Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Sixth Column cover art

Sixth Column

By: Robert A. Heinlein
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Star Beast cover art
Red Planet cover art
Starman Jones cover art
Podkayne of Mars cover art
Beyond This Horizon cover art
Between Planets cover art
Citizen of the Galaxy cover art
Double Star cover art
Farnham's Freehold cover art
Assignment in Eternity cover art
Time for the Stars cover art
Job cover art
Revolt in 2100 cover art
Waldo & Magic, Inc. cover art
Have Space Suit - Will Travel cover art
The Chaplain's War cover art

Summary

It’s six against six million in a brilliantly waged near-future war for nothing less than liberty and justice for all. The totalitarian East has triumphed in a massive invasion, and the United States has fallen to a dictatorial superpower bent on total domination. That power is consolidating its grip through concentration camps, police state tactics, and a total monopoly upon the very thoughts of the conquered populace. A tiny enclave of scientists and soldiers survives, unbeknownst to America’s new rulers. It’s six against six million - but those six happen to include a scientific genius, a master of subterfuge and disguise who learned his trade as a lawyer-turned-hobo, and a tough-minded commander who knows how to get the best out of his ragtag assortment of American discontents, wily operators, and geniuses. It’s going to take technological savvy and a propaganda campaign that would leave Madison Avenue aghast, but the US will rise again. The counterinsurgency for freedom is on, and defeat is not an option.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) was born in Missouri. He served five years in the US Navy, then attended graduate classes in mathematics and physics at UCLA, took a variety of jobs, and owned a silver mine before beginning to write science fiction in 1939. His novels have won the Hugo Award, and in 1975 he received the first Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement.

©1949 Robert A. Heinlein (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Sixth Column

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A good read but shows its age

This book was written less than 4 years after the end of WW2 at a time when much bitterness remained towards the Japanese people for wartime atrocities. This affects Heinkein's treatment of the "enemy" in the book.
However, the story is ingenious and shows how a few single-minded scientists and soldiers fight off a vast invading force.
It is unusual in that unites religion with science fiction.
I certainly recommend this book but remember when it was written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • LC
  • 04-03-21

Enjoyable but basic and lacking depth

I found this enjoyable as some easy listening, but it was pretty basic, uninspiring, and lacking depth.
I few interesting ideas touched on though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Grand

A 1950's view of what might happen if the Chinese ruled the Earth. A little scary considering that it will probably be true in 50 years. Plot was ok, but performance was actually quite good. Worth a try if you're looking for some bubble gum sci-fi.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Review

Not Heinlein at his best, very dated story. No real message I could find other than racism a raging nationalism. I overrated because it's Heinlein, one I definately won't revisit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Typically good Heinlein. A little dated but v.good

Robert Heinlein's books are now quite old but remain technically excellent sci-fi classics. Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!