Патрул във времето

Time Patrol #1

by Poul Anderson, Юлиян Стойнов (translator)

Какво става, когато ходът на нормалната история е нарушен? Много просто — намесва се Патрулът. Неговите агенти се разхождат из времето и бдят историята да остане такава, каквато я познаваме. Или да я променят по свое усмотрение…

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Classics, Science Fiction Fantasy

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Pseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.

Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]

Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.


Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this down for only one reason: it's somewhat bloodless.

I have no complaints about the whole time cop thing going on in general. The history bits are pretty great even if they're very classical.

However, the main characters are pretty white-hat in the best traditions of good cops. Putting it in the context of the 1950s, well before Doctor Who and coming out of the long tradition of the Golden Age of SF square-jawed heroism, this shouldn't surprise anyone.

But for that reason, and that reason alone, having read an actual slew of great time-travel tales, INCLUDING LATER ONES BY POUL ANDERSON, HIMSELF, I just can't rate them all that high. Maybe in the past, these were highly sought after. And aside from some stylistic differences, they might have been right at home in the average SF magazines today. They're not BAD.

But I DO like more vibrant characters, more.


*** Big note: Poul Anderson wrote one of my favorite big-spread history SF novels in The Boat of a Million Years. I thought it was about as good as it gets. I can see a taste of the effort that went into that book in these short stories, but only a tiny taste.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray Bradbury put forth the idea that science fiction was just a sub-genre of fantasy; essentially a fantastic imaginative literature that was established with a scientific foundation. Within this sub-genre, there exists the sub-sub fantastic genre of time travel.

Time travel novels owe lineage to H.G. Wells and The Time Machine, first published in 1895. However, I think many modern time travel books may be connected to Ray Bradbury’s classic short story A Sound of Thunder with it’s butterfly effect theory.

Poul Anderson’s novel The Corridors of Time established an agreeable time travel method that blended elements of science fiction with historic fiction for a very pleasing result. The short stories that comprise the mash-up novel The Guardians of Time were mostly first published in the 1950s.

Anderson serves the idea of time travel well with, rather than the inflexible and unforgiving butterfly effect, the Vonnegutian “dry rubber bands” theory of flexible time. The Guardians of time introduces hero Manson Everard and the Time Patrol. One of the most pleasing elements of this book, and presumably about all of the Time Patrol series, is that time travel becomes a vehicle by which Anderson can explore concepts of alternate history.

Filled with his signature ability to meld good science fiction with realistic but imaginative historic fiction, Anderson succeeds brilliantly.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These time travel stories, mostly from the 1950's, hold up quite well. SFF grandmaster Poul Anderson lays down some serious alternate history scenarios while exploring some fascinating historical what-if's. These stories are paradox laden, rife with examples of history creating itself via intervention, intentional or otherwise, by those from the future.

Anderson's writing is tight, energetic and full of interesting historical detail. He introduces some intriguing concepts, including the notion of "flexible" time, essentially a resiliency whereby only intense efforts at altering the past at critical junctures can actually affect the course of history.

Also key are the "Danellians", a mysterious race from far in the future that act, presumably, to keep the timeline safe. When time travel was invented in 19352 AD, the post-human Danellians appeared and founded the Time Patrol but there is little direct contact with them. The Patrol is run by the human beings of the Middle Command and it is forbidden to visit the Danellian civilization, more than a million years hence.

[Ivo Stoyanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Пол Андерсън е велик , "Времевият патрул" е смесица от комични ситуации, пътешествия през мн времеви епохи , хубавото е че сагата има още книжки , защото поне книга едно е отлична. Представете си Шекли ,Зелазни и Хайнлайн в едно и ще получите магията която автора е създал .

[David Corvine · Rating 3 out of 5]

William S. Burroughs used to write GETS in the margins of books that contained usable material.... "good enough to steal". My copy hasn't actually been annotated thus... but it could have been.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for a while now; when I was offered the book, I started it immediately!

First, nothing but the idea seduced me: a Patrol recruited to "watch" time, to make sure that our continuum stays the same, that major historical events do not change. Please, I WANT TO BE A PATROLWOMAN (actually, after reading the short stories, I don't, but to visit Rome in Antiquity, Iran in the sixth century BC, or even the 80s would be so cool! It's the historical geek in me speaking!)
There were tropes that I love: a group, an academy, time travel... how can I say no?!

Time travel was well-explained; I got it, even if it felt a bit unclear in the beginning. It was not too far-fetched, it was clear and it felt logical!

My favorite was probably the first one because the reader gets to discover the world developped by the author, how the Patrol works and other such things as what a Danellian is.
In the second one, I guessed that Keith was actually Cyrus and I didn't like the love triangle - I got that it gets Everard moving that Cynthia asks for his help and that he hesitates, even if Keith is his friend.
The third one was really good, and the last was probably my second favorite - it deals with Antiquity, how can I not love it?

There are some stereotypes in this series: the hero, Everard, is clearly a "Man"; women didn't feel real or important to me; the main character's sidekicks are men.
But the universe is so good that the book isn't spoilt by it!


So, I can't wait to go on with this series - the second volume is on its way!

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído en 2002.
7/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor: 6/10.
Otro autor clásico bastante prolífico y cuyas novelas, en general, entretienen.
Esta supera la media con un 7 (otras seis tuvieron la misma nota). Y las que más me gustó fue "Tiempo de fuego", con 8/10.

En realidad en esta novela hay 4 historias de los Guardianes del Tiempo, grupo de protege a la historia de las desviaciones históricas que podrían dañar a la humanidad (ahora hay varias series en TV sobre el tema: la española El Ministerio del Tiempo y la americana Timeline).
La novela está bien.

[Jan vanTilburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five short stories about time travel.
Entertaining without much depth really.
When you like history it’s fun. Fun to read how the chain of events has shaped mankind

One might expect that time travel could change history, but Anderson depicts the continuum as a mesh of rubber bands. Not easy to distort; the tendency for it is always to snap back to it’s former shape. This resilience of time is the reason time travel is allowed at all. They can freely move back and forwards in time.

The stories are about how people get into trouble while traveling in time. And how, through cunning, plotting and bending of rules, they get rescued. Time travel does has it rules you know!

* Time Patrol (1955)
How it all began. Everard becoming a timecop. He will learn that history will have it’s own course. Discrepancies in time facts causes paradoxes which are dangerous weaknesses in the spacetime fabric.
There you have it! More than enough work for the Guardians of Time. And on the way Everard learns that: “most human misery is due to well meaning fanatics.”
* Brave to be a King (1959)
When lost in time one has to to adapt, make the best of it and hope to get rescued by ones timecop buddies. But how to do that when you play a major role in the world history? The timeline cannot be disturbed! Your own time would be totally different! An interresting paradox is explored here. And in doing so, one could learn how the ancient Persians influenced the times to come.
* Gibraltar Falls (1975)
The biggest waterfall ever in time, is a marvel that has to be studied. But natural wonders are not without danger.
* The only Game in Town (1960)
What if the Amercas were settled by the Mongols? (anno 1280). Way before the Europeans came and destroyed the native culture and people. For the indiginous people it would be less destructive. An interesting idea.
* Delenda Est (1955)(p.161)
What if the Romans were defeated by Carthage? How would the world look then?
“Events are the result of a complex. There are no single causes. That’s why it’s so hard to change history.” But what if it appears that it happened nonetheless? What caused it? How do they get back? A nexus of many world lines does effect the whole future...

[Aitziber Madinabeitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo he pasado muy bien con estos relatos (traducción antigua y por lo que se mejorable y mejorada) de viaje en el tiempo que juegan con la paradoja (aunque flexible y no muy explicada) en líneas enormes de historia y se centran en "el individuo no importa"

[Mariangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good stories about alternative history timelines.

"Time patrol" is the introductory story, which explains the creation and modus operandi of the Patrol quite well.
In "Brave to Be a King", I figured out what had happened almost from the beginning.
The historical premises of "The only game in town" and "Delenda est" are very interesting.
In "Delenda est", the historical change would come more as a surprise if it were not for the title.

[Paula Patzová]

While I appreciate the ideas behind The Guardians of Time, I fell out of engagement about halfway through. The Mongol section, in particular, didn’t work for me I’m not sure if it was the pacing, the procedural feel, or the fact that we only experience the past with little narrative momentum in the present. Possibly a combination of all three.

I can see what the book is trying to do conceptually, and I respect it for that, but on a reading level it just didn’t land for me this time.

[Dávid Novotný · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of loosely connected stories focusing on various 'adventures' of main protagonist time agent Manson Everard.

Instead of usual view on causality of time when one small change in past can have huge impact on the future, Paul Anderson offers different view. In his work time is quite flexible entity, able to cope with some small changes, so unless someone is trying really hard to change the future, it usually stays the same. And for this few special cases there are guardians of time.

Each story offers glimpse into different era and introduces some interesting problem or change of events that needs to be handled by time agents. Writings is swift, author doesn't bore readers with technical details how things work, and he focuses more on history offering speculative view on some important, or event at first sight not so important events from our past.

Even though it using some technological advances and dreams of future from more than 40 years ago, due to the fact that it focus more on philosophical aspect of time travel than the technical one, it still works nowadays and doesn't feel aged.

[Zuuru · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kuidagi ei läinud väga peale :/ Kaks viimast lugu olid täitsa head, aga väga-väga aeglane ja kohmakas esimene pool. Peategelane ei olnud väga sümpaatne ning tema raamidest väljapoole mõtlemine oli temale üllatavalt sobimatu, ta oli liiga tühi tegelane.

[V.W. Singer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given that the first story in the book Guardians of Time by SF grand master Poul Anderson, "Time Patrol" was published in 1955, and taking into account the technology of the period, that story and all the others in the Guardians of Time were an extremely impressive achievement, as well as a thoroughly entertaining read. The book contains five stories, all featuring the same principal character and in (his) chronological sequence.

[Spoiler Alert] – I'm going to mainly talk about the themes and concepts of the book, but inevitably it will reveal some of the story outlines. Decide for yourself if that is too big a risk.

First of all, although the "science" of time travel and the various risks and effects of doing so are satisfactorily covered, unlike in the stories of many other authors for the time or since, the book is not about the metaphysics of it or clever twists in the logic of time, any more than Star Trek is about the warp drive.

Revealed early on, so it is not really a spoiler, is that the Time Patrol is not a human creation. Although the agents are all human from various periods of time, the masters of the Patrol are the Danellans, beings from the very far future, presumably our descendants, who have evolved so much that they no longer resemble us in body or thought. So the stories are not really about the invention and the consequences of time travel either.

So what then is the book about? It is about choices. Human choices. Time, as it affects human lives, is all about choices. The choice of a tribe of primitive men to migrate across land bridges to populate distant continents, or to stay where they were. The choice of people to live by hunting and gathering or by herding animals or planting crops. Each decision, big and small, makes up the fabric of time itself, just as a single dot forms part of a high resolution printed photograph.

What about when people have the ability to affect their own past and thus change their future? In order to maintain the status quo, the "reality" we all know, the Patrol has to protect the past from change. But the Patrol is made up of normal human beings, plucked from all eras of time. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchmen? So the agents of the Patrol must also deal with their own who are tempted to use their power for personal reasons. Simple enough, it would seem. Find the change and reverse it. But what if the interference has saved innocent lives, and nothing bad seems to have happened as a result. No Patrol office in any era looking forward in time detects any changes. Does that mean that the event was "meant" to happen all along? Would changing it back actually cause the damage they are trying to prevent? Not quite so simple after all.

And then there are the accidents. The Patrol intervenes and the wrong person is killed. History books are notoriously inaccurate and incomplete. What if something completely different was happening than what was in the records? The agents of the Patrol have to deal with these as well, and a wrong choice could doom everyone and everything they ever knew.

Then the worst possibility of all. The Patrol fails to catch a change. All of history is altered. New empires and societies are born. People who had never existed are also born to live and love and struggle. Perhaps the Patrol agents can "fix" it by finding the original interference and preventing it. But that would mean wiping out the billions of lives, men women and children, that already exist in all the periods of the new "now". Would that be a genocide worse than any ever perpetrated? Does anyone have the right to do that?

Finally, what if the agents of the Patrol find out that the Danellans are not as devoted to maintaining the "natural order" as it seems? That the Danellans are shaping their own past. What to do then?

These are the kinds of questions and problems raised and worked out in the five stories in Guardians of Time. Choices. Good, bad, ultimately someone has to decide.

This book has flashy lights, big bangs, exciting battles, and fascinating historical insights, but it is not these that make it interesting and worth reading. It is the choices.

[Alex Memus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Анимус здорового человека в отличие от каракуль Ефремова. Особая благодарность версии Андерсона за ветку с Литторном-ВКЛ.

[L'amaca di Euterpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

La cronopolizia veglia sul tempo e sulla Storia in modo che nessun provi a rovinare il futuro pasticciando con il passato.
Poul Anderson imbastisce 4 bei racconti sui viaggi nel tempo raccontando con attenzione come la Storia spesso sia inevitabilmente portata a vivere un qualcosa indipendentemente dal protagonista, lasciando al suo protagonista, l'agente Manse Everard arruolato negli anni '50 della nostra era terrestre, il compito di capire e dipanare le varie matasse che si trova ad affrontare.
Quattro racconti ben scritti e a suo modo logici, dove viene superato il concetto che basta uccidere una zanzara nel passato per stravolgere tutto, ma allo stesso tempo come alcuni nodi siano inevitabili.
Ancora una volta Anderson conquista il lettore per maestria e ingegno e anche per leggerenza nell'affrontare i singoli momenti.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Anderson while working on a NORML petition drive in the early 80's. This book is a set of four stories from his series titled "Time Patrol" that ran in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, written between 1955 and 1959. for their era actually, they still read really well. Despite the fact that recent news has given us the kibosh to time travel (at least, perhaps, for travel to the past) such a notion was instrumental, of course, in the development of the genre. I would recommend it both as an exemplar of the problem (paradox and uncertainty) as it was conceived of by the writers of the day as well as a specimen of the theories recently discouraged by scientific reporting...

[Jaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mõnus tükk ajarännuulmet, millele sooviks kindlasti lisa. Ajaloo erinevate sündmuste õiget kulgu tagav Manse Everard seikleb erinevates ajastutes, selja taga suur organisatsioon, mida omakorda juhivad inimeste järglased kaugest tulevikust. Raske öelda, kui tõepärane tundub toimumispaikade ja sündmuste kirjeldus inimesele, kellel on minust paremad ajalooteadmised, kuid minu jaoks olid need vähemalt piisavalt huvitavad. Kogu tugevaim jutt on "Delenda est", kus ajalugu on põhjalikult loomulikust kursist kõrvale kallutatud ja tänapäevaseid riike pole kunagi tekkinud. Halvim, õigemini mõttetuim lugu oli "Gibraltari juga", mis tundus ülejäänud tekstide kõrval lihtsalt suvalise purtsatusena ja ruumitäitjana.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ma olen lõpuks aru saanud et mulle ei meeldi Poul Andersoni jutud ikka eriti. Ei meeldinud "Taevarahvas", ei meeldi muud jutud siin-seal ja ei meeldi eriti ka see lootusetult vananenud Ajapatrulli-kogumik. Ega neil lugudel otseselt muud viga polnud kui et kirjutamisaasta 50ndatel andis tunda ja nad polnud ka eriti huvitavad. Selline keskmine jorutamine ühesõnaga. Viimane, Kartaago-lugu kuidagi oli teistest kriipsukese parem. Nõrgapoolne "kolm".

[Krbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oduvijek sam volio SF u kojem je vrijeme glavni akter, a kad uzmem u obzir da sam imao 16 godina kada sam ovo pročitao onda i ne može biti ništa manje od petice, dobro se sjećam općeg dojma - mljac!

Morat ću napraviti jedan reread da vidim kako sada sjeda djelo iz 1955., sitna je to knjižica, taman za jedno poslijepodne/večer.

[Edwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niet echt onder de indruk. Erg gedateerd. Personages hadden geen diepte. 

Zonde van de tijd geweest

[David Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poul Anderson, a luminary in the realm of science fiction, has crafted a body of work that commands respect. It's with a tinge of regret that I admit this is my first foray into his literary universe.

'Guardians of Time' is a collection of four short adventures, each featuring the enigmatic Time Patrol character, Manse Everard. Originally published in 1955, these tales made their debut in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. They are part of a larger series, with this particular collection seeing the light of day in 1961. This book, among several other vintage Penguin books, was handed down to me, a potential appreciator of early sci-fi.

The first story in the collection, "Time Patrol", introduces the character of Manse Everard and the Time Patrol itself. All four stories here are typical adventure stories of the period, with cliffhangers, lots of fighting and running around and even the odd romance. But alongside that, there are interesting questions about "what if". As the Patrolmen police humanity's history, they face difficult decisions and even question the morality of what they do.

The idea of time travel has been a fascination since the very early days (consider H G Well's The Time Machine). Every writer has their own take on how to handle paradoxes and the complexity of plot timelines. Poul Anderson's stories are simple in that regard. He does not let theoretical niceties get in the way of a good yarn. And that is exactly what this book is: a collection of good stories that are designed to entertain.

That is not to say the stories lack depth. Each questions our understanding of past events and displays a passion for history that the writer is keen to share.

I, for one, really enjoyed the book.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angajăm bărbaţi – 21-40, pref. celibatari, milit, sau tehn., fizic sănătos, muncă bine plătită, deplasări în străinătate. Engineering Studies Co., 305 E. 45, 912 & 2-6.
— Vă daţi seama că munca este oarecum neobişnuită, zise domnul Gordon. Şi confidenţială. Sunt convins că puteţi păstra un secret.
— Evident, spuse Manse Everard. Depinde despre ce secret e vorba, desigur.
Gordon zâmbi. Era un zâmbet bizar, o curbă strânsă a buzelor, care nu prea semăna cu ce mai văzuse Everard. Vorbea o americană uşor colocvială şi purta un costum de afaceri obişnuit, însă, dincolo de tenul întunecat, obrajii spâni şi incongruenţa ochilor mongoloizi de deasupra nasului caucazian subţire, bărbatul degaja un aer străin. Era greu de stabilit locul de origine.
— Nu suntem spioni, dacă la asta vă gândiţi, zise el.
Everard zâmbi.
— Scuzaţi-mă. Vă rog să nu credeţi că aş fi isteric în privinţa spionilor, aşa cum se întâmplă cu restul ţării. Oricum, n-am mai avut acces la date confidenţiale. Totuşi, anunţul menţiona operaţiuni externe, iar aşa cum stau lucrurile acum, mi-ar plăcea să-mi păstrez paşaportul, înţelegeţi?
Era un bărbat solid, cu umeri masivi şi chip uşor îmbătrânit sub părul şaten tuns scurt. Avea în faţă documentele sale: foaia de demobilizare şi referinţele de la diversele locuri de muncă unde activase ca inginer mecanic. Gordon abia dacă le aruncase o privire.
Încăperea era obişnuită – un birou şi două scaune, o cartotecă şi o uşă ce ducea spre altă cameră. O fereastră se deschidea spre traficul zgomotos al New York-ului care se desfăşura cu şase etaje mai jos.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The version I have here is from 1980, with an afterward by Sandra Miesel. Guardians of Time is a collection of short stories from the point of view of Everard, a time patrolman who was recruited from 1954 in North America. This feels like a mashup of Doctor Who and TimeCop- think Jack Harkness from Torchwood. Everard is a freelance patrolman, meaning he can travel anywhere he's needed to fix issues that appear in time. He rescues other patrolmen that haven't checked back in, and he fixes the timeline when things go awry. He may be a bit misogynistic (most of the women are one-dimensional characters and he actually calls one of his past girlfriends a wench) but he's a smart cookie and thinks his way out of many tough situations, all while still adhering to (or bending) the rules of the Time Patrol. The way Anderson tackled the flow of time was interesting- he suggested that minor changes wouldn't alter written history entirely; rather, if you had gone back to kill FDR's ancestors, he would still be born anyway, to another family, given the large pool of ancestors we all share. There are certain key 'fixed points' that history does hinge on, and that's a major part of the last entry Delenda Est.
The writing was surprisingly engaging, and I found myself intrigued as to how Everard was going to get himself out of his current jam. Overall, I had a good time with this older sci-fi, and I could definitely see myself continuing with the series. I also hope to see more female characters like Deirdre in Anderson's work in the future- she was a refreshing addition to the final story.

[Timothy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and definitely not for those who are easily bored by history. Anderson tackles some odd moments in time, creating at the same time an alternate path designed to draw the reader along into possibilities. Miesel gives a good literary analysis at the end, offering a deeper human interpretation of Anderson's purpose, but in the end, it's more of a fun romp through time. Everard is full of the hard-as-nails idealism (though not unexamined) and just a touch of the careful risque' of the 1950s. It gives the story a deceptive tone of innocence. Of course, it isn't. Instead it is a product of its times, with plenty of the isolation of the modern mind. Manse is alone, never quite in tune with his partners, and ever having to make decisions he's not quite settled on. They may cause him angst, but he's up to the emotional conflict, resolved as he is by the essential rightness of his job.

This book is an earlier version of a more complete edition that came out years later with more stories: these five plus others. The careful reader who enjoys this kind of tale should probably research and hold out for the longer book. I don't know of Meisel's essay is in the later edition.

[Txema Corp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde el descubrimiento del viaje temporal se crea la Patrulla del tiempo, una organización desplegada por diversos periodos de la Historia humana para evitar intromisiones en la línea temporal. En última instancia está organización existe para que la humanidad acabe evolucionando en los danelianos, los fundadores y líderes de la patrulla.

El libro está estructurado en 4 relatos autoconclusivos:

-Nuestro protagonista empieza siendo reclutado en el siglo XX por la Patrulla temporal. Tras su entrenamiento se aventura en su primera misión, investigar una posible intromisión de un viajero temporal en la Gran Bretaña del siglo quinto.

-En el segundo episodio, como un agente más veterano, pasa al rescate de un compañero en el origen del imperio persa.

-El tercer relato cuenta como debe impedir el descubrimiento de América por parte de China doscientos años antes de la llegada de Colón.

-En el capítulo final se nos plantea una ucronía, Roma fue derrotada por Cartago alterando toda la línea temporal desde la segunda guerra púnica.

En resumen, ciencia ficción viejuna con regusto a clásico y no a rancio.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Man, this was a wild experience. I love time travel books, and a long time ago I made a list of books in that genre. I picked up this book after having it on my to read for years and it was really disappointing to me. The time patrol watches over the various eras making sure that no one is interfering with time and doing research. The author comments that little changes shake out, so it's okay for patrol men to dip in and out of the timeline, (time travel books always have to hand wave some logistics). The author will introduce a foil or issue and then dive into paragraphs of deep history leaving the reader feeling like they are in a cliche bad history lesson so while reading this during lunch at work I was left nodding of on multiple occasions. The book is a collection of 5 short stories, but even that form factor wasn't that exciting. One of the least attention holding books I've read in a long time and it deserved a DNF but I hate to dnf a book.

[John JJJJJJJJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manse Everard is recruited by the Patrol to be a Time Policeman. His goal? To prevent the rewriting of history by traveling back in time. We follow this typical Anderson hero in various short stories:

- The Time Patrol
The beginning of the story. Everard, after the Second World War, interviews for a job at a mysterious company: the Time Patrol.

- Brave to be a King
Here, the action takes place in Achaemenid Persia during the time of Cyrus the Great.

- The Only Game in Town
The Great Khan launches an expedition to eastern China. If it succeeds, the world will be changed forever. Everard and his colleague John Sandoval will do everything to prevent this.

- Delenda Est
After a trip to prehistory near Toulouse, our heroes return to the United States, only to discover that this is not the America they know. It's an alternate world in which Carthage defeated and destroyed Rome.

[Allan Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in my impressionable youth and was very moved by it - so much so that 50 years later I was motivated to re-read it. But what a disappointment. The heroes are very swashbuckling Americans who seem endlessly to be fighting battles with multifarious historical groups (though that's not restricted to 20th Century SciFi - I have the same criticism of recent time travel literature), not much subtle intervention here. The history justifications are long, detailed, dry and tedious (I wonder whether a historian would be stimulated); and the whole feel is dated by the continual smoking and the attitude to women. So why did I like it when I was young - what has changed - me or the vogue? I think both have changed for the better.

[Jonathan Palfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection contains four of Poul Anderson’s older Time Patrol stories. More were written later.

Time Patrol (©1955): This introduces us to Manse Everard, the hero of the stories, showing his recruitment into the Time Patrol in 1954. It makes a good introduction and quite a good story.

Brave to Be a King (©1959): Quite a good story about Cyrus the Great, founder of the first Persian Empire. It has a classic time-travel plot since reused by other writers. It’s not a happy story, but I reread it nevertheless.

The Only Game In Town (©1960): Quite an interesting story though not one of my favourites; set in America in 1280 AD.

Delenda Est (©1955): My favourite of these older stories, this features a colourful alternative world created by a deliberate alteration of history.