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Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Vol. 1 - Learning Curve (1907-1948) Hardcover – August 17, 2010

by William H. Patterson Jr. (Author)

73 customer reviews

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Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) is generally considered the greatest American SF writer of the 20th century. A famous and bestselling author in later life, he started as a navy man and graduate of Annapolis who was forced to retire because of tuberculosis. A socialist politician in the 1930s, he became one of the sources of Libertarian politics in the USA in his later years. His most famous works include the Future History series (stories and novels collected in The Past Through Tomorrow and continued in later novels), Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Given his desire for privacy in the later decades of his life, he was both stranger and more interesting than one could ever have known. This is the first of two volumes of a major American biography. This volume is about Robert A. Heinlein's life up to the end of the 1940s and the mid-life crisis that changed him forever.

Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century, Vol. 1 - Learning Curve (1907-1948)

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Editorial Reviews

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“[Heinlein] made footsteps big enough for a whole country to follow. And it was our country that did it… We proceed down a path marked by his ideas. That's legacy enough for any man. He showed us where the future is.” ―Tom Clancy

“Like Carlos Baker's Hemingway, this is an essential and exhaustive life.” ―Joe Haldeman

“Patterson offers a meticulous life-portrait of America's most pivotal science fiction author. In following Robert Heinlein's journey, step-by-step, we come to understand the persistent themes of his work. Perseverance, compassion, courage, curiosity, and--above all--a drive to confront the future on its own terms, eye-to-eye.” ―David Brin

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

William Patterson lives in San Francisco, California.

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Product details

Hardcover: 624 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (August 17, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765319608
ISBN-13: 978-0765319609
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
Average Customer Review: 73 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6574 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Authors
- #104622 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

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An amazing accomplishment

ByMichael Bookeron August 22, 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Patterson has been given unprecedented access to prepare a two-volume authorized biography of science fiction giant Robert A. Heinlein. The depth of detail that he offers here - backed up by nearly a hundred pages of footnotes--means that we have a definitive biography of a one of America's greatest authors.

One of the things that I most deeply appreciate is that this isn't a hagiography. Patterson has deep affection for his subject, but Heinlein is shown as a flawed human being who makes many mistakes and who had many shortcomings. Many mysteries about his life are finally resolved (who was his first wife - the one before Leslyn?) thanks to extensive detective work.

For fans of Heinlein's fiction, this book (and I trust, the subsequent volume) will help to answer the tired question that ever author dreads, "Where do you get your ideas?" Heinlein's life is, naturally, the chief source for his fictional characters and plot lines. Sometimes Patterson is explicit in drawing these connections. In other places, readers versed in Heinlein's work will catch these linkages on their own.

The book must also be praised as a fascinating lesson in American history. Heinlein came from humble Missouri roots and lived through the bulk of the 20th century. His Navy career prior to WWII is fascinating in its own right, as is his involvement in California politics during the Depression.

Fans of Heinlein: READ THIS BOOK. Fans of science fiction: READ THIS BOOK. As for those interested in American History, especially U.S. Naval history...I strongly commend this biography to you.

0Comment 104 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

The Early Years and Leslyn!

ByAmazon Customeron July 24, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Let me start off by saying I am a fan of Robert Heinlein's work. Also let me say that as read this volume and the one after it there were many things I came to be surprised at both pleasantly and unpleasantly as I read about his life. But this is what a biography should do, reveal information, however, upon closing the book I wish it could have been done better and perhaps more objectively.

This volume covers the early years of Heinlein's life. I read the second volume first and this the first volume second as it has always been his later period of writing that interested me more.

My feeling about this book are mixed; in one way this volume is an achievement, how many volumes concerning Heinlein have seen publication? The writing at times is choppy and seems overly repetitive. An example is a note on war time tire rationing that hampered Heinlein from taking a trip, that is later repeated again a few pages later. Some extra copy editing would make this work flow better.

As others have pointed out there is a heavy reliance on letters as sources of information, The author clearly had, at Virginia Heinlein's invitation access to records and other materials, however my question is: Does this lead to an objective biography or not? It seems from incidents depicted in the second volume that if that it would be hard to gain access to the archives and other data if you were not writing a biography that was sympathetic to Robert Heinlein.

Clearly the author is a fan of Heinlein which makes his task all the tougher when dealing with the issue of Heinlein's second wife Leslyn. Up to reading this volume I had never really known about her and felt sympathetic to her. Was she treated fairly or was she pushed to the side when Robert met Virginia? I think that is up to the reader to decide. When dealing with some potentially negative aspects of Heinlein's life the author seems to stain to get through them without putting too negative a spin on them.

In the end since there is no other biography that spans this scope I am giving it three stars despite the at times awkward writing.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Baby boomer science fiction fans, this is YOUR book.

ByCloggieon May 16, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Well, it was bound to happen. The author who thrilled us old farts with stories of space travel, filled with personalities, plots, sub-plots and even sexuality has finally had a good biography written about his personal life. Hearing how his personal life in some ways paralleled what he wrote about (naturism, open marriage) was something new for me and added context to his writing.

This is a very detailed biography, of a very interesting man, one who was probably outside of his time and yet who was the defining author of his time for fantasy and science fiction. If you have never read his books, this will be an uninteresting and tedious read...if, like me, you were a fan of Heinlein from the time of literacy, through puberty and into adulthood, this will be page after page of interesting stuff and this is only volume 1.

Which is the most disappointing part....that there is a second volume to come, covering his most popular works and times. Another purchase, another wait.

Heavy sigh...

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So he really was a "trooper"

ByDr. David Bradfordon March 4, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I have read Heinlein since I was old enough to read. My father was a military man and he insisted that Heinlein's books be part of my upbringing. When Starship Troopers came out, it did not take much to realize that Heinlein's military career (especially under Ernest King) is deeply embedded in most of the events in that particular book. Even today I still reread Heinlein's body of works and have longed wondered when the definitive biography would be released. Patterson has written a pretty frank and forthright biography of Heinlein, warts, awards, and all. Now I will go back and again read all of Heinlein's works to better understand the links between truth and obscurity...because fiction certainly brings out a whole different analysis. An excellent biography and I hope that Patterson's follow on volume will be as informative.

0Comment 11 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Biography of the Grandmaster

ByColin A. Broddon October 28, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Heinlein has always been a favorite author of mine; he is also a fascinating man in his own right, independent of his corpus of work. Heinlein was a man of many contradictions - his life was even more complex than I has suspected before reading this. And he knew a veritable who's who of sci-fi - his recollections of the young Ray Bradbury and young Isaac Asimov, for example, are interesting to me. Anyway, highly recommended for those interested in Heinlein and his legacy (intellectual as well as literary) - I'm looking forward to reading Volume II!