I'd give 5 stars for the storyline and 1 for the size. Average = 3.

I bought this 3-in-1 for the cheap price. When it arrived I found it to be smaller than the paperback single editions and harder to read. I say buy the paperbacks.

Since I read the first tale of Tintin thirty years ago, a can't stop doing so anymore. It's an amazing book.

Many of us grew up on Tintin and love them for their great nostalgia value, and reminisces of childhood, as well as the brave values of a simpler, more clarified world of yesteryear.
This volume brings together three of the best loved Tintin classic in one handy volume- and for not much more than the price of one.
They are:

The Calculus Affair

Strange things are happening at Captain Haddock's estate at Marlinspike.
Thugs are up to something, and all the glass is mysteriously exploding.
Soon Tintin and the Captain discover that Professor Calculus had been kidnapped.
Their investigation leads them to Switzerland and then to Borduria, ruled by the iron grip of the Stalinist Kurvi Tasch regime.
The Bordurians, it turns, out have kidnapped the Professor, to develop nuclear weapons and thus enable them to attain world domination.

This is quite eerily prophetic, being written in 1956, when it seemed quite impossible for a tinpot dictatorship to acquire such weapons of mass destruction, but we now we see these very same devices being developed by tyrannies such as Libya, Syria, Iran and North Korea.

The Calculus Affair is filled with espionage and gripping adventure.

The Red Sea Sharks

After a strange encounter with General Alcazar of San Theodoros, and then getting home to see that Emir Ben Kalish Ezab, has sent his thoroughly obnoxious son, Prince Abdullah, to stay at Marlinspike, the Emir is deposed by the evil Revolutionary thug, Sheik Bab El Er.
Tintin and the Captain fly to Khemed, to try to get to the bottom of an illegal arms buying racket and if they can, to help their friend, the Emir.
There they take a boat to Mecca , where they must battle several enemies , in a high adventure on the Red Sea. Before the adventure is through , they will break a slave smuggling ring and ensure the defeat of several villains.
The issue of slave trade by Arabs , of Africans , was not only still going on when this book was written in 1958 , but is still endemic today , in places such as the Sudan.
These adventures are always full, of life and colour.

Tintin in Tibet

Firmly convinced that his friend Chang, has survived the plane crash in Nepal, Tintin, accompanied by Captain Haddock, sets off for Nepal to rescue Chang.
After passing through New Deli and Nepal (where we explore the sights and sounds of these wonderful places, Tintin and the reluctant Captain set off for the Tibetan Himalayas for the mission impossible.
This is one of Herges best works as he explores the , hazards of Himalayan mountain climbing, the gentle Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the truth about the Yeti , commonly known as the abominable snowman.

The only thing left out, is the brutal Chinese occupation of Tibet which still continues today .The book was recently released in China, on condition that the name Tibet was left out of the title, another example that after the holocaust of 2 million Tibetans, the Red Chinese are still not content in their drive to wipe out the beautiful culture and memory of Tibet.

A particular interesting scene is the psychedelic delirium of Captain Haddock during his sunstroke.
The strong 60s flavour of this is interesting considering that the book was written at the ver dawn of this era-1960.

This series of Tintin anthologies is a great buy--the durable hardback cover and the high-quality paper means these books will last a long, long time.

I've always been a Tintin fan, and wanted to buy a book for my son. However the format of this book was disappointing, as the original (single) story books were more like A4. The book (with three stories in one) is just too small. It's not the fact that there are three stories all in one volume, it's simply the size of the book. Why was it changed? If you're thinking of buying one of these ... check the measurements! The're not the same size as the originals.

As usual, my 7 years old loved to read Tintin, and I loved to rediscover the stories too ! It is a great book to transport you and your little ones into new adventures. Calculus and Captain Haddock are hilarious. Tintin is adventurous, smart and a good example to my kid.

Comic #6 of "The Adventures of Tintin" 3-in-1s has "The Calculus Affair" (1956), "The Red Sea Sharks" (1958) and "Tintin and Tibet" (1960). There's some fine stuff here, but it's not my favorite time in the series. Tough times for Herge too.

"The Calculus Affair" features a new invention and a kidnapping, set in Switzerland and "Borduria". From me, 3 stars.

"Red Sea Sharks" is set in the Middle East, and features Abdullah. From me, 4 stars.

"Tintin in Tibet" is pretty famous in the series, and sees Tintin go out to find his old friend Chang, stranded in the Himalayas. From me, 5 stars.

Kind of like his later stuff a bit better. Worth a look for fans though.

Comic #6 of "The Adventures of Tintin" 3-in-1s has "The Calculus Affair" (1956), "The Red Sea Sharks" (1958) and "Tintin and Tibet" (1960). There's some fine stuff here, but it's not my favorite time in the series. Tough times for Herge too.

"The Calculus Affair" features a new invention and a kidnapping, set in Switzerland and "Borduria". From me, 3 stars.

"Red Sea Sharks" is set in the Middle East, and features Abdullah. From me, 4 stars.

"Tintin in Tibet" is pretty famous in the series, and sees Tintin go out to find his old friend Chang, stranded in the Himalayas. From me, 5 stars.

Kind of like his later stuff a bit better. Worth a look for fans though.

I grew up reading The Adventures of Tintin and recently purchased this volume for a young cousin in an effort to turn him on to these great stories. I like the new hard cover 3 story format as my old paperback copies have begun to come apart, from repeated reading of course. One thing that I noticed is that unlike the original versions which each had exactly 62 pages, the new format has not preserved this... now I know that's a little nerotic but that's something I always remembered from reading them as a young boy, the fact that each was exactly 62 pages. Herge is a very talented artist and story teller, I would recommend the complete collection to anyone who is looking for a quality adventure story!

I grew up reading The Adventures of Tintin and recently purchased this volume for a young cousin in an effort to turn him on to these great stories. I like the new hard cover 3 story format as my old paperback copies have begun to come apart, from repeated reading of course. One thing that I noticed is that unlike the original versions which each had exactly 62 pages, the new format has not preserved this... now I know that's a little nerotic but that's something I always remembered from reading them as a young boy, the fact that each was exactly 62 pages. Herge is a very talented artist and story teller, I would recommend the complete collection to anyone who is looking for a quality adventure story!

I grew up with Tintin books, and my kids are now at an age where they are beyond "See Spot Run" but don't always have the patience for a full-length book. The stories are always great, and the research is meticulous. Most of the story subjects were highly topical at the time, and reading the books regularly provide history refresher.

"The Calculus Affair" is a typical cold-war cloak-and-dagger story of espionage and intrigue. How the world has changed, but the Litvinenko Affair is a reminder that the Cold War was a reality not so long ago.

"The Red Sea Sharks" deals with gun-running and slavery in the Middle East, a subject that is still topical (as the UN's efforts attest).

"Tintin in Tibet" is one of my favourites, a great Tintin story used by Herge to draw attention to Red China's invasion and annexation of Tibet, and the cultural heritage the Communists set about to destroy.

I grew up with Tintin books, and my kids are now at an age where they are beyond "See Spot Run" but don't always have the patience for a full-length book. The stories are always great, and the research is meticulous. Most of the story subjects were highly topical at the time, and reading the books regularly provide history refresher.

"The Calculus Affair" is a typical cold-war cloak-and-dagger story of espionage and intrigue. How the world has changed, but the Litvinenko Affair is a reminder that the Cold War was a reality not so long ago.

"The Red Sea Sharks" deals with gun-running and slavery in the Middle East, a subject that is still topical (as the UN's efforts attest).

"Tintin in Tibet" is one of my favourites, a great Tintin story used by Herge to draw attention to Red China's invasion and annexation of Tibet, and the cultural heritage the Communists set about to destroy.

It is the top cartoon of all time. And with 3 episodes in one book, what else can you ask?

The product is packaged in a compact and convenient size. 3 books in 1 (and at a very good value) is a big advantage for ardent Tintin fans. I am very happy with the purchase & would strongly recommend the product (and others in the same series) for the all the Tintin fans.

It is the top cartoon of all time. And with 3 episodes in one book, what else can you ask?

The product is packaged in a compact and convenient size. 3 books in 1 (and at a very good value) is a big advantage for ardent Tintin fans. I am very happy with the purchase & would strongly recommend the product (and others in the same series) for the all the Tintin fans.

My highest recommendation goes to this volume.

Volume 6: The Calculus Affair (1956), The Red Sea Sharks (1958), Tintin in Tibet (1960). This is the sixth instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

Oh, what a trifecta in this volume! Tintin is not so well-known in the USA and the American who might give it a try would do well with this volume. The artwork has become draftsman-like, the lines are clean and brisk, the composition of the panels is endlessly pleasing, and the pace of each adventure always just right. The bottom right panel is the teaser panel, inciting us to turn the page and read on. Bear in mind that before being in book form, these adventures came out two pages at a time in Tintin magazine, with the teaser keeping us in suspense until the following week's edition.

"The Calculus Affair" was, for a child, a dauntingly adult-sounding title, and the story a little less accessible than the others. But what a cold war story! - with a plausible scientific gizmo, kidnappings, car chases, an Eastern bloc-style military junta set in fictional Borduria with an iconography based on the régime's founder (just look at the cars' bumpers), and with Tintin's determined aplomb and Haddock's ever-entertaining slapstick, riding a crackling plot from beginning to end. Castafiore earns an added dimension for her character and the insufferable Jolyon Wagg takes his first bows. Regarded by many as the best of the series.

The cover of The Red Sea Sharks shows the heroes marooned on a raft in the eponymous setting, seen through a telescope. What brought them there and what lies next is an adventure that involves depth charges, jet attacks, torpedoes, a burning ship, clandestine commerce handled by a villain we've seen before. The French title (Coke en Stock) gives a clue as to what this commerce is, but I won't give it away. A great adventure with a tremendous amount of action and some hilarious moments, showing Hergé's mastery of the visual narrative, but the author's own favourite comes next...

Tintin in Tibet. Hergé's personal favourite; the cover shows the explorers confronted with huge humanoid footprints in the Himalayan snows. The teaser is already set for an adventure that shows the deep bond between friends, the loneliness of conviction against all odds, a surreal dream sequence, misunderstanding, Eastern mysticism, and intense solitude. In my review for Volume 4, I said that the Temple of the Sun was a pinnacle in the Tintin series, but this may be THE pinnacle of the whole series. The settings and drawings are positively stunning. I also mentioned elsewhere that Haddock took some of the limelight off Snowy, but in this story, after character parallels are drawn between the two, with some tension, a panel of surpassing sensitivity shows the Captain's deep affection for the dog, after Snowy himself showed the extent of his own devotion to Tintin. Humour is superbly developed, in one notable case around a theme of making faces as a greeting and, of course, the irascible Haddock's misinterpretation of this. The final, poignant panel strikes a chord of empathy in anyone with feeling. This is a story to read to your children: the richness, the interconnectedness, and the humanity of the whole are a stimulus to any child's experience.

My highest recommendation goes to this volume.

Volume 6: The Calculus Affair (1956), The Red Sea Sharks (1958), Tintin in Tibet (1960). This is the sixth instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

Oh, what a trifecta in this volume! Tintin is not so well-known in the USA and the American who might give it a try would do well with this volume. The artwork has become draftsman-like, the lines are clean and brisk, the composition of the panels is endlessly pleasing, and the pace of each adventure always just right. The bottom right panel is the teaser panel, inciting us to turn the page and read on. Bear in mind that before being in book form, these adventures came out two pages at a time in Tintin magazine, with the teaser keeping us in suspense until the following week's edition.

"The Calculus Affair" was, for a child, a dauntingly adult-sounding title, and the story, a little less accessible than the others. But what a cold war story! - with a plausible scientific gizmo, kidnappings, car chases, an Eastern bloc-style military junta set in fictional Borduria with an iconography based on the régime's founder (just look at the cars' bumpers), and with Tintin's determined aplomb and Haddock's ever-entertaining slapstick, riding a crackling plot from beginning to end. Castafiore earns an added dimension for her character and the insufferable Jolyon Wagg takes his first bows.

The cover of The Red Sea Sharks shows the heroes marooned on a raft in the eponymous setting, seen through a telescope. What brought them there and what lies next is an adventure that involves depth charges, jet attacks, torpedoes, a burning ship, clandestine commerce handled by a villain we've seen before. The French title (Coke en Stock) gives a clue as to what this commerce is, but I won't give it away. A great adventure with a tremendous amount of action and some hilarious moments, showing Hergé's mastery of the visual narrative, but the author's own favourite comes next...

Tintin in Tibet. Hergé's personal favourite; the cover shows the explorers confronted with huge humanoid footprints in the Himalayan snows. The teaser is already set for an adventure that shows the deep bond between friends, the loneliness of conviction against all odds, a surreal dream sequence, misunderstanding, Eastern mysticism, and intense solitude. In my review for Volume 4, I said that the Temple of the Sun was a pinnacle in the Tintin series, but this may be THE pinnacle of the whole series. The settings and drawings are positively stunning. I also mentioned elsewhere that Haddock took some of the limelight off Snowy, but in this story, after character parallels are drawn between the two, with some tension, a panel of surpassing sensitivity shows the Captain's deep affection for the dog, after Snowy himself showed the extent of his own devotion to Tintin. Humour is superbly developed, in one notable case around a theme of making faces as a greeting and, of course, the irascible Haddock's misinterpretation of this. The final, poignant panel strikes a chord of empathy in anyone with feeling. This is a story to read to your children: the richness, the interconnectedness, and the humanity of the whole are a stimulus to any child's experience.

I read these for nostalgic reasons. These books take me back to my childhood and I can share them with my kids.

This book was as good as I expected. I am pleased with the service provided by Amazon.com.

I loved Tintin as a child, hadn't read them for years, an thought I'd buy the complete set... I love them still now! I have a different appreciation of them now, but still think they are some of the best Graphic Novels/Comics/Sequential Art ever written/drawn! The English translations are brilliant with a lot of thought having gone into them, they are not just word for word copied from the French. I strongly recommend for anyone with a sense of adventure!

TINTIN is a great book for kids and parents.When you read this book you enter an adventure.This book is scary and strange in some parts.It is about a kid that always has a problem to solve.He has a dog and a friend that are always with him.In this book Tintin has to chase these bad guys.I promise you will like this book.

I love the Red Sea Sharks and Tintin in Tibet. Calculus Affair is full of coincidences and looks amateurish. But hey, when you read Tintin, you cant be too old or critical!

Two of the three adventures here have their genesis in earlier Tintin adventures. Red Sea Sharks takes Capt Haddock back to a ship, and this time we see his metamorphosis from the drunkard in Tintin and the Golden Crab to a responsible and almost noble person who tries his best (in his inimitable manner) to prevent Africans from being sold in slavery. 'Tintin in Tibet' sees Tintin off to Tibet (obviously), with a short stop in Delhi, to rescue his friend who he first met in 'The Blue Lotus'. We meet the yeti, see the captain's attempts at whistling, Snowy's bravery (unintended, as in The Black Island).

I read these adventures as a kid, and some twenty years later I still find myself enjoying these as much. I also enjoy HTML and CSS books now, but some things are too good to grow out of :)

A word of warning - try and buy the bigger versions of these adventures. The 3-in-1 format is convenient to be sure, but the big print of the indivudal comics is that much more satisfying!

For reasons unknown, at almost 43 years old, I suddenly had this strange desire to read some of the Tintin stories I read when I was about 12. As a kid I spent countless hours reading Herge's books over and over. If memory serves, I only had 5 or 6 titles, and they were big books with hard covers.

This book is a great value since it contains 3 stories. Oh what memories they bring back. If you ever read Tintin as a kid, get some of these books. The only caveat is that the text is hard to read as these collections are smaller in size and both the drawings and text have been shrunk proportionately.

And yet another "warning." You may start buying the bigger individual stories once you read one of these. I should know. I am now hooked again and "collecting" all 23 volumes.

Thank you, Herge. We miss you.

Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Herg�) and after a couple of tentative starts, the Adventures of Tintin became one of the great comic book series of the 20th century. This is the sixth of seven volumes that collect three adventures between hardcovers in a slightly undersized edition from what is available with each adventure printed separately. There was a slight decline in the storytelling at the end of Herg�'s career, so this is the last volume where the quality is high cover to cover.

If traveling to the moon in that great two-part Adventures de Tintin represents the genius of Professor Tournesol at his eccentric best, then the ultrasonic machine that is behind the international machinations in "The Calculus Affair" clearly represents the good professor going too far in a bad way. Once again Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock have to travel across the continent to rescue the absent-minded professor from Bordurian agents, narrowly miss death on numerous occasions, and, most importantly, reunite Tournesol and his precious umbrella. Meanwhile, Thomson and Thompson show up in what they think are Swiss disguises (you can imagine), Captain Haddock has a memorable encounter with a piece of sticking plaster, and our hero and his friends have to contend with both Jolyon Wagg and Signora Castafiore. Actually, the diva turns out to be surprisingly helpful in this adventure, but Wagg is the same pain in the neck he has always been.

This 1956 Tintin Adventure certainly reflects the height of the Cold War as Herg� deals with the question of how scientific inventions can serve humanity without being coveted by military powers. The answer, unfortunately, is that they cannot and that is why rescuing Tournesol from the bad guys is so important. Fortunately, the resolution proves the Herg� is still one step ahead of us in the faux world he has created for his hero's adventures. "The Calculus Affair" is one of the better Advetnures of Tintin,.

While talking about General Alcazar, the deposed president of the Republic of San Theodoros, Tintin and Captain Haddock literally run into him. This is more than mere coincidence, it is the beginning of another exciting adventure for our hero and his friends as it seems Alcazar is involved in buying armaments on the sly. However, Prince Abdullah has been sent by his father the Emir to stay with the good Captain to improve the young scamp's English. The Emir mentions that the situation is serious at home and when the headlines announce a coup d'etat in Khemed, Tintin decides to head there to find out if there is a connection between the rebel victory achieved by air power and the arms dealing he has discovered.

What makes "The Red Sea Sharks" one of the best Tintin adventures is that there are even more dastardly deeds being done by the bad guys this time around (involving "coke" smuggling). Herge continues to explore the class between Western and Near Eastern cultures as Captain Haddock has to wear a veil as a disguise and Snowy has a memorable encounter with a cheetah, while back home Professor Calculus and Nestor do their best to keep Prince Abdullah, ah, entertained. Herg� might have created an imaginative parallel world for Tintin's adventures, but they certainly echo serious real world concerns, and that is especially true of "The Red Sea Sharks." As an added pleasure, the good captain gets to vent time and time again at people who really deserve to be roundly cursed out, even by Haddock's peculiar collection of epithets.

In 1934 Herg� met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tintin's creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Herg� started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Herg� and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Herg�, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China back in the adventure of "The Blue Lotus." In the dream Tintin sees Chang lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Chang he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to the land of the ice and snow to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Herg� places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Herg� keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special (By the way, in 1981 Herg� and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited).

Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé) and after a couple of tentative starts, the Adventures of Tintin became one of the great comic book series of the 20th century. This is the sixth of seven volumes that collect three adventures between hardcovers in a slightly undersized edition from what is available with each adventure printed separately. There was a slight decline in the storytelling at the end of Hergé's career, so this is the last volume where the quality is high cover to cover.

If traveling to the moon in that great two-part Adventures de Tintin represents the genius of Professor Tournesol at his eccentric best, then the ultrasonic machine that is behind the international machinations in "The Calculus Affair" clearly represents the good professor going too far in a bad way. Once again Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock have to travel across the continent to rescue the absent-minded professor from Bordurian agents, narrowly miss death on numerous occasions, and, most importantly, reunite Tournesol and his precious umbrella. Meanwhile, Thomson and Thompson show up in what they think are Swiss disguises (you can imagine), Captain Haddock has a memorable encounter with a piece of sticking plaster, and our hero and his friends have to contend with both Jolyon Wagg and Signora Castafiore. Actually, the diva turns out to be surprisingly helpful in this adventure, but Wagg is the same pain in the neck he has always been.

This 1956 Tintin Adventure certainly reflects the height of the Cold War as Hergé deals with the question of how scientific inventions can serve humanity without being coveted by military powers. The answer, unfortunately, is that they cannot and that is why rescuing Tournesol from the bad guys is so important. Fortunately, the resolution proves the Hergé is still one step ahead of us in the faux world he has created for his hero's adventures. "The Calculus Affair" is one of the better Advetnures of Tintin,.

While talking about General Alcazar, the deposed president of the Republic of San Theodoros, Tintin and Captain Haddock literally run into him. This is more than mere coincidence, it is the beginning of another exciting adventure for our hero and his friends as it seems Alcazar is involved in buying armaments on the sly. However, Prince Abdullah has been sent by his father the Emir to stay with the good Captain to improve the young scamp's English. The Emir mentions that the situation is serious at home and when the headlines announce a coup d'etat in Khemed, Tintin decides to head there to find out if there is a connection between the rebel victory achieved by air power and the arms dealing he has discovered.

What makes "The Red Sea Sharks" one of the best Tintin adventures is that there are even more dastardly deeds being done by the bad guys this time around (involving "coke" smuggling). Herge continues to explore the class between Western and Near Eastern cultures as Captain Haddock has to wear a veil as a disguise and Snowy has a memorable encounter with a cheetah, while back home Professor Calculus and Nestor do their best to keep Prince Abdullah, ah, entertained. Hergé might have created an imaginative parallel world for Tintin's adventures, but they certainly echo serious real world concerns, and that is especially true of "The Red Sea Sharks." As an added pleasure, the good captain gets to vent time and time again at people who really deserve to be roundly cursed out, even by Haddock's peculiar collection of epithets.

In 1934 Hergé met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tintin's creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Hergé started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Hergé and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Hergé, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China back in the adventure of "The Blue Lotus." In the dream Tintin sees Chang lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Chang he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to the land of the ice and snow to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Hergé places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Hergé keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special (By the way, in 1981 Hergé and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited).

If traveling to the moon represents the genius of Professor Calculus going too far in a good way, then the ultrasonic machine that is behind the international machinations in "The Calculus Affair" ("L'affaire Tourensol") clearly represents the good professor going too far in a bad way. Once again Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock have to travel across the continent to rescue the absent-minded professor from Bordurian agents, narrowly miss death on numerous occasions, and, most importantly, reunite Calculus and his precious umbrella. Meanwhile, the Thompsons show up in what they think are Swiss disguises, Captain Haddock has a memorable encounter with a piece of sticking plaster, and our hero and his friends have to contend with both Jolyon Wagg and Signora Castafiore (actually, the diva turns out to be surprisingly helpful in this adventure). This 1956 Tintin Adventure certainly reflects the height of the Cold War as Herge deals with the question of how scientific inventions can serve humanity without being coveted by military powers. The answer, unfortunately, is that they cannot and that is why rescuing Calculus from the bad guys is so important. Fortunately, the resolution proves the Herge is still one step ahead of us in the faux world he has created for his hero's adventures. "The Calculus Affair" is one of the better Tintin adventures, although, as always, you are reminded to read these in order.

This book is one of the great masterpieces of the cartoonists art. I've read it many times since I was 14 (I'm now 29) but the sheer athleticism and virtuosity of both the draughtmanship and the narrative remained undiminished. It really is an astonishing display and is perhaps only second to 'Flight 714' and 'The Castafoire Emerald' in Herge's ouevre. Buy it and read it.

This book is vewwy siwwy. Professor Calculus is a big baby vhen he makes a machine that bweaks glass and smokes evwyone!

This adventure is well written and well illustrated, as all the Tintin books are, but is unique in how it is completly non-stop. Tintin and the Captain follow Calculus, the absent minded professor, as he travels, only to discover Calculus has been kiddnapped! An exciting story.

Definately up there with the top Tintins. Expert amount of suspense and great characters. 9.5 out of 10.

In this "three in one," Tintin rescues his old friend, the absent minded and hard of hearing Professor Calculus from the Bordurian Government who wants to make his invention into a weapon of mass distruction. Then Tintin travels to Tibet to rescue his close friend Chang Chon-Yen from the Abominable Snowman. Finally he busts the gang of Rasapoulos, the evil king of Cosmos Pictures, and lands him behind bars once and for all.

"The Calculus Affair" may not be immediately entertaining, as in Explorers on the Moon or the Shooting Star, but it slowly develops the plot, with just enough suspense to put the reader at the edge of his seat at the last panel. And it starts with a boom, too. The mysterious phenomenon of breaking glass and china, including the Captain's whisky glass, is only fully explained on page 51, and the later pages expose many other plot details which contributed to the overall controlled confusion in the beginning and middle of the book. In some adventures, an answer is readily available to the various people and clues which meet up with Tintin and his friends, but in this book you feel just like a character, not knowing what will happen next. For Tintin and the Captain's dash through Switzerland, every little detail--the Hotel Cornavin, Professor Topolino's villa in Nyon, even the positioning of signposts and billboards--was mapped out by Hergé, with his usual extreme attention to detail. And for Tintin and Haddock's unexpected visit to Szohod, Hergé based most of the city on bits and pieces from the USSR--after all, it began in TINTIN magazine in 1954, the height of the Cold War. The Bordurians' habit of constantly reproducing their laughable leader Kurvi-Tasch's whiskers, even in their alphabet, was another Soviet touch, and their phrase "By the whiskers of Kurvi-Tasch" was probably taken from chants used at 1930s Stalinistic rallies. Overall, the book was an expert work, one of Hergé's finest, and certainly a complicated and precision instrument, even when compared to his much-hyped works preceding it, Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon.