Jingo: (Discworld Novel 21) (Discworld series)

If you want the book Jingo, the version coauthored by Steven Briggs is not it!! It is the script for a play based on Jingo. If you want the book, make sure that you get the book where only Terry Pratchett is author!!

‘Why are our people going out there?’ said Mr Boggis of the Thieves’ Guild.
‘Because they are showing a brisk pioneering spirit and seeking wealth and . . . additional wealth in a new land,’ said Lord Vetinari.
‘What’s in it for the Klatchians?’ said Lord Downey.
‘Oh, they’ve gone out there because they are a bunch of unprincipled opportunists always ready to grab something for nothing,’ said Lord Vetinari.

'Wazir comes from Smale, you see,' said Carrot. 'And Mr Goriff comes from Elharib, and the two
countries only stopped fighting ten years ago. Religious differences.'
'Ran out of weapons?' said Vimes.
'Ran out of rocks, sir. They ran out of weapons last century.'
Vimes shook his head. 'That always chews me up,' he said. 'People killing one another just because their gods have squabbled-'
'Oh, they've got the same god, sir. Apparently it's over a word in their holy book, sir. The Elharibians say it translates as "god" and the Smalies say it's "man".'
'How can you mix them up?'
'Well, there's only one tiny dot difference in the script, you see. And some people reckon it's only a bit of fly dirt in any case.'
'Centuries of war because a fly crapped in the wrong place?'
'It could have been worse,' said Carrot. 'If it had been slightly to the left the word would have been ‘liquorice'.'

On consideration, I would say "Jingo" is my 2nd favourite book of the Ankh-Morportk City Watch series (right after Night Watch and my 3rd favourite in the complete Discworld series (after Night Watch and Hogfather).

If I were an educational authority preferably with international competence, I would make all the politicians of the world read it and discuss it in class and write essays about it and if they scored higher than C+, then and only then would I allow them to hold office of any kind. But it is wishful thinking as well as longing for more Vetinaris and Sam Vimeses in the world.

In "Jingo" Terry Pratchett is actually waging a bitter and deeply sad one-man war against nationalism, racism, religious fundamentalism, territorialism and all kinds of nasty-ISMS invented by men and he does it the way he knows best: by making you laugh out loud and think! And there is no better way to do it, in my book anyway.

Whenever something extraordinary happens in Ankh-Morpork, Commander Sam Vimes wishes he can just have similar street crime and not deal with politics like he does in Jingo. The fourth Watch entry of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series takes the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork to foreign parts, namely Klatch, in the pursuit of the criminal mastermind that sent two powers to war.

The ancient sunken city of Leshp rises to the surface directly in-between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, the two ancient rivals claim the island and war fever starts spreading in both countries. To Sam Vimes and the City Watch this just makes their job harder in the multicultural city that they patrol that only gets worse when a Klatch prince comes to town to receive an honorary degree from the Unseen University and is wounded in an assassination attempt. As Vimes and Watch work on finding the perpetrators, the politics of the situation slide into the war which sends all of their suspects to Klatch in some way. And then the story really gets going, especially when Lord Vetinari takes a trip with Colon and Nobbs.

Like the other Watch books, Pratchett has fun with the idea of law-and-order and with the coppers catching the bad guy. The unusual personalities that make up the Watch continue to develop, even when some of them really don’t want to, and along the way the reader gets to have a lot of laughs at their expense. Jingo is another great book in the Discworld series and continues the great arc of the Watch subseries.

A story where Klatch and Ankh-Morepork fight over a there-again-gone-again island.

Wasn't quite sure how it all tied in at first. I actually read the whole thing cover to cover, not once peeking at the back. Not an easy feat for me since there was the puzzling 71-hour Ahmed (I was most pleased on my assumption of him), the odd dis-organizer who gave predictions for Vimes (just not of his universe). And of course, I wanted to know who won, even if it is on penalties.
Along with the usual characters that I thoroughly enjoy, I got a chance to like a few others I'd misgivings about such as Poor, poor Nobby. Can't believe I actually feel sorry for the er ... alleged human. I couldn't get the image of him wearing harem pants outta my head for days. Hehe. ^_^
And there was Angua ... the catalyst of sorts ... I've a problem with fully immersing in her pov. But she's pretty decent in this book, the best she'd been so far actually. Probably due to the lack of her thinking of fleeing. With that absent, I can finally enjoy all the Watchmen.

Finally, there's the patrician. There's only one thing I can say about him ...
Veni, Vici, Vetinari.

"Jingo" in Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series, was first published in 1997 and is the fourth to focus on Sam Vimes and Ankh-Morpork's City Guard.

Sam is the Commander of the City Guard, and - having married Lady Ramkin - a member of the nobility. It's fair to say he's not your typical hero : he doesn't like the Undead (particularly vampires), Assassins (they keep trying to kill him) and - in keeping with an old family tradition - Kings (not an ideal musketeer then). However, despite being terminally suspicious, he is also a very likeable and fair man. While in the past Sam has dealt with the `small' crimes, Jingo sees him moving in a new environment : war and - even more dangerously - politics. The book opens with a mysterious island called Leshp rising from beneath the sea, exactly halfway between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch. Both, naturally, claim it as their own...

Klatch is a huge, multi-ethnic empire, and rivals Ankh-Morpork commercially. Furthermore, it's far ahead of Ankh-Morpork in terms of technology and scientific knowledge. Yet, the average Morporkian - despite having an enormous appetite for Klatchian curry and kebabs - seems to look down on "Johnny Klatchian" as some sort of primitive coward. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth : the D'regs, for example, are a terrifying desert tribe who trust no-one and will fight anyone on a matter of principle.

In an attempt to resolve the situation - Klatch's Prince Khufurah arrives in the city for discussions with Vetinari. Depressingly, anti-Klatchian tensions rise in Ankh-Morpork...which naturally makes things very difficult for those of Klatchian extraction living in the city. So, when someone tries to assassinate Khufurah - apparently a lone bowman - nobody seems too surprised. Naturally, this only cranks things up at a `diplomatic' level, and - with the heads of the city's Guilds raising private armies - Sam is really up against it...

Although numbers in the Watch continue to rise, Sam still relies most on those he knows best. His most capable officer is Captain Carrot - who was born human, although raised as a dwarf. Carrot is an incredibly innocent and honest character, though many believe him to be Ankh-Morpork's rightful King. (Sam has - to date - refrained from beheading him). Carrot's girlfriend, Angua, is also a member of the City Guard though - particularly useful, given that she's a werewolf. Sergeant Detritus, a troll, seems a natural and likeable cop...though, unfortunately, he becomes a little more stupid as the temperatures rise. Unfortunately, Sam has to do without his most experienced officers for much of the book - Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs (a confirmed slacker and probably human) are roped into a secret mission... although he has some help from two new recruits : Fred Shoe, a zombie, and Buggy Swires, a gnome.

Another very funny book from Pratchett, with a storyline 'underneath' that would have made cracking thriller. The anti-Klatchian attitude of the average ignorant, bigoted, ill-informed Morporkian was a little depressing at times...even more so, given how attitudes have hardened in the real world in recent years. An excellent book though, and highly recommended.

I love this book. HOWEVER, it is not available for purchase as a digital copy in the US, either through Audible or anywhere else. Should anyone read this, I would appreciate knowing why, as it is one of my favorites in the series. So, great book, but the downside is that it is currently unattainable. (Writing as of May 2018)

A mysterious island, Leshp, rises up from the ocean depths leading to conflicting territorial claims and the onset of military opposition. Jingo is one of the most witty looks at the interaction of nationalism, racism & patriotism.

In the beginning:

"Why are our people going there?" said Mr. Boggis of the Thieves' Guild.

"Because they are showing a brisk pioneering spirit and seeking wealth and... additional wealth in a new land," said Lord Vetinari.

"What's in it for the Klatchians?" said Lord Downey.

"Oh, they've gone out there because they are a bunch of unprincipled opportunists always ready to grab something for nothing."... The Patrician looked down again at his notes. "Oh, I do beg your pardon," he said, "I seem to have read those last two sentences in the wrong order..."

The wily and unscrupulous Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, seeing no way to avoid war, lets events take there course while Commander Sir Samuel Vimes, Duke of Ankh-Morpork & Lord Vetinari's more principled but frequent, if often reluctant, ally (and underling) extends the reach of law to the very shores of Klatch itself and Captain Carrot organizes a football game between the two sides!

Of course, in the lower ranks, patriotism is brewing:

"Lot of cowards, the Klatchians said Colon. "The moment they taste a bit of cold steel they're legging it away over the sand"... "And of course they're all mad for fighting," said Colon. "Vicious buggers with all those curvy swords of theirs."

"You mean, like... they viciously attack you while cowardly running away after tasting cold steel?"

Then an attempt on the life of the Klatchian ambassador brings the conflict to a boil. Of course, just as in the real world, the causi belli are not what they seem. Surrender is victory and victory is pyrrhic.

And of course, there is, as usual, the strange interaction between Vimes - the descendant of the man who killed the last King of Ankh-Morpork for the latter's brutality, Vetinari - the Patrician who is able to balance the dangerous mixture of groups and individuals who form Ankh-Morpork's elite, and Captain Carrot - apparently the descendant of the last King and who is well-liked enough to topple Vetinari but who prefers to be Vimes' loyal captain.

As always, the Discworld is a place worth visiting!

My favorite Night Watch fantasies keep Commander Sam Vimes and his motley crew (werewolves, golems, zombies, gargoyles, dwarfs, etc.) in the city of Ankh-Morpork, solving crimes on their own smelly, over-crowded turf. But I'll settle for any Discworld novel in a pinch, and "Jingo" finally reveals the secret of how Corporal Nobby Nobbs (the ugliest human on Discworld) falls in love with cross-dressing.

"Jingo" has Sam and the Night Watch boating off to Klatch, a country very much like Saudi Arabia, and fighting natives who are sometimes disparagingly referred to as rag'eads (Vimes puts a stop to that bit of slang).

That's where any accidental similarities to reality end. On Discworld, nothing as mundane as oil sets off a war. The excuse for this fight is the resurfacing of the lost 'continent' of Leshp, simultaneously discovered by fisherman from Ankh-Morpork and Klatch.

Anti-Klatchian feelings are soon whipped to a frenzy in Ankh-Morpork. The Watch's favorite curry shop is fire-bombed. Instead of sorting things out, the City's Patrician seems intent on making Commander Vimes look silly in a pair of red dress tights. Vimes himself seems to be going through some sort of mid-life crisis concerning Captain Carrot, the not-so-lost (it's hard to lose a six-foot, red-haired dwarf) heir to the Ankh-Morporkian throne, who is flawless at everything he does, including paperwork--although Vimes thinks Carrot treats "the punctuation of a sentence like a game of Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey."

Give Vimes bashed-in armor, greasy leather breeches and a tatty shirt with bloodstains on it any old day--what is a self-respecting watchman doing in puffy shorts and tights? Well, he's leading a Ceremonial Procession to the Unseen University as demanded by ancient Ankh-Morporkian custom. Luckily, someone shoots an arrow through a Klatchian Royal in the parade before it really gets going, and Sam gets to doff his tights and put on his business armor.

Now all the Watch has to do is stop a war.

There is no such thing as a dull or preachy Discworld fantasy. "Jingo" is an anti-war polemic, a serious theme indeed, but it's also seriously wacky. Just picture this: the Patrician, Lord Vetinari on a secret mission to Klatch with an A-team that includes an 'inflatable' donkey and Corporal Nobby Nobbs in harem trousers...oh, yuk. Yuk, yuk!

[For context's sake, I have been reading the Discworld books in publication order. Jingo is #21.]

I have a hard time ranking this one among the other Discworld books I've read. It was fairly solid, but it felt like it was intentionally making a political/political correctness point for much of the first half, and then dispensed with that and got some plot for the second half. Aspects of the setup were at once needlessly opaque and two or three steps too transparent. Ingenious prospects like the temperature's effect on Detritus, some interesting Angua situations, or the intriguing relationship between previously opposed characters briefly sparked, then died out without really accomplishing anything. While the whole book was enjoyable, the disjointed aspects cause me to be critical in retrospect. However, even with the flaws, I still give it four stars. Continuing the Watch plotline, revisiting and developing the characters, and endlessly dangling the Carrot made for good reading.

War with the Middle-East is about the unfunniest topic you can dredge up. Not just now in times of political turmoil, but anytime. Terry Pratchett gives it a comic spin in "Jingo," with a simple message (War is Stupid!) and plenty of hijinks from the Watch.
A weathercock surfaces in the middle of the sea. Since weathercocks usually don't bob around by themselves, it turns out that it's attached to a new island that rises up out of the sea. Fishermen claim the island -- unfortunately, they are from two different lands: Ankh-Morpork and the desert land of Klatch. Soon both lands are at loggerheads over ownership of the new island, Leshp. (a sign in Ankh-Morpork: GREASY FORANE HANDS OFF LESHP) War is imminent, and unfortunately Vimes and his Watch are about to be dragged into it.
Diplomacy takes a nasty turn when Vimes meets (in his official capacity as a duke) a Klatchian prince and the sinister-seeming 71-Hour Ahmed. Soon the prince is injured, and Klatch is furious. Now the war has gotten personal, and is no longer just about Leshp. Vimes and Co. have to enlist the help of the eccentric Leonard of Quirm, while the Patrician somehow ends up enlisting a pair of unlikely spies: Nobby and Colon.
Any Discworld book that features the unattractive Nobby trying to do an exotic dance is worth checking out. But "Jingo" also has the advantage of lampooning just about everything connected with war: Racism, outdated ideas about how to make war, protests by stupid people, xenophobia foreign cultures (Vimes being offered the sheep's eyeball is a riot), politics, and those little time management computers (here called a "disorganizer").
Don't worry -- Pratchett's dryly goofy humor is quite intact despite the messages woven in. From the Prid of Ankh-Morpork to Nobby's deficient love life, he peppers the story with the strange and hilarious. However, at times it dips a little into slapstick (Nobby in drag, getting in touch with his feminine side), and some scenes are more sitcom than satire. His writing is, as always, spare and clear, not too descriptive, and Pratchett manages to avoid banging readers over the head with his messages.
The crusty, hard-boiled Sam Vimes is back in full, here chafing at the idea of being a duke (especially if it means dressing up). Tough werewolf cop Angua gets to spread her wings a little, and supporting characters like 71-Hour Ahmed skim close to stereotypes, but just to make a point. Not to mention the hordes of weird recruits that the well-meaning, clueless Carrot manages to find.
War satire is a hard thing to write. Usually it just displays a heavy hand and a big loud mouth. But Terry Pratchett dips into this with his usual deftness and humor. Recommended.

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.

This is one of the best Discworld novels. City Watch is one of my favorite themes, so this book didn't disappoint. There are certainly so many differnt characters here: main ones like Vimes, Carrot, Vetinari the Patrician; other watch people like Angua, Detritus, Nobby, and Colon; and interesting minor characters like Leonard de Quirm and 71-hour Ahmed, Vimes' Klatchian counterpart.
A new island (later we learn not so new) has risen to the surface, and both Klatch and Ankh-Morpork claim it, even though it in itself is hardly spectacular. It is funny to see the two groups of settlers fighting over wood and water as if it were gold. On the surface, it looks like no contest - Klatch has a real army; Ankh-Morpork has none. But Klatch doesn't have Vimes or Vetinari or Leonard de Quirm on their side to help them.
On one hand, the rich leaders of the city under Lord Rust try to raise a real army and attack Klatch. This is funny, especially Vimes' butler Willikins as a soldier (better than I would think). On the other hand, Vimes smells a rat concerning an attempt on the Klatchian ambassador's life and travels to Klatch to confront his Klatchian counterpart, 71-hour Ahmed who basically seeks the same information from him. Further, Vetinari, together with Leonard de Quirm, Colon, and Nobby, seek their own answers - they go on a submarine mission to the island to see if they can solve the problem another way.
The submarine mission is very funny, especially Nobby in disguise in Klatch - it has quite an effect on him in later books. Leonard de Quirm gets a large role here, more so than in Men at Arms. I always like reading about the discworld's answer to the Renaissance Man. (It gets even better in the later book "The Last Hero").
A good all-around book with plenty of interesting characters.

Of all the shabby, unjustified aggressions witnessed during the 20th Century, few surpass the Malvinas War - Maggie Thatcher's effort to stand with Victoria Regina in Britain's regard. Hundreds of lives were lost over a set of cold, desolate islands in the remote South Atlantic. Someone has calculated that if the money spent on this last gasp of the British Empire had instead gone to resettlement, every resident of the Falkland Islands could have received a million dollars and a new home. Jingo is among the greatest critiques on the folly of wars. It would be nice to think someone sat the Iron Lady down and read this book to her, but she probably wouldn't comprehend it.

When an island rises from the sea on Discworld, the nearest "nations" immediately lay claim to it. The clash of claims leading to war is almost inevitable. Pratchett explains how "war feelings" must be fostered and encouraged, even when the cause of conflict is such a departure from reason as this pitiful gob of land. Sam Vimes, arguably the most reasonable man on Discworld, becomes a victim of war propaganda, swept along in its tide against his will. Sam's natural leadership brings the rest of the Watch along. Except for two who've gone missing - conscripted by, of all people, Lord Vetanari.

Pratchett's characterizations in this book achieve a new pinnacle, especially the new ones. Ahmed, at once Sam's foil and his peer, is a wonderfully enigmatic creation. That he's from "the other side" merely adds to his value in this book. It's to be hoped we meet him again in some future book. Leonard of Quirm arises from earlier vague references to become a real person. The near-stereotype of the absent-minded scientist must have set some teeth on edge at Oxbridge, but Len is a portrayal everyone will recognize. There's one new character, however, that will give the most dedicated Pratchett fan some pause - Beti. More than just a fresh persona, Beti gives Pratchett an opportunity explore previously unrealized themes in his writings. Some comparisons might be made with Angua, but they would pale against what Beti brings to Pratchett's recent publications.

Only one of the characters in this book could be called a disappointment - Carrot. It's almost impossible to view Carrot as an overblown portrayal, but Pratchett manages it this time. No matter - there are too many other excellent renditions that keep you reading and enjoying. Especially that of Sam Vimes. Lord Vetanari's resolution to the strife is in the finest Pratchett tradition of innovative conclusions.

The sad aspect of this book is that it was written ten years too late - the act of self- glorification had passed. As a message for future leaders of any nation, it seems to have missed the target. In part, that's because the media and other reviewers of Pratchett's work think that he's a humourist. That's mistaken. Pratchett's a philosopher who happens to have the talent to make us smile while he's making us face real issues. Pratchett forces us to confront ourselves, our prejudices and biases leading us into conflict with our fellows. The theme of "us" and "them" seems as ancient as humanity. Whether it will ever be shed is a matter for conjecture, but this book, if read by enough, brings some hope. Pratchett is always more than "just funny" and this work is one of his finest treatises on human frailty.

Jingo is yet another book that takes place in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. It's the fourth book to feature the City Watch, which is the police force of Ankh-Morpork, a city on the Disc. It's also one of the best. The City Watch, in its initial incarnation, was an homage to those no-name soldiers, troopers and other various cannon-fodder that inhabit adventure and sci-fi movies. They're usually hapless, the hero runs right over them, and their survival rate is fairly low. Originally, it consisted of three people, Samuel Vimes, Nobby Nobs, and Sergeant Colon.
This was until Carrot joined. Carrot is a human who was raised by dwarves, thus he considers himself a dwarf. He's the ultimate innocent, but yet he has a way of getting people to listen to him and follow him. By the time of Jingo, he's been raised to Captain (no comic book jokes, please). This all happened in the first City Watch book, Guards Guards. In subsequent books, the Watch has grown almost exponentially. It now has over 50 members, with more joining all the time. In fact, Jingo jokes a couple of times about how Vimes, the commander of the Watch, doesn't know that somebody's joined. It's very common for him to say "Who's that?" and be told that he signed the paperwork.
Jingo involves an island that has suddenly appeared between Ankh-Morpork and the land of Klatch. Klatch is based on the Arab countries of our world, and there are quite a few jokes about how something that was supposedly invented in Ankh-Morpork has been used in Klatch for years. The people of Ankh-Morpork have a lot of the same stereotypes of Klatchians as exist in the real world about Arabs as well. Pratchett goes to great lengths to show just how stupid this is. He portrays the actual Klatchians very well, with no actual stereotypes that I saw.
Anyway, both Ankh-Morpork and Klatch lay claim to this island, and thus talk of war begins. There's an attempt on the life of a Klatchian prince and other sorts of violence start to break out in the city. Samuel Vimes is trying to deal with all of this. He's a simple cop who just wants to solve crimes, but sometimes the crimes are too big for one man to solve. Events start to spiral out of control and Vimes and some of his troops find themselves in Klatch trying to stop things before the war gets out of hand.
There are so many wonderful characters in these City Watch books, and this one even adds some more. The main new character is 71-hour Ahmed, a Klatchian who's more than what he seems. Vimes has to deal with him a lot, and while he starts out seeming stereotypical, but he eventually develops into a well-rounded character. There's Reg Shoe, who I understand is introduced in a non-City Watch book, but becomes a member of the Watch in this book. He's a zombie. Then there are the regulars, such as Carrot, Detritus (a troll), Constable Visit, Colon, Nobs, the Patrician (who, uncharacteristically, takes an active role in events after he's deposed from power), and finally Vimes himself. There are just too many of them to describe them all, but they all have their hilarious moments.
Vimes is who the books are essentially about, and he gets the most character development. He used to be a drunk who barely got by, and didn't have to do anything in his job. He wasn't required to, because nobody gave the Watch any respect anyway. Carrot gave him a sense of duty, though, and he's progressed well since then. Jingo continues this progression, as he tries to stop the madness. Vimes is always an interesting person to read about. He's not a violent man, and he's trapped in a violent circumstance. Watching him get out of it is very entertaining.
Discworld is known for it's humour, and this is a very funny book. Pratchett usually cloaks his philosophical points in the laughs. This book isn't quite as funny as the previous ones, though, and the philosophy sticks out even more in this one because of it. It basically points out the pointlessness of mindless militarism, nationalism and patriotism. The closest thing it is a parody of is the Falklands conflict, with a war over a worthless piece of land that nobody in their right mind would want anyway. Along the way, though, many jokes are cracked. The best thing about the City Watch books is that the humour seems to come from within the characters, which makes for very zany, yet almost believable, events. That's why I prefer them.
This book is definitely worth a read. You could start with it, but I would suggest that you read the first three: Guards Guards, Men at Arms, and Feet of Clay. There is a progression of character that you will miss if you start with Jingo. But don't miss this one. It's a keeper.

Of all the series-within-a-series that the Discworld books include (Death, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, etc.), my favorite has to be the tales of Captain Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork Watch. "Jingo" continues their tales with an adventure that begins with a lost island arising from the sea. This, naturally, edges the city of Ankh-Morpork to the brink of war with Klatch for no apparent reason.
One of the things that made this book stand out, even from the other Watch books, is how Pratchett got to shine a spotlight on some lesser-used characters. Corporal Nobbs ("Nobby") gets a great, brilliantly funny subplot that starts with him wanting to find a nice girl and concludes someplace so wonderfully absurd I refuse to spoil it for you. Vimes is the level-headed leader of men we've come to expect. Even Lord Vetinari gets a chance to shine in this book like he hasn't in the earlier volumes. My personal favorite character, Captain Carrot, is pushed a bit to the background this time out, but he gets so much development in the other books it's hard to complain. Even here there are a few moments that show exactly how superhumanly rational Carrot is, rounding him out quite nicely.
Pratchett can blend satire, comedy and adventure in a way no one else can. If the day ever comes where I tire of the Discworld, you'll have to roll me away under a tarp.

So said Walt Kelly's philosophically eloquent possum Pogo. And so says Terry Pratchett in his typically funny, absurd and thoughtful "JINGO" as he takes on the absurdity of war and those who have led us into war since time began.

Jingo features Commander Vimes and the men, women, dwarves, trolls and undead members of the Watch. Jingo opens with Ankh-Morpork on the brink of war. The small island of Leshp has risen miraculously from the Circle Sea. Although small and of little value to anyone the good citizens of Ankh-Morpork and their historical protagonists the Klatchcians each claim title to the land. Each claim ownership based on ancient claims of dubious origin. Sound familiar?

In very short order a Klatchian diplomatic mission arrives in Ankh-Morpork. However it it is clear that powerful forces of both nations are striving for the most efficient way to let loose the dogs of war. An assassination attempt is made, one in which Pratchett finds a way to evoke the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. The too simple solution, the "one arrow" theory is quickly lost in a swirl of conspiracy theories. The drums of war beat faster and a war council, led by a cast of characters each of whom could be played by Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, assume control of war planning. In short order Commander Vimes find himsaelf and his men immersed in an invasion while at the same time the Patrician, Lord Vetinari seems bent on following his own secret course of action.

Of course a mere description of the plot of a Discworld book can never quite do it justice. It is impossible in a short review to reference the many asides, jokes, cynical observations and allusions to our own experience here. Captain Carrot find himself immersed in Klatchian culture, learns the language, adjusts to the desert culture (which seems clearly to be located in the Middle east) and ends up bearing a striking resemblance to Lawrence of Arabia. The Ankh-Morpork high command, led by gentlemen soldiers with little knowledge of military affairs and even less common sense reminded me of the British and French high command from WWI days. There are light moments throughout the book. Nobby goes undercover and discovers his softer side. The visual image one gets from that alone is worth the price of admission. Vimes meets his Klatchian counterpart in 71-hour Ahmed and their interplay forms the heart of Jingo. As events race (and events always race in a Discworld book) towards a conclusion we find a pensive Vimes realizing that he can deal with small crimes like murder, but wondering whether a meaningless war isn't the biggest crime of all and one in which his own nation bears as much responsibility for as its enemies:

"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."

Yes, Vimes like Pogo has met the enemy and has realized it is us. Towards the end of the the book 71-hour Ahmed turns to Vimes and says "there's plenty of reasons for fighting Ankh-Morpork. A lie isn't one of them." I'll leave it up to the reader to determine whether such a sentimentis one that has applicability outside of Discworld.

As with his other Discworld books, Pratchett makes you laugh so hard you don't even realize you're thnking and that is a wonderful feat.

L. Fleisig

Jingo ridicules war, and that's what it centers about, but in the process it ridicules (the usual) the city of Ankh-Morpork and it's solid river, the government, the people, foreingers and anything else that Terry just happened to be thinking of. (he can't help it i guess).
It's one of the best of his books i've ever read and i've read fourteen of them so far (with no plans of stopping). I'd read a recipe of bran muffins if Terry wrote it, that's how much of an established and devoted fan i am.
The humour is very hidden at times. My advice, don't start nodding your head off anytime or you'll miss most of the jokes. This guy is a master at the art of sophisticated, witty humour. And fart jokes too (he gets to that somewhere halfway through the book; poor Nobby and Colon. Imagine stuck at a "submersive" and "marine" vehicle under the ocean, with all there is to eat is cheese and (shudder) beans. And the container you're in is sealed. Yeah, the poor crew on board the ship thought it was a sea monster).
The characters are very believable, no matter how strange they are. I can actual feel pity for Vimes, the commander of the police Watch. Then there's Captain Carrot, the dwarf who's not so dwarf-ish. I think there's so much depth in this character because this guy just happens to understand EVERYTHING about people. And it's all through pure, innocent ignorance (sounds a bit strange). Terry wonders if three is some hidden intelligence beneath all that innocent stupidity. There must be, no one is that stupid. Well, if that's the case, no one can be that patient.
Anyway, there's many layers to this book. The most important one is it's a very, very funny and entertaining book. And it's so different from anything else you've read (other than discworld).

This is one of my favorite Pratchett books! If you've never read Terry Pratchett before: Welcome to a thinly veiled version of London in which social classes and races are represented by various fanatic creatures: gargoyles, humans, trolls, dwarves, etc.-all trying to live together and get along. Uberwald is Germany. Klatch is something like the near east. You'll recognize other places. Disc World is basically earth with London at the center and a few weird twists.
For those who are familier with Pratchett: This is one of the books featuring the Night Watch, but it's a somewhat mixed media performance with a lot from the Patrician (who is my favorite) and Lenard of Querm, also a bit from the wizards. A mysteries island rises out of the sea and both Klatch and Ank-morpork claim ownership. Some people in each country are willing to go to war over the island...but do they have ulterior motives?
In the confusion of a visit from the Klachian prince, Angua is kidnapped (want to know how to kidnap a werewolf? Read the book!) and the whole Watch sets off after her to Klatch, where they unravel a cunning conspiracy. The book has plenty of depth, makes a number of valid points about war, politics, racial prejudice (both prejudice against a minority race AND prejudice in favor of a minority race), and is just superior all-round storytelling. This is one of the few Pratchett's I've read twice.

Terry Pratchett made it clear about a dozen books ago that when he is writing - no one is safe. Jingo focuses on the government control, or lack thereof, of Leshp - an island that has mysteriously surfaced between Ankh-Morpork (which is, of course, nothing like Britain) and Klatch (which is, of course, nothing like Northern Africa or the Middle East).
Making fun of politics both modern and medieval, Jingo showcases the City Watch from such books as Men At Arms and Feet of Clay. Commander Vimes, a constant adversary of the nobility, faces the daunting task of averting a war when the hilariously clueless noblemen of the city attempt to raise an army to fight the vastly superior forces of Klatch for control of Leshp.
This is one of the standout books of the series, especially if you have a disdain for politics in general. Pratchett is dead-on on his satirical commentary and even manages to squeeze in a plot among all the irony. Top notch!

All political beliefs aside Terry Prachett knocks one out of the park with this installment of the Discworld saga. Sam Vimes sets off to stop a war started by idiots. What makes his books so amazing is his ability to tell the future. The main theme of this book is war is bad. The countries he uses to ba antagonists are Ahnk Morpork and Klatch. Any war could be seen as a primer for this book, it just seems a bit uncanny that the 2 going to war are an english speaking country and a "arabic" country. They go to war over a spot of wet soggy land between their prospective countries. The island is held up by air and this baloon eventually has to pop leaving the question... why were we fighting in the first place.

Great story we see Leonard De Quirm get out of his hole in the palace. Meet some new characters like 72hour Ahmed. Excellent read. very enjoyable

Once again Terry Pratchett mirrors the irreverence of our own world with this charming little novel concerning a war between a very western Ankh-Morpork and a very middle-eastern Klatch. As usual the references from literature and the history of the real world as well as aspects of current events wormed their way through that beautiful dimensional portal in Pratchett's brain to give us a delightful romp and thought provoking look at one of the most basic and primal human events. It was written in the finest tradition of the City Watch series which seem to always show that true duty and realism tend to win out over the insanity that the majority of the world engages in. Watch out for 71-Hour Ahmed and the rest of the D'Regs, but they even seem weak next to the power of Corporal Nobbs in a dress. If you're a Pratchett fan, you're going to read it, and if you're not a Pratchett fan, become one.

Before the publication of this book, channel four in Britain did an interview with Terry. He said this book was about "the pointlessness of war". For me, this beautifully somes up the book. It is amusing, in a subtle way, and occasionally warrants an out burst of laughter, but not often. That would be too vulgar. Just a smile is sufficient. It is also amazingly thought provoking . It makes me wonder, as with all Terry's books, whether it is secretly based on some unsuspecting war in the depths of history. I can imagine the author laughing at us for thinking he made it up. I think Terry Pratchett is one of the most readable authors in print today, even forever. He once said he "writes for anyone who can hold the books". I think this means anyone aged 10 to 100 can read them.
Ralph Evins, Age 14.

For all of those who dislike this book, it simply isn't true. This book offers one of the greatest Discworld experiences, while exploring Klatch- the desert kingdom. The demonic dis-organizer makes another appearance (and a final appearance, as it seems). The character of Leonard de Quirm (a Discworld version to Leonardo de Vinci, perhaps) is one of the new characters in this book, as well as Lord Rust and 71-Hour Ahmed. The basic idea, of the Discworld going into war over such an idiotic reason is great, but no one can build a plot on that. Well, Terry Pratchett could, and I think that this book is one of the best books in the serie, although there is almost not a book which may be described as 'bad' in the discworld serie.
If you liked the discworld, and Terry Pratchett's Humor, u'll like this one!

JINGO is Pratchett's insightful and humorous take on the nature of war. From the ridiculous causes of war to the insane prejudices it brings out in the populace, nothing is safe from Pratchett's perceptive and cynical pen. Using the black and white perspective of Vimes in conjunction with the behind the scenes machinations of Vetinari (In a sub with Colon and Nobby?) Pratchett examines war from different perspectives and is very successful at it. It even effectively echoes current world politics; the confusion and chaos over just what is being fought for. Discworld at its best takes a look at the big picture and often skewers it with a humor that is based on logic and intelligence; JINGO is no exception.

Jingo - a warm, heartfelt novel about the struggle between two nations...

hmm... maybe not.

It's really about an island that pops up between these two continents - and they both wanted to claim it.

Meanwhile, Commander Samuel Vimes of Ankh-Morpork is trying to keep his family life together (meaning - he and his wife always eat together. Well, at least dinner. Most of the time.) while keeping up with his never-ending chase of criminals.

And when the prince from the other continent (Klatch), on a diplomatic mission in Ankh-Morpork, is almost killed, war is started.

Vetinari goes on a little mission of his own, in a submarine (though it's real name is much longer) invented by one Leonard of Quirm, and Angua boards a ship heading for Klatch and has to get rescued by her boyfriend, Captain Carrot (who is quite calm about the whole thing, of course).

By Jingo!

Filled with the satire that could only be written down this way correctly by Terry Pratchett, Jingo is a fun story that takes you up in the spinning of the Diskworld.

While the main hero of the novel is Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, the story jumps from character to character, and from sub-plot to sub-plot, leaving the story somewhat fragmented. Ankh-Morpork and Klatch become involved in a dispute over ownership of the desolate island of Leshp which has risen from the sea. It is a typical story of countries spending vast amounts of their resources in a dispute over a relatively worthless piece of real estate, with various people pursuing their own agendas and feathering their own nests as they appeal to patriotism. With sailing ships, camels, a stolen (somewhat threadbare) flying carpet, and a submarine, the plot gets interesting. The story is humorous, but various dead bodies are left about the landscape.

Although I got hooked on the Discworld serie after reading Pyramids, this is the first book I've bought. This was probably the best buy I've ever made. At the moment I'm reading Jingo for the second time, and am still enjoying it as much as the first time. Its an understatement to say the no book has given me so much enjoyment as this one. I've caught myself waking up in the morning looking forward to the train ride to work so I can finally continue reading. This book is a must for every man, woman, child, dwarf, troll, werewolf, golem... oh, lets not forget Nobby. And to Mr. Pratchett I can say only one thing: I want more!!!!!

A mysterious island appearing in the sea is claimed by both Ankh-Morpork and Al-Khali, capital of Klatch. Features an assasination, investigation by Carrot and Angua, a really annoying Palm Pilot, and a parody of Leonardo da Vinci. Makes good use of the minor Watch characters like Nobby, and includes a a lot of silliness blended with deft touches of anti-war sentiment (this could easily have become heavy-handed and unpleasant to wade through). On the down side, there are too many simultaneous plot lines, and it will not work well if you haven't read at least one or two of the other books in this sequence.

I recently read Terry Pratchett for the first time through an advanced reader's copy of "The Fifth Element." I greatly enyoyed that book and immediately went out and purchased"Jingo." While to a large degree similar--though I felt the former to be better plotted and more tightly written--I found the similarities here beginning to wear thin midway through the book. It wasn't that I was bored, or found Pratchett's writing lacking in inventiveness, but that his use of plot devices were already becoming familiar. Not a good sign, if a reflection upon the other 23 Discworld titles. I think I'll give Pratchett a rest; perhaps after a few months the next title I read will appear fresher.

There are very few writers who can make you laugh out loud just seconds after making your heart clench. In fact, Terry Pratchett is about the only one I've ever read who could do that. The basic plot is very simple. Two countries, who haven't warred in centuries, find an island, that may or may not have value, situated between them. And for various political reasons both sides begin to prepare for war. It's up to the lowly city guard to put a stop to it. Led by a reformed alcoholic and an oddly naive and carefree captain who sees only the best in people (odd mainly because he's still alive, it is Ankh-Morpork after all) the chances for success don't look too good. Especially when Vetinari, the Patrician, is relieved of his duties by the nobility in preperation for the war. And when the foreign ambassador is killed right under the city guard's collective nose? Well, not even a nice game of football is going to do any good. This was easily my favorite of all the discworld novels, the humor was just as good as in Interesting Times but I felt that the plot and the shading of the characters was slightly superior. The only negative thing that I could say about this book (and quite frankly all of the discworld novels) is that you had better be a fast reader. I read it in under six hours, you need that kind of speed, otherwise I believe that the constant off-subject footnotes would get in the way. Small problem, but one that can be annoying at times.

This is my sixth Discworld experience. As to a rating, vs other Discworld Novels I've read, I would place it somewhat below REAPER MAN, MORT, and MONSTROUS REGIMENT, on a par with THE LIGHT FANTASTIC, and well above THE COLOR OF MAGIC.

As you can deduce from the title, Pratchett here takes on the notion of jingoism in all its absurd manifestations. Dr Johnson's famous dictum about patriotism "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" is brought vividly to life by Mr Pratchett. A series of incidents initiated by the sudden emergence of a land mass in the middle of the Circle Sea has led to a renewal of enmity between the denizens of Ankh Morpork and their ancient rival/enemies, the Klatchians. The obvious parallels here are to the long held mistrust and misapprehension beween the Christian west and the Muslim mideast. Considering that the book was first published in 1998, Terry P was awfully prescient in many regards.

The warfare, while humorous, has it's serious side. A hitherto innocuous butler is driven by patriotic fervor to bite an enemy's nose off, for instance. Think of some of the more absurd anti war movies (PRIVATES ON PARADE, OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR, KING OF HEARTS) for a taste of what Pratchett offers up here.

At the center of all the action is the venerable Sam Vimes, head constable of the Ankh Morpork Watch (police). He is the level headed one in the midst of all the screwball goings on. We also get to see The Patrician (overlord of the city) in a new light. His machinations are a marvel to behold. The usual assortment of offbeat characters (a troll, a female werewolf, a zombie, a dwarf, an imp in a pocket watch) are also along for the merry ride. A parodic version of Leonardo Da Vinci (Leaonard of Quirm) is another in Pratchett's great gallery of weird characters.

As is his wont, Pratchett says an awful lot about some serious issues constantly confronting humankind, without being in the least onerous or heavy handed about it. He is the modern master of such satire. The same sort of outlook that informs Gulliver's Travels is at play here. This could actually serve as a companion piece to another of Pratchett's anti-war send-ups, the aforementioned MONSTROUS REGIMENT. I recommend both, highly.

BEK

As an avid Discworld fan, I'll acknowledge that the quality can ebb and flow from novel to novel. That said, this is one of the best. The humor depends more on familiarity with the characters than anything (though most of the books can be read in any order, I wouldn't recommend this one until you've gotten acquainted with the Guard; there are some priceless character interactions that would be lost on the uninitiated), and the story relies more on that than the usual spoofing of a real-world convention, although even that works far better in this story than it does in many of his other novels.

"Jingo" is a good light reading, with some serious insights about human behavior mixed in. Pratchett has a keen eye for human foibles, and a knack for describing them in a humorous manner. My favorite character in "Jingo" is Leonard of Quirm, a Discworld equivalent of Leonardo da VInci. The consensus rating of 4.5 stars is about right, but individual ratings have to be either 4 or 5 so I went with 5.

I really hoped to enjoy "Jingo," and did like its lampoon of seemingly needless conflicts over religion and territory. Nevertheless, Pratchett is not much of a prose stylist. He focuses so much on dialogue that reading this is like reading a play. There is virtually no description of events, places, or people, and the characters talking is endless and becomes taxing. I was ultimately disappointed by this novel because of its style (or lack there of), which is unfortunate because it could have been a very good satirical novel.

Once again, Terry Pratchett shows how to write good books. This novel, as is usual in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch novels in the Discworld series, manages to be both hilariously funny and thought-proking, with some of Commander Vimes' lines in particular worth hours of moral debate. Although, those who wish to spend hours in moral debate deserve to be doing something better with their time anyway. Like reading this book.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

(Note, this is based on the British Version, and if there are some differences, bear with me...) War, greed, politics, underhanded schemes, a Leonardo Da Vinci-like. This book has it all. I'd have to say this is one of my favorites of my many Discworld novels. It rates to me on a level of Feet of Clay and Men at Arms. Commander Vimes, the ever reluctant gentleman, and his new pocket orginizer add an interesting insight into the ever famous "Trousers of Time". The Patrician's foresight and amazing ingenuity is shown fully in this novel, a rarity to see because of his position. With Reg Shoe being brought into the Watch (remember him from Reaper Man?), the wide range of previously used characters, including the minor character Dorfl from Soul Music and Detritus from many of the previous novels, is extended. An enjoyable read, and quite insightful... if you can stop laughing enough to look into it.

In the latest edition of the series involving Commander Vimes and crew, quality co-exists with quantity. By this I mean that this great read will keep you reading for awhile. Don't worry though, it will keep you wanting more. There are plenty of jokes that'll keep you laughing too. One of my favorite things about this book are the characters. Their personalities are so unique and in-depth, it made me almost miss them when I had finished. The plot is good too, with many different parts that come together in the end. If you like this one, you'll like its predecessors such as "Feet of Clay" and "Men at Arms". There is no question this book gets five stars.

Until this latest work, the Diskworld series was more or less unblemished, but the jokes in "Jingo" wore a bit thin. I guess everyone makes mistakes, though...
"Jingo" sees Pratchett falling into shallow moralizing instead of good storytelling. Lord Rust is the most cookie-cutter, two-dimensional character in the whole series, as the egotistical, Warmonger Noble ["as seen in the Wheel of Time series!]" and especially unbelievable considering that in "Men at Arms" he was the pragmatic one.
21-hour Ahmed is almost as shallow, again it seems that Pratchett pulled a stock character from the Bad Fantasy Novel Cast List Grab Bag[tm] and grafted him in.
Speaking of grafting, the whole thing with Vimes and the disorganizer in alternate universes is not only rather boring (imagine the worst episode of any Star Trek spinoff), but also badly meshed with the rest of the story. It just comes out of the blue, and never really gets integrated into the story. It's like the sub-plot was shoved in fifteen minutes before deadline.
The jokes are fewer (and hence stretched thinner) than in his other books. The "Nobby in drag" joke is so overdone that it qualifies as the first Pratchett gag to fall in the "beating a dead horse" category. We've all seen the joke a thousand times, and just because it's an especially ugly cross-dresser doesn't make the jokes any more original.

Jingo is the book of Discworld firsts: Ankh-Morpork goes to war (with stupidly named battleships), and the Watch leave "the Citie of 1000 surprises" (according to the Merchant's Guild). Jingo, a thrilling book, is one of the best of the later publications in the series. It includes laughter, as Nobby is transformed into an exotic strip-dancer, and of course, the thrill of our very own Ankh-Morpork taking on Klatch, and other baddies...
Oh, and Leonard da Quirm invents a tin boat that's meant to SINK! We can let him off because he's a genius, I suppose. The watch are as funny as ever, and Commander Vimes is yet again living on his wits.
Jingo is a book that will keep you on the edge, and rules supreme over The Truth and The 5th elephant. And it's on paperback too.

This is my favorite Discworld novel I have read yet (the others are Men at Arms, Interesting Times, and Lords and Ladies.) Although Men at Arms has the best scene I've read (the pork futures warehouse scene,) this is the best overall. This novel is simultaneously one of the best fantasy novels and also brilliant parody of the genre.

What can I say? I finished reading this book about a year ago and still pick it up again to read it. I absolutely adore this book. The character development is fantastic and we finally get to see Lord Vetinari on a much more *human* level. In some rather funny circumstances, as well.
Vimes is a pleasure to read about, as well. I love all AMCW (Ankh-Morpork City Watch, for the uneducated) books and am a huge fan of Mr. Pratchett.
I've read over the other reviews and am frankly rather surprised that people thought it was weaker than 'Feet of Clay.' I thought this was funnier and more attention-grabbing than 'Feet of Clay.' Overall, a good read and well worth the money.

Jingo is the fourth of the books about Commander Sam Vimes the too sober head of the City Nightwatch, Captain Carrot the heir to the throne and adopted dwarf, Corporal Nobby Nobbs who carries a note with him claiming that he is, in fact, a member of the human species, and Sgnt Colon who is, well, one of life's sargents. Joined by various trolls, dwarfs, and undead people they as policemen are out to stop crime, the crime of war. Hillarious like all of the Discworld Novels and a must have!

I have read all of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld books and I have to say that I believe this is one of the best! I found it different from many of the others and certainly it had a more serious twist to it, but the humour and lightness found in his other books is still there. One to re-read!!