sci-fi ages badly, but this collection is like wine and just gets better with age. This book isn't just a page tuner, it funny, insightful, and shows you what makes old sci-fi a totally different 'animal' then what is written today. There is no hand wringing, or rules, or feeling sorry for people who are disadabanged in these stories. These stories are about men solving MAN SIZED issues, but not with pure violence. More often then not the characters create the solutions by being smarter rather then just the end of a gun. Yes, its heavy handed and simpistic, but this book is one that every sci-fi fan should read.

Murphy's Law in Action.......2004-02-21

Interstellar Patrol is a collection of stories in the Colonization universe, including the early tales of Roberts, Hammell and Morrisey. This volume also includes several other tales related to Federation agencies other than the IP.

The Paradise tales describe how the captain and crew of the Orion, an Interstellar Rapid Transport ship, found themselves stranded off the planet Boschock III, misnamed Paradise. The Captain Vaughn Roberts, the cargomaster Hammell, and the comtech Morrissey brought the worst injured down to the planet in their tender, but crashed in the jungle outside the only city. Nearby settlers took the injured back to their village for treatment in return for some weapons and ammo, but the city officials, under the overall command of the central computer, were less than helpful.

After escaping from the city, Roberts and Hammel returned to the tender to discover that Morrissey, having time on his hands, had stumbled across an unusual application of their communications system; it generated a field that induced various emotions in anyone within range of the equipment. Experimenting with the effect, they learned how to project and overlap several fields as desired. Using this want-generator to control the emotions of the various factions on the planet, they created sufficient chaos that the central computer of the city decided to provide repairs to their ship and equipment just to get them offworld.

In subsequent visits to the planet, the trio found themselves somehow becoming responsible for the whole planet under the guise of Dukes of the Empire. Then they found that the Interstellar Patrol had been observing their progress with interest and was offering them a chance to become recruits in that organization.

The Boot Camp tales introduce Dan Bergen, another IP recruit, as well as Colonel Valentine Sanders, who becomes their commanding officer. In these stories, the IP submits the recruits to various tests, both to evaluate their capabilities and to induce the proper attitudes. Some of the tests are live and others are simulated, although it is hard to tell the difference. However, it is better to be eaten alive by carnivorous fish in a simulation than in the real world, although the sensations are much the same.

The Others tales present a broader view of the Federation and various unaligned worlds. A major theme in all these stories is interservice rivalry, particularly between the PDA and the Space Force. Another ongoing theme in some of these stories, particularly the Stellar Scouts tales, is the failure of new and improved equipment under field conditions; while some improved devices work as expected, others display quirky and sometimes harmful behavior in the real world.

All these stories say something about the foolishness of human beings. The author has specialized in writing Murphy's Law yarns, where things go wrong in ways none had realized were possible. The author has a rare insight and ability to illustrate the SNAFUs and FUBARs that haunt all human activities, particular in bureaucratic environments. Although such stories are probably not as popular today, there are still enough readers with military, or corporate, experience to relate to these situations.

Only the first three stories have been previously published in book form, so this is a rare opportunity for those who don't have the original magazine versions. However, there are many more out there slowly rotting in attics and basements. The editor has promised that some of those will be appearing in the sequel volume(s).

Highly recommended for Anvil fans and for anyone else who enjoys seeing other people make foolish mistakes much like the ones we ourselves have made.

Irregular Patrol.......2003-08-02

Marooned space sailors are to expect hardships, but not in a planet designed to be an Utopia! Savage beasts, robot policemen, social experiments out of control and an experimental machine that could solve all the troubles of Utopia...if it didn't get everybody killed. And then there is the ultimate solution space captain Robert Vaungh came up with to deal with the warring factions of Utopia: unite them under his rulership against a wizard that did not exist.
Now it is a toss who will get him; the factions, the hostile planet, Space Fleet(which loves to hunt pirates), real pirates, the machine or the Interstellar Patrol drafting ship! Because people who survive mad situations like these are just the kind of people Interstellar Patrol needs.

Customer Reviews:

...Was nudity all you guys bothered to pay close attention to?.......2006-01-28

Alright, I'm not trying to put you guys down or anything. I know you're just thinking about whats best for young viewers and such, but thats all you guys pretty much talked about in your reviews. Personally when I read your reviews before checking out this book, I thought Beast Boy and Star where taking a bath or something. Of course I was wrong.
Now heres my review:

If you guys read my review on "Teen Titans GO! vo. 1" than you can expect some more of the same in this review. Again the story is made of 5 chapters. Four in which are just random, but the last has a continuing plot.

Chapter 1: Storm
The Titans get word that their citys being torn up. When they go to find out what the problem is, they learn that the part of the city has become the battle ground of their new recent allys, Thunder and Lighting. Why the two are fighting is the real problem that has to be solved.

Chapter 2: How You Play the Game
Blackfire makes her return, but with no anger or threats. All she wants is to see who the better flyer/racer is between herself and Starfire. Starfire excepts the challange, but the rest of the Titans don't trust her. The rest of the team keep their eyes on the race, but things start getting strange when Blackfire begins to take detours in the race, and by no means to cheat.

Chapter 3: Naked City
Ahh...the emfamous naked chapter.
After taking down a series of robots, the Titans take time to hear the cries of fandom when a French man named D.D Ammo comes and askes for a faver of the Titans (or more of Star really). You see, he's a cloths designer and askes if they would be so kind to become spokesmodels and wear his cloths. Beast Boy decides to answer for her and accepts the offer however only BB and Star are the ones to wear them as the other Titans decline. As expected, D.D's cloths become popular in no time but that turns out to be bad news later on.

***Note, to get the naked thing out of the way, heres how it ends. Be warned of spoilers.***
*
*
*************************************************************

It turns out D.D was just a desguise. The real man behind this is the out of his head old man who wants to stay young, Mad Mod.

Within the clothing hides the power to hypnotize those wearing them. Now all of Jump City, and their two friends, are the Titans enemys and they have to stop them in any way they can.

They eventually find a way to stop those being controlled that involves sound waves and stuff. The molecules of the fabric are torn apart but in turn of doing that, the clothing itself is destroyed.
Don't fret, as you all have heard nothing is shown. Weither something "bad" is being covered by someones hands, or blocked by heads or something, we know they are nude. However in case you missed what I said, NOTHING WAS SHOWN. Not even a shot of the rear (I'm sure your aware that that part of the body has been shown on tv, on both adult and children shows).
They weren't trying to be disgusting, they where going for humor. Beast Boy's expression when he finds out he's in the nude is halarious, but its beaten by the next few panals. Starfire is ready to pound in Mod, but all Raven has to say is "You really ought to wait for a costume Starfire....Otherwise the boys won't be able to help it."
And to all of you with dirty minds reading this, it just showed Cyborg and Robin holding back loads of laughter and Starfire, bless her innocent heart, is clueless and doesn't get it. Am I the only one finding this stuff funny?

*************************************************************
******
*****
****
end spoilers

Chapter 4: War Machine
Gizmo has some new inventions in store for the Titans so Cyborg and an old friend think of their own inventions to construct and take him on with.

Chapter 5: Finding Nero
Readings of a sea monster atracts the attention of the Titans and so they go after it. But everytime they get a chance to stop it, Aqualad stops them. Whys he doing this? Answers await in the next book. *More Starfire/Raven loving Aqualad momments ahead*

I had fun with these storys and most of the time the arts pretty good (the only chapter art I didn't care for was chapter 3), some plots dragged, but some where pretty entertaining.
If you liked the first, give this a look at.
Remember, don't knock anything just because someones naked in it :D.
Thanks for your time.

It'd be Okay if..........2005-08-10

This comic book would be okay if they had skiped the one called "Naked City", or at least change it around. What I didn't like about it was that Beastboy and Starfire where nude in it. And Raven looked so much diffrent. This was sooo not made by the producer of Teen Titans!

I was surprised..........2005-04-11

Let me begin by letting you know I'm a mom, not a young boy. I bought this book for my son, who owns volume one. We've read volume one together, we liked it and so I went ahead and bought this one.
The book is sturdy, well drawn and has O.k. dialogue and story lines (typical comic book stuff). I thought it was just like the t.v. cartoon.
I was surprised and a little disappointed that in one of the stories (the book has a few short stories not one long one) it showed a few people totally undressed. The pictures weren't completely revealing; the characters all used their hands to cover up, or were covered by something else in the foreground, but a lot of flesh was shown. I'd say a bit more than in most bathing suits. I'm sure plenty of parents wouldn't think it was a big deal, but as a somewhat conservative parent, I would've skipped this volume had I known.

Polar Bear Patrol (The Magic School Bus Chapter Book, No. 13) (Magic School Bus)

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Polar Bear Patrol (The Magic School Bus Chapter Book, No. 13) (Magic School Bus)
Judith Stamper
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 043931433X

Book Description

Hi, I'm Tim -- one of the kids in Ms. Frizzle's class. When Ms. Frizzle announced that we'd be studying the North Pole, I never thought it would lead us to the top of the world. I also never thought I'd get to see seals, caribou, musk oxen, and polar bears in person, but that was just the beginning. Find out all the bone-chilling facts of our Arctic adventure!

On Patrol: True Adventures of an Alaska Game Warden

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Interesting collection of Game Warden experiences
Paul Schmitt
Great!

On Patrol: True Adventures of an Alaska Game Warden
Ray Tremblay
Manufacturer: Alaska Northwest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 088240573X

Book Description

These daring stories shed light on what life was really like in the Last Frontier just before, during, and after Alaska joined the Union.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting collection of Game Warden experiences.......2007-10-17

Ray provides a good overview of the challenges and adventures he faced in his wildlife enforcement career in Alaska. I'm a pilot; hence I enjoyed Ray telling his stories from a flying game warden's perspective. A good portion of the book conveys flying-related experiences--hence you'll enjoy the book more if you are a pilot and/or if you enjoy reading about plane "stuff."

Paul Schmitt.......2007-05-15

Not a barnburning read, but still OK. If you are looking for a book that focuses on rural wildlife law enforcement--keep looking. The book deals more with Mr. Tremblay's aircraft than law enforcement. Angle of attack, pitch and rolls and shaky landings highlight the book with some animal enforcement adventures mixed in. Easy read, but not exactly what I thought it was going to be about.

Great!.......2007-02-27

My father worked with Mr. Tremblay so I was really interested in this book. It is a great book, exciting! Neat pictures! I loved it.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
The Guardians of Time
Better For History Buffs
classic, timeless, and glorious...
A time traveler faces an ethical dilemma

Time Patrol
Poul Anderson
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416509356

Book Description

Forget minor hazards like nuclear bombs. The discovery of time travel means that everything we know, anyone we know, might not only vanish, but never even have existed. Against that possibility stand the men and women of the Time Patrol, dedicated to preserving the history they know and protecting the future from fanatics, terrorists, and would-be dictators who would remold the shape of reality to suit their own purposes. But Manse Everard, the Patrol's finest temporal trouble-shooter, bears a heavy burden. The fabric of history is stained with human blood and suffering which he cannot, must not do anything to alleviate, lest his tampering bring disastrous alterations in future time. Everard must leave the horrors of the past in place, lest his tampering-or that of the Patrol's opponents, the Exaltationists-erase all hope of a better future, and instead bring about a future filled with greater horrors than any recorded by past history at its darkest and most foul.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-08-04

The Time Patrol is yet another collection of Anderson's stories set in the universe. He obviously liked fiddling with them.

Basically, they centre around Unattached Agent of the Patrol Everard Manse, and his adventures and his relationships working for the highly advanced Danellians to preserve the nature of the timestream.

Time Patrol : Time Patrol [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : Brave to Be a King [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : Gibraltar Falls [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : The Only Game in Town [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : Delenda Est [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : Ivory and Apes and Peacocks - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : The Sorrow of Odin the Goth - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : Star of the Sea - Poul Anderson
Time Patrol : The Year of the Ransom - Poul Anderson

Recruiting of a time agent.

4 out of 5

Manse and Cynthia ponder time off, but there is still Patrol work to be done.

4 out of 5

Lots of water and interfering.

3 out of 5

Sandoval has to co-opt an Unattached for a mission, and guess who?

3 out of 5

20,000 years back for skiing and winding down for Patrol agents, particularly when a bit grumpy with the super overlords.

3.5 out of 5

Everard the Unattached in Tyre and South America with Bolivar.

3 out of 5

Interspersed interview.

3 out of 5

Relationship, three eras, and Exaltationist issues.

3.5 out of 5

The Guardians of Time.......2007-05-03

This is the first Poul Anderson book I've ever read. I am impressed. There are ten short stories in this, the entire "Time Patrol" collection. Each story, although focused around the main character of all the stories, is unique. Mr. Anderson is certainly a gifted writer. He combines history, science and fiction. deftly weaving great yarns that make you think. And that's the kind of book I like to read. A book that makes you think.
Highly recommended.

Better For History Buffs.......2006-06-23

Poul Anderson was a history buff and, except for the first, each of these stories seems to represent his need to come to grips with his research into a particular era. Stipulated that Anderson was a master storyteller, almost incapable of telling a dull tale -- yet some of these do approach dullness, if you don't happen to share his fascination with the details of that era. Yes, sometimes he makes the history come alive in vivid descriptive passages: this is "showing" not "telling," and indeed "showing" of a high order.

But in some stories, he "tells" instead, using long expository passages in which characters bring each other up to date on the historical background of the era in question. Anderson's expository dialog, unlike his action or plotting, is dull and sometimes awkward, and I several times lost interest and skimmed.

And in other stories, contrarily, he doesn't do enough exposition: "Gibraltar Falls" vividly describes the era when the Atlantic spilled into the then-dry Mediterranean valley, but gives the curious reader no background to follow up the geological speculation on which it is grounded. Similarly, "The Only Game in Town" describes a Mongol expedition into North America, a speculation that I believe has some basis, but although Anderson tells us a lot about the Mongols, there is not enough of a handle to follow it up into current research.

Net: fun for history buffs; action/adventure fans might do better reading other series by Anderson.

classic, timeless, and glorious..........2006-05-16

Together with DeCamp's LEST DARKNESS FALL or Silverbergs's UP THE LINE (and perhaps a few others), no other stories really capture the flavor of history, the paradox of time travel, or the genuine joy at being able to wander into the past as this book of stories.

Although the first few have the exact flavor of their era--1950's Astounding magazine--there is nothing really dated or obsolete about these eight stories. Each and every one is a delight, from the long agony of "Odin the Goth", who already knows the doom of those he loves, to the joy of catching time bandits in a beautifully realized ancient Tyre, Poul Anderson gives us stories of the sort that hooked me on science fiction all those years ago... and exactly what brings me back today.

The full set of time patrol stories at nearly 800 pages, this is the biggest bargain you'll find this year.

A time traveler faces an ethical dilemma.......2006-04-20

You can't go wrong with Poul Anderson, whose name is nearly synonymous with the genre, and TIME PATROL is an excellent hard science adventure which tells of a time traveler's ethical dilemma. His Patrol seeks to preserve the history they know and protect the future from terrorists who would remold it to their own purposes - even if the past should really be changed.

Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity (Federation of Man)

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Mischief and Mishaps in the Space Lanes
A Good Followup
Very good B-list space opera
The continuing adventures of Roberts, and other stories

Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity (Federation of Man)
Christopher Anvil
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416520996

Book Description

Vaughan Roberts and his two companions had been trapped on a crime-ridden, chaotic planet until they bamboozled the population with a colossal, audacious hoaxÂ¿which brought them to the attention of the Interstellar Patrol, who were looking for a few good con men, capable of ingenious improvisation and adept at playing dirty tricks on the bad guys. The new recruits acquitted themselves admirably, so they naturally were given more tough nuts to crack, including:

Flummoxing an alien empire which has taken a number of human prisoners as reconnaissance for an invasion. This has a personal aspect, since the prisoners are from the planet which Roberts tricked into reforming. . . .Stopping a plan by not-so-good Samaritans who are pretending to cure a planetary plagueÂ¿which they introduced to the planetÂ¿with a Â¿miracleÂ¿ drug which creates an addiction to the same drug, which the schemers will be glad to continue supplying for ever-increasing sums . . .Not only rescuing some Patrol personnel taken hostage by fanatics who plan to execute them one at a time until their leader is released, but convincing other fanatics throughout the galaxy that the consequences of threatening anyone in the Patrol are too terrible even to think about. . . .Making sure that the rightful heir to a planetÂ¿s throne escapes from captivity and overthrows the usurper. This time thereÂ¿s a complication: Roberts may be falling for the rulerÂ¿s beautiful sister. . . .And much more. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Mischief and Mishaps in the Space Lanes.......2007-08-03

Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity (2005) is the second collection of Interstellar Patrol stories and related SF tales, following Interstellar Patrol itself. This volume includes twenty-two short stories and a short novel set in the Colonization universe.

In this collection, the first six stories are at least marginally related to the Interstellar Patrol, an organization known for its use of unconventional strategy and tactics. "The Claw and the Clock" (Analog, 1971) tells of the disastrous Crustax invasion of the pacifistic world of Storehouse. This story does not directly involve the IP except at the conclusion.

"Riddle Me This . . ." (Analog, 1972) concerns the rescue of two IP agents from a Crustax space fortress by Captain Roberts and his crew. "The Unknown" (Amazing, 1972) relates the tribulations of three con artists who attract the attention of the IP team and their ship. "The Throne and the Usurper" (F&SF, 1970) depicts the confrontation between Roberts and a man with an unusual talent. "The Trojan Hostage" (Analog, 1990) relates the trials of Roberts as a prisoner of clever anarchists.

Warlord's World (DAW, 1975) is a novel about the kidnapping of a royal princess of Festhold who has been admitted by Roberts into his IP crew as a probationary recruit. The villains are very cunning, but the IP is even more persistent in the defense of their new recruit. Since she is the sister of the true King, Roberts and the IP also intervene in an ongoing attempt to usurp the throne of Festhold.

The remaining stories concern other aspects of the Federation of Humanity. The next five tales are about Soldiers and Scholars. "Goliath and the Beanstalk" (Astounding, 1958) and "Facts To Fit the Theory" (Analog, 1966) relate the tales of Stath invasions of two separate pacifistic human planets. "Cantor's War" (If, 1974) pits an authoritative mathematician against the pragmatic military. "Uplift For the Savage" (Analog, 1968) tells of the practical education given to a learned woman by a fieldworker. "Odds" (Amazing, 1977) depicts the challenges of a man on an improbable planet.

The following five tales are about the Troubles With Cargoes. "The Troublemaker" (Astounding, 1960) concerns a cargo-control man who causes problems and a captain who knows the perfect solution to such antics. "Bill For Delivery" (Analog, 1964) shows why live cargo is often not a good idea. "Untropy" (Analog, 1966) illustrates the perils of drinking and driving. "The Low Road" (Amazing, 1970) shows why it is sometimes desirable to drink while driving. "Trial By Silk" (Amazing, 1970) depicts a situation that must be experienced before it can be believed.

The last seven tales in this collection are about the Troubles With Colonies. "The Operator" (Analog, 1971) puts the acting leader of a colony figuratively between a den of pack-bears and a shipload of neobarbarians, with some desirable females as the prize. "While the North Wind Blows" (Amazing, 1978) continues the previous story, only now the warm spell has led to an influx of giant flit birds and the awakening of the flame throwing slags. "Leverage" (Astounding, 1959) tells of a planet where the lifeforms cooperate much more vigorously than expected. "The Sieve" (Astounding, 1959) relates a tale of a new colony with too many uncooperative druggies. "Mating Problems" (Astounding, 1959) reveals one way of canceling out difficulties. "Hunger" (Analog, 1964) suggests that material goods and self-control is not enough. "Contrast" (Analog, 1964) explains a service provided to jaded citizens by one group of colonists.

Many of these stories have morals of sorts. For example, never attack a group of pacifists without checking out their history; some may be former galactic conquerors trying another approach. Another is to analyse the assumptions when evaluating a problem. In any case, the author doesn't just write a satisfying story, but also gives the reader something to thing about afterwards.

Unhappily, few people remember this author from his glory days. As one of those few, I still enjoy memories of his stories in Astounding and Analog and his few book collections and novels. My first introduction to Anvil was his story "The Gentle Earth" in a used edition of the November, 1957, Astounding, where naive aliens invade Earth and then discover weather.

Note that many of Anvil's stories first appeared in Astounding/Analog, starting with Pandora's Planet in the September, 1956, issue of Astounding. They continued to be published in the magazine for the rest of Campbell's tenure as editor. Apparently Ben Bova did not have the same appreciation for Anvil's style as Campbell, so Anvil went elsewhere. Yet Anvil returned for the last IP story, "The Trojan Hostage", which was published in the July, 1990, issue of Analog.

This is the last collection of IP tales, but not the last of Anvil's stories. The Trouble With Aliens gathers a plethora of short works about various and sundry problems with aliens of all sorts. They may be the best tales ever written by Anvil, but for certain they are even more typical of his style.

Highly recommended for Anvil fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of space adventure, risky situations and competent people.

-Arthur W. Jordin

A Good Followup.......2007-03-28

Interstellar Patrol II is an excellent followup to Interstellar Patrol. The choice and sequence of Christopher Anvil's stories to include in this followup volume was well thought out. Seeing Anvil's work again, some of it barely remembered, was a treat.Interstellar Patrol (The Interstellar Patrol series)

Very good B-list space opera.......2005-09-13

"B-list space opera" might seem like faint praise, but Anvil is not E.E. "Doc" Smith or A.E. van Vogt in their prime, he is (to borrow Eric Flint's description of Laumer) a journeyman rather than a master.

There is quite a lot of enjoyment to be had in reading the Baen books collections of Interstellar Patrol I-II and Pandora's Legions, and I recommend all of them, but I can't give the fifth star I bestow on Smith's Lensman series, Brian Daley's Hobart and Alacrity trilogy, or Lee and Miller's Liaden novels.

Still, recommended to anyone who enjoys a good tale well told.

The continuing adventures of Roberts, and other stories.......2005-06-02

Before giving the review of this book, I want to give full disclosure: I was part of a group that worked with Eric Flint to find many of these stories, to scan them in, and to proof them. Christopher Anvil (Harry Crosby) has always been one of my favorite authors. So I am slightly biased about this book. But in all honesty, this is a good collection of fun stories.

There are 23 stories in this book; the stories are in four groups. These stories were originally published from 1958 to 1978. All but "Warlord's World" were published in various Science Fiction magazines. "Warlord's World" was previously published as a complete book.

The first group of stories, which makes up about half the book, is about the Interstellar Patrol. These stories are a direct continuation to "Interstellar Patrol" which was published last year. Roberts and his friends have to solve a number of impossible problems, problems that would overwhelm mere mortals. In one story "Riddle Me This ..." they have to go into an alien fort to rescue two comrades who are being tortured to death. In another story "The Throne and the Usurper" Roberts goes solo against a man with a very amazing mutant ability.

The second group of stories has the least connected set of stories; this is kind of the grab bag set of stories. Two of the stories have to do with colonies of particular branches of humanity fighting off nasty alien invasions.

The third group of stories are about problems a couple crews have in shipping freight between the stars. The first story is about how to handle a new crew member who is a big trouble maker. There are two stories about how to handle difficult cargo. Another story is about potential death during shore leave.

The last group of stories focuses on the struggles of colonists on very hostile worlds. "Leverage" is one of my all time favorite Anvil stories. It is about how the colonists learn to use the deadly fauna to work for them, instead of killing them.

If you have ever enjoyed a Christopher Anvil story, buy this book. These are entertaining stories. The book is hard to put down. If you haven't read any of Christopher Anvil's stories, this is a good place to start.

Rescue Patrol (Backyardigans Ready-to-Read)

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Ski Patrol is on the Go!

Rescue Patrol (Backyardigans Ready-to-Read)
The Artifact Group
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416917969

Book Description

Uniqua, Tasha, and Tyrone have a busy day on the mountain!

Customer Reviews:

Ski Patrol is on the Go!.......2007-02-16

"We are here and ready to save you!"

"Rescue Patrol" is a book adaptation of a "Backyardigans" episode in which Uniqua and Tsaha are ski patrollers, while Pablo and Tyrone are Mounties. Pablo and Tyrone are trying to guard a fort of ice. Uniqua and Tasha come to deliver hot cocoa, but Pablo and Tyrone get the idea that they are burglars. What comes next is a comic string of misadventures.

Like most "Backyardigans" books, this book is decent, but perhaps not quite as much fun as some other books based on episodes of television shows. "The Backyardigans" really works better on TV, with its fun songs and animation. Still, this book should be reasonably fun for fans of the show. Told in a rebus format, this book is also designed to help younger readers learn to read.

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Big Ben Review
The big softie
Big Ben Review
A exciting adventure!

Big Ben (Puppy Patrol)
Jenny Dale
Manufacturer: Apple Signature (Scholastic)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439113245

Book Description

When a magnificent Old English sheepdog named Ben and a pampered poodle disappear during a snowstorm, Neil and his friends are determined to track them down.

Customer Reviews:

Big Ben Review.......2003-05-07

The theme of the story is never give up if it's really important. This story is believable because the dogs ran away, which is something most dogs do. The characters in Big Ben were kids who went out searching for their old English Sheepdog and Mrs. Fitz's Poodle. The characters were believable because they cared enough to go looking for the dogs, and not waiting for the dogs to come home on their own. The setting was very real, and could have taken place anywhere in the U.S. I thought this book was interesting because parts of the story surprised me. Iwould recommend this book to anyone who likes animals.

The big softie.......2001-02-28

when julie and her dog , ben move to compton they don`t exactly make friends with their neighbour Mrs fitz and her dog , but when it snows mrs fitz`s dog goes missing not long after that ben goes missing aswell. not long after neil and emily are on the case will they find the two dogs alive ? get the book and find out ha ha ha !

Big Ben Review.......2000-12-30

This is a good book to read because Mrs.Fiz thought Ben was a bad dog but Mrs.Fiz found out Ben was good.

A exciting adventure!.......2000-07-18

Big Ben was a good book and was exciting, but was not among my favorites of the Puppy Patrol series. Well, if you like big cuddley sheepdogs and little pampered poodles, this may be your favorite Puppy Patrol book.

Puppy Patrol #03: Abandoned (Puppy Patroal)

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Who is Jessie?
Why would someone abandoned Jesse??
ABANDONED!
Abandon your troubles and read "Abandoned!"
The Best Puppy Patrol Book!

Puppy Patrol #03: Abandoned (Puppy Patroal)
Jenny Dale
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439113253

Book Description

When a man brings a pregnant border collie to King Street Kennels late one night, Neil is immediately suspicious. It turns out that Jesse's owner is an antiques thief, and Neil helps the police put him behind bars!

Customer Reviews:

Who is Jessie?.......2003-12-16

Jessie is the most unusual dog Neil has ever met.She is expertly
trained and a tracker too!Jessie`s owner is very spooky you mite
say.The rell qustion is has she rely been Abandoned!?

Why would someone abandoned Jesse??.......2003-05-04

Abandoned is a great book!! It is only my second Puppy Patrol book I have read, but it is my favorite so far (the other was Puppy School)
Jesse is mysteriously dropped off at night at King Street Kennels. Neil took Jesse out for a run and finds she is excellently trained and is well behaved. After a couple of nights (after her owners said they would keep her there) Neil wonders why someone would abandoned this intelligent dog. Will Neil find out what is wrong with Jesse's owners? Read to find out

ABANDONED!.......2001-02-08

Jessie is the MOST UNUSUAL DOG Neil has ever met. Left at the kennles late one night by her mysterious owner, she soon proves to be expertly trained and an excellent tracker dog too! Neil suspects Jessie's owner is up to something sinister. Will he ever return for Jessie-or has she realy been abandoned forever?

Abandon your troubles and read "Abandoned!".......2001-02-03

One of the best puppy patrol books yet! Though it is sad when Soldier the Doberman dies. Otherwise it is a great story blended with mystery, saddness, and all that other stuff readers like. Jessie is an odd dog. Her owner hasn't come back for her, she is an excellent trcker, and knows tons of tricks!But is her owner up to some thing sinister, like robbing jewlry? Each page is filled with susspence while looking for Jess's owner, and the truth. If you love mystery, dogs, or puppy patrol books, this one is a must read! And that's the doggone truth!

The Best Puppy Patrol Book!.......2000-07-18

Abandoned is one of the best puppy patrol books i've read. It involes excitement, mystery, and some sad parts. I loved it and couldn't put it down (I read it in one day). So if you like Puppy Patrol books, I highly recomend Abandoned!

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