Mission to the Stars (the Mixed Men)

Mission to the Stars (the Mixed Men) was written by A.E. Van Vogt and published in 1952; the stories were originally published in 1943 in various SciFi magazines.  This book is typical Van Vogt; fast paced action and adventure, with some racial integration messages.  The science is very dated, but this is very readable stuff.  This book certainly was the template for "Star Trek," boldly going where no man has gone before, but with a woman Captain manning the bridge.  Pretty fun read.  Here is a sample of the political content in the writing:

     "The coming of Earth power into the Greater Magellanic Cloud will be of benefit to all individuals and groups of all planets.  Earth has much to offer.  Earth guarantees to the individual basic rights under law, guarantees to the group basic freedoms and economic prosperity, and requires all government to be elective by secret ballot.
     Earth does not permit a separate sovereign state anywhere in the universe.
     Such a separate military power could strike at the heart of the human-controlled galaxy, and drop bombs on densely populated planets.  That has happened.  You may guess what we did to the governments who sponsored such a project.  You cannot escape us.  If by chance we should fail now with our one ship to locate you, then within a few years ten thousand ships will be here searching.  This is one thing we never delay on.  From our point of view, it is safer to destroy an entire civilization then let it exist as a cancer in the greater culture from which it sprang."

Seems that some things never change, and that this policy is pretty identical to current U.S. attitudes towards foreign policy....This tale is very Star Trek, but in a good way; in a fresh way; totally fresh as it preceded the show by decades............(I always did have a problem with the "Prime Directive"..., but that's another story...)

Slan and World of Null-A and War Against the Rull are better, but still, A.E. Van Vogt is a great pulp writer, and always delivers a tale worth reading.  Unbelievably he's hard to find at the local chain bookstore.....