Genre: Fiction—Science Fiction
Completed: 5 July 2015
Summary & Review:
Leaving behind his civilian life against the wishes of his parents, Johnnie Rico enlists in the Mobile Infantry, a futuristic military branch of airborne infantry with powered armor. As he progresses from boot camp recruit through non-com to commissioned officer, Johnnie will help in the battle against the “Bugs” and learn what is means to be a soldier.
I loved this book. Heinlein is one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time and I could see aspects from this book that other authors, such as Orson Scott Card, have used in their own novels. It wasn’t a plot heavy book, meaning the major action of the bug war was almost only there as a backdrop against which Heinlein could explore military life and, more specifically, the life of a infantry grunt. Almost a third of the book was spent on Rico’s time in boot camp and other large chunks were devoted to his pre-military education and time at OCS. During these scenes, Heinlein expounded on the virtues of military service, explained why war is sometimes necessary, and offered solutions to some of the ills facing modern society. It was a great book and I understand why this was one of the first books put on the USMC’s reading list.
Rating: 9.0
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