Not one of his _very_ best, but as a meditation on the first Gulf War and all subsequent ones, you could hardly find anything more digestible. Vimes and the Patrician are in their elements, and Pratchett's incredibly decent, non-glib humane sympathy for the Other is in good form.

Also it's fun. Leonard of Quirm is delightful.

What a fun read! This one had everything you'd expect from Pratchett: it's well written, quite funny (especially if you're already familiar with the series) and offers up some interesting insights into various things, especially xenophobic jingoism. I got a hoot out of the parody references to Oswald/JFK, too, so the book gets extra marks.

I will say that if you're looking for a brainless beach-reader, get some SPF20 because Jingo will probably cause you to get sunburned from actually paying attention to it: there are multiple interconnected sub-plots you have to follow. Plus, there's fare to actually *think* about. A couple previous reviewers felt that the anti-militaristic commentary in this was too heavy-handed for their taste, though I kind of suspect said reviewers were jingoists themselves who just didn't *agree* with Pratchett's view. I mention all this mostly as a caveat to potential readers: if you're turned off by such things, you might want to pass on this one. It'll be your loss, though.

Highly recommended.

I have to say... the back of the book didn't do much to raise my hopes on the subject matter addressed in this book... but the book more than did credit to Pratchett... quite funny and decent characters... I think I liked the son the best... but definitely readable and funny.

Among Discworld fans, it's a well-known rule that you musn't read his stuff on the bus. People tend to regard as strange those among their fellow passengers who giggle as they read. Giggling is always a hazard with Pratchett, as is interrupting other people's activities and forcing them to listen to you reading a passage out loud. This one features Commander Sam Vimes and Vetinari the Patrician, two of my favorite recurring characters, as they try to deal (each in his characteristic way) with a territorial dispute that wants to become a war. Klatch, only a short distance across the sea, is a sandy country full of turban-wearing camel-riders who also invented astronomy and vindaloo, which gives the author lots of opportunities to show up rampant nationalism for the insanity it is. (I suspect he was thinking of the First Gulf War here, as well as British attitudes toward immigrant Pakistanis, but there is also considerable relevance to the present war in Iraq.) Vimes vehemently resists being a military man (cops are NOT the same as soldiers) but finds himself involved anyway. And Vetinari has no use for the social and economic waste of war. Plus, there's the political sub-plot, and Corp. Nobbs's search for a lady friend of his own, plus the questionable ability of Leonard of Quirm (inventor and artist extraordinaire) to deal with the so-called Real World. Pratchett is a genius of comedy -- in the sense of the Human Comedy.

I've read the first 21 books, and this has stood out as one of the best I can remember. This includes a bit more action than the other books. I won't say much more, as most of the other reviews cover everything else.