A Man in Full

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Frustrating, lacking in plot movement.

Loved it, with one criticism

The "Great American Novel" -- at least in some places

A great book with some minor flaws

Insightful Commentary on the Social Mores of Our Time

A Man in Full
Tom Wolfe
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0553381334
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Amazon.com

Ever since he published his classic 1972 essay "Why They Aren't Writing the Great American Novel Anymore," Tom Wolfe has made his fictional preferences loud and clear. For New Journalism's poster boy, minimalism is a wash, not to mention a failure of nerve. The real mission of the American writer is to produce fat novels of social observation--the sort of thing Balzac would be dishing up if he had made it into the Viagra era. Wolfe's manifesto would have had a hubristic ring if he hadn't actually delivered the goods in 1987 with The Bonfire of the Vanities. Now, more than a decade later, he's back with a second novel. Has the Man in White lived up to his own mission?

On many counts, the answer would have to be yes. Like its predecessor, A Man in Full is a big-canvas work, in which a multitude of characters seems to be ascending or (rapidly) descending the greasy pole of social life: "In an era like this one," a character reminds us, "the twentieth century's fin de siècle, position was everything, and it was the hardest thing to get." Wolfe has changed terrain on us, to be sure. Instead of New York, the focus here is Atlanta, Georgia, where the struggle for turf and power is at least slightly patinated with Deep South gentility. The plot revolves around Charlie Croker, an egomaniacal good ol' boy with a crumbling real-estate empire on his hands. But Wolfe is no less attentive to a pair of supporting players: a downwardly mobile family man, Conrad Hensley, and Roger White II, an African American attorney at a white-shoe firm. What ultimately causes these subplots to converge--and threatens to ignite a racial firestorm in Atlanta--is the alleged rape of a society deb by Georgia Tech football star Fareek "The Cannon" Fanon.

Of course, a detailed plot summary would be about as long as your average minimalist novel. Suffice it to say that A Man in Full is packed with the sort of splendid set pieces we've come to expect from Wolfe. A quail hunt on Charlie's 29,000-acre plantation, a stuffed-shirt evening at the symphony, a politically loaded press conference--the author assembles these scenes with contagious delight. The book is also very, very funny. The law firms, like upper-crust powerhouse Fogg Nackers Rendering & Lean, are straight out of Dickens, and Wolfe brings even his minor characters, like professional hick Opey McCorkle, to vivid life:

In true Opey McCorkle fashion he had turned up for dinner wearing a plaid shirt, a plaid necktie, red felt suspenders, and a big old leather belt that went around his potbelly like something could hitch up a mule with, but for now he had cut off his usual torrent of orotund rhetoric mixed with Baker Countyisms.

Readers in search of a kinder, gentler Wolfe may well be disappointed. Retaining the satirist's (necessary) superiority to his subject, he tends to lose his edge precisely when he's trying to move us. Still, when it comes to maximalist portraiture of the American scene--and to sheer, sentence-by-sentence amusement--1998 looks to be the year of the Wolfe, indeed. --James Marcus

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Choosing David Ogden Stiers (M*A*S*H, The Accidental Tourist) to narrate this sprawling tale of contemporary American society was an act of inspired audio casting. The familiar, snobbish qualities of his warm yet condescending voice perfectly match author Tom Wolfe's own carefully sculpted persona of haughty disdain and color the recording with an interesting sense of authenticity. Without indulging in overwrought characterizations, Stiers manages to create enough distinction between players to keep this sweeping epic coherent. There are moments that find him overreaching, but when voicing a novel this broad, some notes are bound to ring false. Overall, Stiers's abridged reading is an intelligent, entertaining rendition of Wolfe's scrupulously detailed and bitingly funny portrait of America at the turn of the millennium. (Running time: 8.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --George Laney

Book Description

The setting is Atlanta, Georgia — a racially mixed, late-century boomtown full of fresh wealth and wily politicians. The protagonist is Charles Croker, once a college football star, now a late-middle-aged Atlanta conglomerate king whose outsize ego has at last hit up against reality. Charlie has a 29,000 acre quail-shooting plantation, a young and demanding second wife, and a half-empty office complex with a staggering load of debt.

Meanwhile, Conrad Hensley, idealistic young father of two, is laid off from his job at the Croker Global Foods warehouse near Oakland and finds himself spiraling into the lower depths of the American legal system.

And back in Atlanta, when star Georgia Tech running back Fareek “the Canon” Fanon, a homegrown product of the city’s slums, is accused of date-raping the daughter of a pillar of the white establishment, upscale black lawyer Roger White II is asked to represent Fanon and help keep the city’s delicate racial balance from blowing sky-high.

Networks of illegal Asian immigrants crisscrossing the continent, daily life behind bars, shady real estate syndicates — Wolfe shows us contemporary America with all the verve, wit, and insight that have made him our most admired novelist. Charlie Croker’s deliverance from his tribulations provides an unforgettable denouement to the most widely awaited, hilarious and telling novel America has seen in ages — Tom Wolfe’s most outstanding achievement to date.

Customer Reviews:

Frustrating, lacking in plot movement........2007-06-15

Having loved Bonfire of the Vanities I was hoping for a lot from this book and I was disappointed. There is a plot, but it's not fully resolved and Wolfe just wants to use it as scaffolding for his observations of this era of Atlanta.

From what Wolfe wrote elsewhere, he spent an enourmous amount of time researching the book and it comes through here, badly. It's like reading a bunch of long magazine articles Tom, or a zillion contemporary magazine/newspaper writers dumped on top of an unrealized plot.

I'd bet the chapters here would have made for good reading in Rolling Stone, or wherever, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts here.

Loved it, with one criticism.......2007-06-08

This, I thought, was really masterful. I read it twice. I notice there are 888 other reviews of this book on here, so I'll just cut to the chase: the end's too fanciful, too unbelievable. The rest is great, and it's still worth the read, for sure.

The "Great American Novel" -- at least in some places.......2007-06-06

I relished this novel like few others I've read lately -- some of the time. So despite my critizisms of the book, I give it a good rating because of its best moments, rather than its worst.

***This review has spoilers, so just read it before my review, sorry.***

I've had misgivings about Wolfe's prose and writing style in other books. But those issues that have so irritated me previously (and apparently still have for others with this novel, also); the hackneyed imitations of slang and pop or trash culture that Tom clearly has little experience in, the bookish narrative language (last writer I know of to use "akimbo" several times in one book), his irritating favorite buzzwords, such as "flanks and shanks" or "loamy loins" and etc. Somehow these little irritants didn't bug me like they did in previous books.

Me, I could live with the "Man in the White Suit's" painful attempts at prison or ghetto slang. Only Tom would even try, and so I hand it to him for having the audacity to do that much. You always stand to be ridiculed for something like that, no matter how well or poorly you do it, which is why so few novelists attempt to represent slang as truly spoken.

I also loved the social agenda Tom always comes out strong with. Tom always tries to be a friend to the working man, and to the poor. His approach to the issue of the cast-off pre-trophy wives is also heartening, if a bit stereotypical. Are all first wives of wealthy achievers so discontent? Or similarly, regarding Conrad's parents, are all hippies amoral slobs? But I'm still not too put off by Tom's stereotyping.

No, what bothered me unfortunately was the plot itself, and the weak ending. The several threads lacked cohesiveness as one story, and as we got toward the last 50 ppg. or so I suspected he couldn't pull them together, and I was right. He just took all the loose ends and tied them off in one big knot. Shameful, really, for what had the makings of a great novel. I have suspected Tom of having to change the ending suddenly for some reason, or just running out of time. And if that is the case, Tom, I wish you would someday actually complete the novel as originally conceived.

A great book with some minor flaws.......2007-02-26

Tom Wolf has done it again. While I agree with some of the criticism posted here - the plot wraps up a bit too conveniently, and characters embody a few stereotypes - Wolf succeeds where so many other writers fall flat these days. Just like most of us, his people are both realistic abd passionate. They are subject to the same incentives, pressures, and desperations we all feel. How they deal with these things, is a matter of their inner makeup and their experiences.

A few people have written that Wolf doesnt really know Georgia. This is only partly true. I lived in Augusta for 3 years, which is not like the big city of Atlanta (over half of GA lives in the Atlanta area), but shares many of the same traits. People there are an unusual mix of tradition-bound and open-minded. Civil rights has opened minds and hearts to the potential for pluralistic living, yet they realize the South's soul and strength still come from its old values - both black AND white feel this way. This means, land and wealth lead to comfort and power, good manners are essential to everything, and there is a tension between tribalism and community...unlike the North, where tribalism has largely triumphed.

So in broad strokes, Tom Wolf illustrates this tension, and with an incredibly vivid central character, tycoon and self-made man Charlie Croker. Charlie does everything right the old-fashioned way, and he trusts his heritage instinctively, but he finally goes a step too far, which leads to his impending bankruptcy. His alter-ego is the young and idealistic Conrad, a working-class Californian who has suffered the worst breaks you can imagine, and finally ends up in prison.

It would give away to much to explain how Conrad comes into Charlie's world. And some people complain it is not realistic. But full realism is not Wolf's goal, rather he is creating a near-symbolic clash of forces that pushes these people toward inevitable destiny. The final scenes are irrestible in expressing how these two and other improtant characters come to understand and deal with the new world they live in. Yes, race is an important issue in Atlanta, as we meet the wise -but opportunistic- black mayor and his favorite lawyer, and we follow the central plot twist that brings everyone together. Here, A Man in Full has much in common with Bonfire of the Vanities. The outcome hinges on how individuals resolve personal situations with social dilemma.

One small comment, it could have been 50-100 pages shorter and just as hard hitting...some scenes need a bit of editing, or could be excised completely. Are you listening, Tom?

Insightful Commentary on the Social Mores of Our Time.......2006-12-01

A review of this complicated, but logically laid out novel would be a novel in itself. Suffice to say, this is still a fairly easy read thanks, in no small part to, Tom Wolfe's writing style. Crisp, insightful of human nature and the culture of greed, politics, law, and race make for a volitile mix set in Atlanta, Georgia; a belle of the south.

Wolfe's novel digs deep behind the facade to discover a city's equivalent of "family secrets" and he paints a picture of human nature in all its complexity, and darkness.

Character development is superb and easy to follow. The way in which each chapter is a tableu with Wolfe switching back and forth between scenes/subplots, makes for some very entertaining and engrossing reading.

I chose to write about my impressions of the stylistic nature of the book and Wolfe's writings, rather than re-tell the story, as so many reviewers have ably done.

The only downside to this novel (and I probably should have given it 4 stars instead) is that Wolfe ends the work so abrptully and improbably. All of a sudden, Crocker becomes and "evangelist?" An evangelist of what? Also, at the end, Crocker basically tells the bank who is holding his half-billion dollar debt to stuff it, on philosophical grounds. There is nothing in the story that would lead us to believe that Charlie "The Sixty Minute Man" Croker was anything more than a self-preservation minded, opportunist. I honestly thought he was going to betray his friend and take the bank's/mayor's debt re-structuring scheme.

Additionally, we don't learn a thing about what happens to Serena and Kingsley. Serena is a prominent player in this sordid tale, but she drops off the pages in the end.
The loan officer Peepgass marries Crocker's ex-wife (no way did I see that coming), there is no resolution to Ray's paternity suit. Conrad, after a wonderful build-up, simply disappears. It is almost as if Wolfe ran out of energy at the end and decided to wrap it up. The dialogue between the Mayor and Roger-Too-White is horrible and contrived. In retrospect, Wolfe could have taken another 100 pages to tie up some loose ends and then he would have had an outstanding book.

However, this is still a truly extraordinary read that will have you turning the pages as fast as you can absorb the action.

Average customer rating:

The Plot Thickens

Full Metal Panic! Volume 2
Shouji Gatou
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413900062

Book Description

Popular, very pretty, and telepathic teenager Kaname is off on her school outing to Okinawa with her schoolmates. As they say, vacations never go according to plan, and when terrorists hijack their plane, they find themselves held as hostages in North Korea. A deadly terrorist organization has been tracking Kaname carefully, wanting to study her gift of "the Whispered," her telepathic skill, and they are willing to sacrifice everyone on the plane to capture her. Unfortunately for the terrorists, Sosuke Sagara, agent of the hyper-secret government commando agency, "Mithril," is undercover as one of the students. Mission: protect Kaname without her knowledge.

Customer Reviews:

The Plot Thickens.......2004-01-02

Once again ADV brings to the reader a well-mixed blend of action, comedy, and romance. FMP book 2 has it all. Unlike the first book, instead of introducing the reader to the characters, it starts to focus the reader onto the plot of the story. Action starts to happen and the ministories that we saw in book 1 are gone. Now it's all-out war, the plot has thickened.

Sagara Souseke is on a field trip when he and his classmates are suddenly attacked by an enemy of his past, who looks to kidnap none other than Kaname Chidori. Will Sagara be able to save Kaname before they utilize her for their demonic purposes? And what is so special about her anyways?

In addition to an action development Love Hina fans will be happy to know that we see a romance one as well. Again Gatou is able to dazzle the reader with such a special love relationship that even those with the strongest of hearts will falter.

Book Description

High school student Kaname and her undercover protector Sosuke are back again, and the bad guys aren't far behind! Kaname and American exchange student Tessa have been captured by the terrorist group A-21. They must escape, but first they must destroy a gigantic and invincible weapon before A-21 can activate it! Will Sosuke and his covert ops organization MITHRIL show up in time?

Customer Reviews:

LO, THE BEHEMOTH WALKS.......2005-10-24

Tessa and Chidori have been captured by the terrorist organization A-21 and are being used as pawns to get information out of Kalinin. Even if they can find a way to escape, Sosuke is missing, and might be dead, and A-21 is preparing to activate "The Behemoth", a monstrous Lambda driver mecha that makes Mithril's AS's look tiny by comparison. And its pilot is half insane because he needs drugs to pilot it. We also get some background on Tessa, something we never see in the anime version. Parts of this book have already been adapted in anime form but half of it has not, so if you liked the anime, you should check this out. The thing that I like about the manga is that Sosuke and Chidori's relationship has a lot more tenderness to it. There are moments such as them sheltering from a rainstorm and Sosuke offering her his sleeping bag and Chidori asking if she can use his lap as a pillow. There's also a lot of action here, so this would make a good read whether you're a guy or a girl.

Hittite and Hurrian cuneiform tablets from Ortakoy (Corum), central Turkey: With two excursuses on the "Man of the Storm God" and a full edition of KBo 23.27

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Hittite and Hurrian cuneiform tablets from Ortakoy (Corum), central Turkey: With two excursuses on the "Man of the Storm God" and a full edition of KBo 23.27
Ahmet Unal
Manufacturer: Simurg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Full Metal Panic! Volume 9 (Full Metal Panic (Graphic Novels))

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FINAL BATTLE-- SOSUKE VS. GAURON
The conclusion to the hot series!

Full Metal Panic! Volume 9 (Full Metal Panic (Graphic Novels))
Shouji Gatou
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 141390338X

Book Description

Gauron and his supporters have hijacked the Tuatha de Danaan! Things are looking bleak, but when Tessa manages to free Chidori from the command center, it'll be up to her and Sosuke to regain control of their ship!

Customer Reviews:

FINAL BATTLE-- SOSUKE VS. GAURON.......2006-05-30

This is the final volume in the Full Metal Panic manga which brings it right up to the point where the first anime ended. Gauron has gained control of the Danaan and holds Tessa and Chidori's lives in his clutches. One false move and he won't hesitate to kill them. While Gauron knows that both of the girls are "Whispered" he has no idea that they can communicate telepathically. The girls hatch a desperate plan to take back control of the ship. Meanwhile, the Danaan's crew are virtual prisoners, locked by Gauron in the hangar, and he's thinking about cutting off their oxygen! Only Sousuke and Kurtz have gotten out and set out to rescue Tessa and Chidori, but they'll have to contend with some of the crew that turned traitor and now serve Gauron.

If you've already seen the Full Metal Panic anime series, there's really nothing new here. But that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of seeing a different interpretation of the same material. Retsu Tateo's art is spot-on and she has handled the mix of humor and action quite elegantly throughout the entire series. Most of volume 9 is missing comedy but the artist does a good job of conveying the energy and suspense leading up to the final battle between Sosuke and Gauron. The manga does a better job of conveying the affection between Sosuke and Chidori than the anime did. I'm sad to see this series end.

The conclusion to the hot series!.......2006-04-22

Sadly, this is the last graphic novel for the FMP series, according to the illustrator's notes in the back of the book. That said,

It does clear up and finish the main plot that has been building with Gauron, the Tuatha de Danaan, and Chidori. At the end of book 8, Kaname, worried about Sosuke as he returned from a mission, was verbally rebuffed by him and fled, crying, making her examine her purpose on board the TDD. As she flees, she runs into Guaron and two traitors, who hold her hostage and then take over the TDD in book 9!

Gauron, to assert his power, reprograms the computer to listen only to him, and then commences an attack on an innocent battleship nearby, but only after setting up a false Fire Drill to isolate most of the crew. Sosuke, feeling as though something is wrong, and realizing that he had been harsh to Chidori, defies direct orders and joins Kurz in a mission to save the ship and Kamane, who is just as determine not to "be annoying" and to save herself. Then Tessa plays her hand to rescue the day and her crew, but it is Kaname that saves everybody at the end (not spoiling it!). For another variation, see the end of the DVD series--Kaname's part is beautiful!

For more books on the FMP series, check out the Boku-Tachi website.

The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)

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The truth about Guliani
A terrific brief journey through recent history
The Truth about Rudy

The Full Rudy: The Man, the Myth, the Mania (Nation Books)
Jack Newfield
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560254823

Book Description

Newfield reminds us that in April 1999 Giuliani had only a 40 percent approval rating. A year later his divorce lawyer was savagely attacking his wife, Donna Hanover, while the mayor was flaunting his mistress in public. As a result, Giuliani’s popularity plummeted again in the spring of 2000. He was almost a laughingstock when he withdrew from his Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton. He looked like a control freak who had lost control of himself. Then came 9/11, and Giuliani re-emerged as an international celebrity. He took charge when the towers fell, and he displayed leadership when others were dumbstruck. He was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” the avatar of the stricken city. He did a victory lap around the country, raising money for Republican candidates and giving speeches for $100,000 a pop; he may rake in $10 million over the next year. Yet even as he became a part of pop iconography, celebrated as “America’s Mayor,” Giuliani was still loathed in some black neighborhoods in the city. People in Brownsville, Texas, might have thought of him as their mayor, but blacks in Brownsville, Brooklyn, did not. In The Full Rudy Newfield gives the devil his due, conceding that New York City did become a better place to live during Giuliani’s two terms. He was skilled at solving problems that lent themselves to the application of a military-style strategy but he was a mayor of excess, a mayor of missed opportunities, political opportunism, and stunning harshness. Photographs and cartoons add to this Emmy award-winning journalist's myth-busting portrait. “In a time when American journalism is getting its share of slings and arrows ... Newfield stands out as a national treasure.”—Peter Maas “He writes with the sharp eye of the trained observer and the engaged heart of a humanist.”—Budd Schulberg “ He is the loudest liberal voice in a time of timid whispers. Newfield’s hands ... pull out the truth.”—Jimmy Breslin “Newfield has made it his life’s mission to uncover and share significant truths about important people and events.”—Mario Cuomo

Customer Reviews:

The truth about Guliani.......2003-04-21

It's a relief that a book like this has been released. Newfield paints the truth about Guliani and is quite fair. Everything discussed in the book is based on fact and shows that Guliani, in reality, was nothing but a sub-par mayor who screwed New York City in numerous ways. Newfield admits that there is no denying that Guliani did a great job after the attacks on Sept. 11 - but that does not necessarily mean that all should be forgotten for his poor work as a mayor from the years before. Want to know the real Guliani? Read this book. You'll be amazed by the truth, whether Guliani wants you to hear it or not.

A terrific brief journey through recent history.......2003-03-05

Jack Newfield, who wrote for the Village Voice for many many years, is one of the last of the great muckraking journaLists. They have been replaces by tabloid tv journalism,which is another story.This book takes on one of the recent myths of the new century,that of "americas mayor" Rudolph Guliani. Newfield straight away calls him a"c+ mayor",which is actually rather objective.Chapter by chapter,he brings up the screwy foibles of the Guliani years{his refusal to meet with any minority politicains,to gather votes for a compromise, outside of herman Badillo cost him control of the Board of Ed and led to cuts in education and no contract for the teachers for over 2 years}His bullying of anyone who didnt agree with him is well documented.Newfield acknowledges the great job that Guliani did for theose terribel two weeks in september of 2001,but states, convincingly that the work of his adminstartion must be judged from "september 10 and before" also. Mr Guliani has presedential aspirations, but his hubris and temper will be his undoing. this book shows how.And why. First rate!

The Truth about Rudy.......2003-01-16

For everyone who thinks Rudolph Giuliani is a hero and the savior of New York City, they should read Newfield's book. It objectively tells the ugly truth about this deeply flawed man.

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Graphic SF Reader

Full Metal Panic! Volume 3
Shouji Gatou
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413900070

Book Description

The boy of Kaname's dreams, a former upperclassman, makes a sudden appearance, and Kaname is convinced he will ask her out. But are his intentions honorable? Sosuke will attempt to find out, as this all-to0-familiar high school love story suddenly takes a turn. By going undercover, sporting a Bonta-kun costume, he ends up saving the day, or at least Kaname. Aside from the high school dreamboat, Kaname still has her eye on Sosuke, and she is finally ready to come clean... but why is Tessa steeping out of Sosuke's shower?! Full Metal Panic! picks up more momentum, and more action, knife-wielding terrorists, a handful of hostages, and just one man to save the day!

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

Mostly pointless.

Some agent type protecting a high school kid for no apparent reason (or apparent reason in volumes 1 or 2 perhaps). He gung-ho gunwielding emotional robot, she wants to do him. Even trying the skimpy bikini flaunting number fails, etc., etc.

Then at the end, the artist gives her list of favorite hot actresses, with even the odd drawing.

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Full Metal Panic! Volume 6
Shouji Gatou , and Retsuo Tateo
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413901980

Book Description

Art aficionados beware - when Kaname's class gets a lesson on painting, Sosuke threatens to crush any high-brow ideas with a thorough lesson on the art of war! Not to be outdone by her gun-crazy bodyguard, Kaname attempts the improbable as she moves to domesticate Sosuke in the kitchen. When Christmas comes, the gift-giving gets competitive, especially when the struggle is for Sosuke's affections. All Kaname can wish for is that her social nightmare turns into a sweet dream, as the crazy gunplay continues in Full Metal Panic! Volume 6.

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FUMOFFU ASSAULT

Full Metal Panic! Volume 4
Retsu Tateo , and Shouji Gatou
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413900399

Book Description

The boy of Kaname's dreams, a former upperclassman, makes a sudden appearance, and Kaname is convinced he will ask her out. But are his intentions honorable? Sosuke will attempt to find out, as this all-too-familiar high school love story suddenly takes a turn. By going undercover, sporting a Bonta-kun costume, he ends up saving the day, or at least Kaname. Aside from the high school dreamboat, Kaname still has her eye on Sosuke, and she is finally ready to come clean... but why is Tessa stepping out of Sosuke's shower?! Full Metal Panic! picks up more momentum, and more action, knife-wielding terrorists, a handful of hostages, and just one man to save the day!

Customer Reviews:

FUMOFFU ASSAULT.......2005-09-14

Sosuke, while not admitting any romantic feelings for Chidori, finds himself disconcerted when Kawa, an old flame of hers from junior high shows up on the scene. Sosuke decides to follow them on a date to an entertainment park to see if Kawa is on the level or just an enemy terrorist trying to get close to Chidori. Things get more dramatic when Capt. Tessa appears at Sosuke's apartment with a prisoner in tow, on the run from A-21, a terrorist organization that has acquired an Arm Slave and needs the prisoner because he can activate the "Lambda Driver". Did I also mention that the prisoner is slightly psychotic due to mind-altering drugs administered during his training?

This volume of Full Metal Panic was a complete success because it melded comedy and action together effortlessly. The scenes where Sosuke fights some yakuza harrassing Chidori is especially funny as he takes them on wearing a giant hamster costume to hide his identity! There was also a little more romance instead of the usual hitting Sosuke over the head bits. The art is great. Just don't expect any profound character development here.

Check out the original Full Metal Panic anime and its sequel Fumoffu for more adventures and comedy.

Average customer rating:

Great Novel!
SECRET AGENT STUDENT
At Last, The Beginning of the Best Anime Series
YAY! ^^

Full Metal Panic! Volume 1
Shouji Gatou , and Retsu Tateo
Manufacturer: ADV Manga
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413900011

Book Description

A tie-in to the smash-hit anime series of the same name, the Full Metal Panic! manga is the story of gung-ho young secret agent Sosuke Sagara, assigned to go undercover and protect high-school honor-student Kaname Chidori from a band of international terrorists. Needless to say, Sosuke's background as a counterinsurgent guerilla isn't the best possible preparation for high school!

Customer Reviews:

Great Novel!.......2007-10-06

Shouji Gatou is an excellent story-teller. You'll be completely caught up in his narrative. I enjoyed the time spent reading this amazing book and get to know what was on the character's mind and situation's details that only this novel can provide. I recommend this book very much, for fans and non-fans, you wont regret buying this.
Greetings from Brazil.

SECRET AGENT STUDENT.......2005-07-01

Kaname Chidori has a boy at her high school who seems to follow her wherever she goes, and his chivalrous nature protects her from all dangers. She even reciprocates his feelings of attachment even though she won't admit it to him or herself. His name is Sosuke Sagura. He's such a great guy that he even busts through her window at home, swinging on a rope, ready to take down a threatening cockroach that Chidori almost steps on getting out of the shower. Yes, Sosuke is a weapons freak! And that's putting it mildly. For example, when someone leaves a love note for Chidori in her shoe locker, Sosuke deems that it would be safer to blow up the locker, along with part of the school! And the class president, Hayashimizu, seems to think that it was apporpriate too! Sosuke is actually an agent of Mithril, a super-stealth anti-terrorist agency, assigned to protect Chidori from anyone that would want to get their hands on her. Not because of her beauty, but because of the important information locked in her mind.

Anyone that has already seen either Full Metal Panic anime series will find a lot of stuff they've already seen in this manga. But it's still entertaining even if you have. Panic has always be a little more unique than other series because it blends two distinct storylines. There's the high-school hijinks that occur at high school, which is mostly slapstick interaction between Chidori and Sosuke. The other line is the mecha action that occurs in the terrorists wanting to kidnap Chidori arc which takes things to a more dramatic level. The characters are great and the humor is funny. Recommended.

At Last, The Beginning of the Best Anime Series.......2004-01-02

For those who have seen the show, FMP is perhaps one of the best animes that has ever been created. The plot development, video quality, sound quality, and drawing is just brilliantly done. And the manga promises no less. Filled with plenty of plot turns, and comical stories, the manga is sure to not dissapoint.

Full Metal Panic manga is sort of a mix between the two seasons of Full Metal Panic; FMP original and FMP fumoffu. Sagara Souseke is assigned to protect high school girl Kaname Chidori; a pretty, all-around successful, 16 year old schoolgirl. Chidori has something terrorists want, and it's up to Sagara and his organization to stop them from taking it.

This first installment of full metal panic gets the reader well acquainted with the characters of the book through a sequence of many mini stories. Through these stories you also see a budding relationship between the two main characters in the book as well glimpses of Sagara's painful and unknown past. Those of you who didn't like Love Hina due to the lack of action, you won't be disappointed with FMP. FMP blends in the perfect combination of action and romance, promising an action filled plot while continuously developing a love relationship between the two characters that you love the most. While the first book doesn't exemplify this quality, there is a small amount of action as well as suspense that leads to an action-filled second book.

Drawing is a big part of manga books. Poor drawing, like Inuyasha and Ranma, which aren't aided by computer animation, tend to turn readers off to the books. But I guarantee you FMP is not the same. Gatou does a spectacular job at desiging perhaps the most well-drawn characters I have ever seen in a manga; and trust me I've read a lot. For 10 bucks? It's not even a contest.

YAY! ^^.......2003-12-06

High-school secret agent Sousuke Sagara is assigned to protect honor roll student Kaname Chidori from a large band of international terrorists! What could they want from her?

"Full Metal Panic!!" is extremely funny. It is also very original, making it ten-times better. The translation is done very well, considering the fact that this is one of ADV Manga's first titles. The artwork is impressive, and very detailed. This is definitely worth a read at the price of $10.

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