Herge's Tintin Adventures

The complete collection. Reviews coming soon.

Do you have kids? Do they have any Tintin books? If not, they're missing out on something special. Next birthday or Christmas, pick them up a couple of Tintin books and watch them lose themselves in these fantastic adventures. (Some adventures are spread over two books - make sure you get both parts unless you want a quick trip to the bookstore!) If you can't buy the books, check out your local library. Most carry some of the adventures, and I've seen them in school libraries as well. I don't care where they get them - I just don't want to keep meeting people who haven't even heard of them, let alone read them! So, this page is my 'Read Tintin Now' effort, whether you're a big kid or a little one. (Yes, adults can enjoy Tintin too. There's sophisticated humour and plotlines in some of these tales.)

The earliest Tintin books were written in an era when only the incredibly wealthy could afford to travel widely, and long before TVs hit every home. They bring far shores to the reader with a level of detail and authenticity you rarely see these days, and Herge is famous for his meticulous research.

The Tintin series was originally published as a weekly strip in a newspaper, and later reworked and collected into the books we see now.

	Tintin in the land of the Soviets Amazon Link One of two long-forgotten Tintin adventures. This one was revised into book format much later than the others for completeness only, to satisfy true enthusiasts. I don't recommend this one or Tintin in the Congo to someone just starting on Tintin. Drawings are black and white and very basic, as they were in the original newspaper strips.
	Tintin in the Congo Amazon Link The second long-forgotten adventure. The content has been criticised over the years for its colonial attitudes and racist views, and some of this criticism spurred Hergè to truly research the subjects of his books, rather than relying on hearsay and features in contemporary media. (The Congo strip originally began in the early 1930's.) Later works show remarkable attention to detail. There were two versions of Tintin in the Congo - the 1946 revision appeared in full colour and cut out much of the questionable content.
	Tintin in America Amazon Link
	Tintin and the Cigars of the Pharaoh Amazon Link Marks the first appearances of Thomson and Thompson, the twin bowler-hatted detectives (One without a P, as in Influenza.) Rastapopoulos, the serial arch-villain, also appears in this book.
	Tintin and the Blue Lotus Amazon Link The first Tintin book to benefit from Hergè's new-found interest in research. Remember, these books were written in an era where international travel was much less common, and for many people reading was their only window on a whole new world. Hergè seemed to take this to heart, and the Tintin books from this point on became a sort of travelogue with great attention to detail.
	Tintin and the Broken Ear Amazon Link South American dictatorships come in for a serve in this book.
	King Ottokar's Sceptre Amazon Link International intrigue and threats to a European King. Enter Bianca Castafiore!
	The Black Island Amazon Link Tintin in the British Isles.
	The crab with the golden claws Amazon Link The first appearance of Captain Haddock, my favourite character. Initially a drunken wreck of a sea captain, over the rest of the books he becomes Tintin's staunchest ally. He can always be relied on for a comic moment, a tremendous cock-up or a stream of inventive invective, and there's certainly a little bit of Haddock in Hal Spacejock. This book was written during World War II and the German occupation of Belgium.
	Tintin and the Shooting Star Amazon Link This book was written during World War II and the German occupation of Belgium. No military stuff here, just a sanitised tale about a strange meteor and a bunch of scientists.
	The secret of the unicorn Amazon Link Part one of a two part series. The wonderful Captain Haddock is back, this time for good.
	Red Rackham's treasure Amazon Link Part two of a two part series. Meet Cuthbert Calculus, the self-absorbed inventor with the old fashioned hearing trumpet and the social skills of a TV set.
	Tintin and the land of black gold Amazon Link
	Destination Moon Amazon Link This book (and the next, which is the second half) comprise my all-time favourites. My aunt got these for my eleventh birthday, and didn't she pick well. Much more serious than all the other books, these played a great part in getting me involved in Science Fiction.
	Explorers on the Moon Amazon Link Amazing technical drawings, a hostile environment, a gripping plot - this Tintin adventure had a big impact on me.
	The Red Sea sharks Amazon Link
	The Calculus Affair Amazon Link An excellent adventure. Highly recommended.
	The Seven Crystal Balls Amazon Link Part one of a two part series. Tintin and the gang end up captured by Incas. A fearsome tale, real shiver-up-the-spine stuff for youngsters.
	Prisoners of the Sun Amazon Link Part two of a two part series
	Tintin in Tibet Amazon Link
	The Castafiore Emerald Amazon Link
	Flight 714 Amazon Link
	Tintin and the Picaros Amazon Link
	Tintin and the lake of sharks Amazon Link A 'book of the film' which Herge had nothing to do with. Not good.
	Tintin and Alph-Art Amazon Link Contains the concept drawings for the final Tintin book, which was never completed.