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Corgi (2006), Paperback, 416 pages
Description
It isn't much of an island that rises up one moonless night from the depths of the Circle Sea just a few square miles of silt and some old ruins. Unfortunately, the historically disputed lump of land called Leshp is once again floating directly between Ankh-Morpork and the city of Al-Khali on the coast of Klatch which is spark enough to ignite that glorious international pastime called "war." Pressed into patriotic service, Commander Sam Vimes thinks he should be leading his loyal watchmen, female watchdwarf, and lady werewolf into battle against local malefactors rather than against uncomfortably well-armed strangers in the Klatchian desert. But war is, after all, simply the greatest of all crimes and it's Sir Samuel's sworn duty to seek out criminal masterminds wherever they may be hiding ... and lock them away before they can do any real damage. Even the ones on his own side.… (more)
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Original language
English
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
The 20th of the Disworld novels, again featuring the Wtach. Not one of his very best, but far from being worst either - and in these day and times even more relevant than ever.
The volcanic island of Leship has risen in the waters between Ankh and Klatch and naturally created tension over the
As usual with Terry's better works, the simple (and unlikely) plot covers a range of wider and deeper issues. International politics of course, but also immigration, racism and many other minor topics - Corperal Nobby as an 'exotic dancer' is possibly Terry's funniest thoughts on sexism. Perhaps less clearly defined though still very important is Vimes's thoughts on the differences between soldiers and police. Although the may often cover the same ground, they have fundamentally different responsabilities - which Vimes realises, though can't adequetly express.
Some very bad puns, a broad range of topics, deep thoughts and laugh out loid moments - should be ideal Pratchett at his best. Somehow it just doesn't quite hang together as well as his best really does. Maybe it's too pointed, the paralells with current international politics are very obvious; or too broad taking on too many themes. However it is another very worthy read from the master.
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The volcanic island of Leship has risen in the waters between Ankh and Klatch and naturally created tension over the
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ownership of this new land. The arrival of a diplomatic mission doesn't make life any easier for Commander Vimes and his motley crew of Guards. When Vetinari is deposed and Lord Rust offers War, Vimes knows his role as a policeman can only be limited - but that there are options available to him that he hadn't considered before. A crime is a crime wherever it occurs, and even Klatchians can be criminals - and not just because they're from Klatch. As usual with Terry's better works, the simple (and unlikely) plot covers a range of wider and deeper issues. International politics of course, but also immigration, racism and many other minor topics - Corperal Nobby as an 'exotic dancer' is possibly Terry's funniest thoughts on sexism. Perhaps less clearly defined though still very important is Vimes's thoughts on the differences between soldiers and police. Although the may often cover the same ground, they have fundamentally different responsabilities - which Vimes realises, though can't adequetly express.
Some very bad puns, a broad range of topics, deep thoughts and laugh out loid moments - should be ideal Pratchett at his best. Somehow it just doesn't quite hang together as well as his best really does. Maybe it's too pointed, the paralells with current international politics are very obvious; or too broad taking on too many themes. However it is another very worthy read from the master.
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LibraryThing member antao
Back in the day, I randomly grabbed a copy of one of Pratchett's books as I bulked up my reading list for the next day when my vacation started. I woke up to 9/11 and the news of the four hijacked planes. Shocked and stressed, with the news playing in its continual loop in the background, I started
Was Pratchett the first to articulate Flying Spaghetti Monster theories? I don't know the entomology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster but it seems a colourful derivative of Russell's Flying Teapot....the first undisprovable assertion (that I know of) to assail the believers in Gods. I think that one of the consequences of evolving an intelligence capable of complex predictions of consequences from actions and knowing the certainty of our own demise is the necessity for developing a parallel capacity not to see the whole thing as fairly pointless and head, "en masse", like a bunch of lemmings over the nearest cliff. Maybe it's an evolved survival mechanism that makes us capable of believing in flying teapots, spaghetti monsters and six impossible things before breakfast without any real proof whatsoever. Well, heading “en masse” like a bunch of lemmings over the not so very far away cliff of catastrophic consequences of climate change, general poisoning of environment and depletion of resources on top of an approaching (momentarily via mare nostrum) Malthusian crisis is actually what we do. I'd argue it's a strong sign of us as a species not being even halfway through the troublesome business of evolving any intelligence of note, making the individual exceptions at best a promise of sorts or sadly more likely a freak mutation that seems to have a hard time with becoming dominant in the gene pool.
First book to read: “Guards Guards.” Has the balance between jokes and seriousness that makes it a great place to start.
Best book: “Small Gods.” One for every theologian to read
Funniest book: “Maskerade.” The scene where Nanny Ogg is cooking her specials made me laugh and laugh and laugh...
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reading "Jingo" - having no idea what the book was about, only that I needed something to distract me. I certainly didn't distract as I immediately saw the paralells, instead it helped me get through that week a little more sanely, a big scoop of anger taken out of me. I'll always be thankful to Pratchett for that.Was Pratchett the first to articulate Flying Spaghetti Monster theories? I don't know the entomology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster but it seems a colourful derivative of Russell's Flying Teapot....the first undisprovable assertion (that I know of) to assail the believers in Gods. I think that one of the consequences of evolving an intelligence capable of complex predictions of consequences from actions and knowing the certainty of our own demise is the necessity for developing a parallel capacity not to see the whole thing as fairly pointless and head, "en masse", like a bunch of lemmings over the nearest cliff. Maybe it's an evolved survival mechanism that makes us capable of believing in flying teapots, spaghetti monsters and six impossible things before breakfast without any real proof whatsoever. Well, heading “en masse” like a bunch of lemmings over the not so very far away cliff of catastrophic consequences of climate change, general poisoning of environment and depletion of resources on top of an approaching (momentarily via mare nostrum) Malthusian crisis is actually what we do. I'd argue it's a strong sign of us as a species not being even halfway through the troublesome business of evolving any intelligence of note, making the individual exceptions at best a promise of sorts or sadly more likely a freak mutation that seems to have a hard time with becoming dominant in the gene pool.
First book to read: “Guards Guards.” Has the balance between jokes and seriousness that makes it a great place to start.
Best book: “Small Gods.” One for every theologian to read
Funniest book: “Maskerade.” The scene where Nanny Ogg is cooking her specials made me laugh and laugh and laugh...
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LibraryThing member souloftherose
Continuing my reread through Pratchett's City Watch series, this has always been my least favourite of the City Watch books; for some reason I don't think the satire in this one works quite as well as some of his other books.
It's a book about war and jingoism; starring the City Watch and Sam
"But...history was full of the bones of good men who'd followed bad orders in the hope that they could soften the blow. Oh yes, there were worse things they could do, but most of them began right when they started following bad orders."
When Sam Vimes takes these themes to their natural conclusion, this leads to a very improbable but rather wonderful ending. There are also some brilliant comic scenes from Colon and Nobbs and you get to see more of Lord Vetinari and Leonard da Quirm which is always a good thing.
So still a very good read but perhaps Pratchett was just trying a little too hard to make his point with this book
It's a book about war and jingoism; starring the City Watch and Sam
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Vimes, it also has to be about crime and good and evil. I think ultimately what Pratchett might be trying to say is that if killing someone is a crime, then starting a war must also be a crime and sometimes doing the right thing means not following orders. "But...history was full of the bones of good men who'd followed bad orders in the hope that they could soften the blow. Oh yes, there were worse things they could do, but most of them began right when they started following bad orders."
When Sam Vimes takes these themes to their natural conclusion, this leads to a very improbable but rather wonderful ending. There are also some brilliant comic scenes from Colon and Nobbs and you get to see more of Lord Vetinari and Leonard da Quirm which is always a good thing.
So still a very good read but perhaps Pratchett was just trying a little too hard to make his point with this book
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LibraryThing member jgv6442
Of all the facets of the Discworld series the books dealing with The Watch have been particular favorites of mine. This one is no different. Commander Vimes, Captian Carrot, even Fred and Nobby are such wonderful characters and here they really get to shine as they are thrust into an unfamiliar
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environment as they try to stop a war. It was a particularly interesting experience reading this story about impending war between Ankh-Morpork and their decidedly Arabian neighbor of Klatch given the real world situation in the Middle East. I'd almost think the book had been written as a satire of current events if not for the fact that it was first published in 1998. Jingo is yet another fantastic entry in the Discworld series. Show Less
LibraryThing member riani1
My husband and I now use the phrase "sheep eyeballs" as a code phrase.
And when I realized that Vetinari was so concerned that he actually let Leonard of Quirm out to play, I got a chill.
What will Vetinari do when he runs out of things to reward Vimes with?
And when I realized that Vetinari was so concerned that he actually let Leonard of Quirm out to play, I got a chill.
What will Vetinari do when he runs out of things to reward Vimes with?
LibraryThing member sageness
GLBT tag this time for crossdressing!Nobby and the general homophobic panic this engenders.
I liked this one a lot. It was a fun mix of action adventure and camp, with some good asides of war criticism. It was also lovely to see Vetinari out and about in the world instead of cooped up in the palace.
But structurally it's a big improvement over the last few I've read, and I'm a sucker for a fun action-adventure plot.
I liked this one a lot. It was a fun mix of action adventure and camp, with some good asides of war criticism. It was also lovely to see Vetinari out and about in the world instead of cooped up in the palace.
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I still wish there were more female characters, and I'm annoyed that the only ones with lines are 1) a werewolf, 2) a dwarf, 3) a handful of natives of Klatch, and 4) the entirely forgotten WIFE Vimes never thought to miss! I can't believe he invaded a country and not only didn't tell his wife he was leaving but also didn't have a single passing thought for her -- despite having lots of thoughts for Carrot's missing gf (the werewolf). Which is to say gender relations in this series are so. freaking. messed. up.But structurally it's a big improvement over the last few I've read, and I'm a sucker for a fun action-adventure plot.
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LibraryThing member SunnySD
The appearance of a new island smack dab between Ankh-Morpork and neighboring Al-Kahli might be just a simple matter of geography for some, but an uneasy ocean wind is blowing over the streets of Ankh-Morkpork spreading patriotism and martial fervor. Sam Vimes knows something's up - he can smell
With Pratchett, it's never a dull moment.
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it. But what's a simple officer of the city watch to do in the face of determined aristocratic insanity? A policeman's job, of course.With Pratchett, it's never a dull moment.
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LibraryThing member salimbol
[3 and 1/2 stars]
Entertaining as ever, but perhaps treading a little too clumsily on the really sensitive issues of race and ethnicity (the message really boils down to "war is bad, and prejudice is bad". Why yes, yes they are!). Nevertheless, it's full of Pratchett's trademark delightful character
Entertaining as ever, but perhaps treading a little too clumsily on the really sensitive issues of race and ethnicity (the message really boils down to "war is bad, and prejudice is bad". Why yes, yes they are!). Nevertheless, it's full of Pratchett's trademark delightful character
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interactions and hilarious wordplay (Vimes' riffing on the saying "Veni, Vidi, Vici" is worth the price of admission alone), and it was therefore a quick and fun read. Show Less
LibraryThing member asciiphil
There are so many different Discworld novels that it becomes difficult to write separately about each one, due to the similarities among them. I don't mean that in a bad way; the books are certainly distinct from each other, too. It's just that the things that keep me coming back to the series--the
Nevertheless, Jingo tells its own story. In this book, Pratchett has set his satirical sights on war, with the assistance of Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. As usual with a City Watch book, there's a crime to be dealt with (two crimes, if you count the war itself), specifically an assassination attempt. Chasing these crimes leads Vimes and his men out of Ankh-Morpork, past the newly-risen island of Leshp (gotta have something to fight over, after all), and into the wilds of Klatch, which is certainly not based on the Middle East. :)
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characters, the storytelling, the humor--are present in all of the books.Nevertheless, Jingo tells its own story. In this book, Pratchett has set his satirical sights on war, with the assistance of Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. As usual with a City Watch book, there's a crime to be dealt with (two crimes, if you count the war itself), specifically an assassination attempt. Chasing these crimes leads Vimes and his men out of Ankh-Morpork, past the newly-risen island of Leshp (gotta have something to fight over, after all), and into the wilds of Klatch, which is certainly not based on the Middle East. :)
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LibraryThing member Lukerik
For a comedy this is a very serious novel, and one of his best. I liked how the island symbolised the futility of nationalism etc and how the air holding it up matched the hot air of the nationalists.
There are some sentences in authorial voice and occassionally a longer connecting passage, but
There are some sentences in authorial voice and occassionally a longer connecting passage, but
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virtually the entire book is written in dialogue. You even find out what one character has done but the verbal reactions of other characters. Very clever writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jenevieve
A number of other reviewers have mentioned this book as being not one of their favourite Discworld books. I can certainly see where they're coming from, but despite its relative mediocrity (it's still amazing, just like almost everything Pratchett writes) it's the Discworld book that I keep coming
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back to reread over and over again. I've probably read it at least a dozen times by now and have yet to get bored of it. And I consider a book's rereadability to be a very high selling point for it -- so kudos to Jingo! Show Less
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
Some interesting themes here. Let's face it, if it was possible for an island to pop up out of the sea, all the surrounding nations would be racing to plant their flags there, and that is what happens on Discworld. Some excellent humour, poking its toes a bit deeper into the water of
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multiculturalism than previously. The plot lost me by the end, though. Would probably need a second reading to fully appreciate it. Show Less
LibraryThing member love2laf
A Watch book, but also a Leonard of Quirm book (think Da Vinci), which gave me great entertainment with the inventions & naming of them. As always, a funny & punny Discworld novel, but the satire skewering humans collectively, is fantastic, and reminds me a great deal of Kurt Vonnegut.
LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
The story is secondary to the characters. Love Nobby, Carrot, Angua, Vimes and Vetinari and this book is loaded with all of them.
LibraryThing member 391
Anhk-Morpork and Klatch are going to war over the mysterious island of Leshp, and the City Watch are determined to stop them. I really enjoyed this addition to the Discworld series, especially Vetinari's increased presence.
LibraryThing member gercmbyrne
Terry Pratchett is a god who walks among men. The entire Discworld series is a joy and only a strange mad creature cursed by gods and man would refuse to read and love these books!
one of the darker novels, Vimes confronts jingoism, war, politics, Dregs, the uppercrust of Ankh-Morpork and the nature
one of the darker novels, Vimes confronts jingoism, war, politics, Dregs, the uppercrust of Ankh-Morpork and the nature
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of fate. And he's pretty pissed off about it all. Show Less
LibraryThing member jnicholson
A new island rises from the sea and Ankh-Morpork goes to war with Klatch over who owns it. The Watch struggle to keep the peace, while the nobles of the city are determined to achieve glory. This is less a mystery than the other city watch novels, but there is some degree of puzzle involved.
LibraryThing member Flai
Quiet funny book by Pratchett, but it is not so good as the other ones that he has written.
LibraryThing member ironicqueery
Jingo is another great Pratchett novel, focusing on the City Watch, Commander Vimes, Lord Vetinari, and so forth. This time, Ankh-Morpork is involved in possible war over an island that has popped out of the sea.
Pratchett takes a look at the issue of war, politics, boundaries, racism, and sexism,
Pratchett takes a look at the issue of war, politics, boundaries, racism, and sexism,
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all wrapped up in a hilarious and entertaining package. Show Less
LibraryThing member lorelorn_2007
Another excellent tale of the Ankh-Morpork watch, this one involving the 'trousers of time' that pops up from time to time in Pratchett's novels.
LibraryThing member rboyechko
Definitely one of my favorite [author: Terry Pratchett] books. I think especially now, when the United States is still in Iraq and Afghanistan, this book should be on a required reading list in schools. Full of humor and wit, the book also is rich in satire and simple down-to-earth adventure. It
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amazes me how Terry Pratchett manages to create such likable and three-dimensional characters in a ridiculously comical world.As a side note, I recently read one of the Judge Dee books by [author: Robert van Gulik], where a mention is made of an actual Beggars Guild in a Chinese city where the book is based.Another surprise came when watching Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America, a mention was made of a restaurant called Sarancen's Head in England (can't recall where exactly). It seems too similar to Klatchian's Head to be purely coincidental. Show Less
LibraryThing member Greatrakes
This is not one of my favourite Discworld books. The watch series are pretty good on the whole, but this one suffers from too easy a target. War is a difficult thing to satirise, and the satire in this book is just too unsubtle and obvious. There are some nice touches, I liked the submarine
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adventure with the Patrician and Leonard of Quirm, especially with Nobby becoming a feminist. I've read this one twice now, enough times for sure. Show Less
LibraryThing member iamiam
A combination of JFK, Lawrence of Arabia, either of the Iraq invasions and the Falkland Islands war. Funny, as usual, with true to reality characters in 'another place and time'. A "Night Watch" book, it's good stuff.
LibraryThing member Draguc2
Wow, what to say? It's a Pratchett book definitely. It's about war as well. Still it's funny. There's a war, is there? We don't like war, do we? Then we stop it. But then funny. Up to the next one!
LibraryThing member LindaLiu
Very Topical, not in the sense of appearing and disappearing islands, but in the jingoistic political nonsense and warmongering that goes on. If only there were really people like Commander Vimes prepared to arrest everybody for going to war. I think Commander Vimes and his Watchmen are my
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favourite characters in Discworld, well maybe a close second after DEATH. Show Less