Editing Jingo (novel)

{{Short description|1997 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox book
| name         = Jingo
| image        = Jingo-2.jpg
| caption      = First edition
| author       = [[Terry Pratchett]]
| illustrator  = 
| cover_artist = [[Josh Kirby]]
| language     = English
| series       = {{ubl|''[[Discworld]]''|21st novel &ndash; 4th City Watch novel (5th story)}}
| subject      = {{ubl|[[War]], [[diplomacy]], [[jingoism]], [[racism]] and [[xenophobia]]|'''Characters:'''|[[Ankh-Morpork City Watch]]|'''Locations:'''|[[Ankh-Morpork]], [[Klatch]]}}
| genre        = [[Fantasy]]
| publisher    = [[Victor Gollancz]]
| pub_date     = 1997
| pages        = 
| awards       = 
| isbn         = 0-575-06540-0
| isbn_note    = (hardcover)
| preceded_by  = [[Hogfather]]
| followed_by  = [[The Last Continent]]
}}

'''''[[Jingoism|Jingo]]''''' is a [[fantasy novel]] by British writer [[Terry Pratchett]], the 21st book in his ''[[Discworld]]'' series. It was published in 1997.

==Plot==
The island of Leshp, which had been submerged under the [[Discworld geography#Circle Sea|Circle Sea]] for centuries, rises to the surface. Its position, exactly halfway between [[Ankh-Morpork]] and [[Discworld geography#Klatch|Al Khali]] (the capital of Klatch), makes the island a powerful strategical point for whoever lays claim to it, which both cities do.

In Ankh-Morpork, a Klatchian [[Prince]] named Khufurah is parading through Ankh-Morpork, where he will be presented with a [[academic degree|Degree]] in [[Fanny Adams#Legacy|Sweet Fanny Adams]] (Doctorum Adamus cum Flabello Dulci), but is wounded in an [[assassination]] attempt. [[Sam Vimes|Sir Samuel Vimes]], Commander of the [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch]], suspects both a Klatchian named [[Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild#71-Hour Ahmed|71-Hour Ahmed]] and a senior Morporkian peer, [[Discworld characters#Ronald Rust|Lord Rust]], of involvement.

The attempted assassination breaks off relations between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch as Prince Khufurah's brother, Prince Cadram, effectively declares war on the city of Ankh-Morpork. At this point, [[Havelock Vetinari]], Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, resigns and Lord Rust takes command of the city. Vetinari refused to become involved in the war with Klatch since Ankh-Morpork does not have an [[army]], but Rust declares [[martial law]] and orders the city's noble families to revive their old private regiments.

Vimes, refusing to follow Rust, stands down as Commander of the Watch. [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch#Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson|Captain Carrot]] resigns as well, as do [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch#Sergeant Fred Colon|Sergeant Colon]], Sergeant Detritus and [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch#Captain Angua von Überwald|Corporal Angua]].  Vimes then recruits the Watch into his own private army regiment, reasoning that, as an official noble, he is entitled to do so by law and by Lord Rust's command, with the group remaining independent as knights legally fall under command of the [[king]] or his duly appointed representatives, neither of which exist in Ankh-Morpork.

Angua, following 71-Hour Ahmed, is captured by the Klatchians and taken to Klatch. Carrot, rather than rush off to save her, reports back to Vimes, who gets his private army to head for Klatch. Meanwhile, Nobby and Sergeant Colon have been recruited by Vetinari and his pet [[inventor]], Leonard of Quirm, on a secret mission of their own, unknown to Vimes.

Vetinari, Leonard of Quirm, Colon, and Nobby end up in Leonard's "[[submarine|Going-Under-the-Water-Safely Device]]" and discover that Leshp is actually floating on top of a huge bubble of [[gas]], and that the gas is escaping from said bubble, meaning that Leshp will ultimately sink back under the sea again.

Vimes catches up with 71-hour Ahmed and has, by this time, figured out that Ahmed is a fellow [[policeman]]. Ahmed tells Vimes that Prince Cadram was responsible for the assassination attempt on Prince Khufurah. Ahmed and his band of Klatchian D'regs and Vimes' army head towards Gebra, in Klatch, where the war is due to start.

To blend in, Vetinari, Nobby and Fred Colon get hold of some [[cassock|Klatchian clothing]], though Nobby ends up wearing the [[costume]] of a [[belly dancer|dancing girl]] and gets in touch with his [[Anima and animus|feminine side]]. The three head to Gebra, where they discover that Carrot has convinced the two armies to [[Christmas_truce#Football_matches|get together and play a game of soccer]], Vimes is preparing to arrest both Klatchian Prince Cadram and Lord Rust for various [[breach of the peace|breaches of the peace]] (such as being prepared for war), and 71-hour Ahmed is supporting him. Vetinari prevents an [[international incident]] by the [[Surrender (military)|surrender]] of Ankh-Morpork and offering [[war reparations]], to be ratified on Leshp in one week.

Vetinari is returned to Ankh-Morpork, under [[arrest]] and in disgrace, but as Leshp has vanished back under the sea again, the treaty was to be signed in a non-existent territory and thus the charge of [[treason]] is invalid.  Seeing he has been tricked, and with the people and generals turning against him, Prince Cadram flees, with 71-hour Ahmed in pursuit. His brother Khufurah recovers and assumes control of Klatch.  Vimes is informed that Vetinari has been "reminded" that the old rank of Commander was the same as the old rank of [[Duke]]. He objects, claiming that only a King can make a Duke, but then realises that Carrot, secretly the heir to the throne, was speaking to Vetinari. However, Vimes later attempts to get out of his own investiture ceremony half-way through by giving chase to an apprentice thief.

Through the ramblings of Vimes' malfunctioning "dis-[[Personal digital assistant|organiser]]", it is revealed that in another timeline, where Vimes chose to stay in Ankh-Morpork rather than attempt to rescue Angua, Klatch ended up invading the city, resulting in the deaths of the entire Watch.

==Characters==

*71-hour Ahmed
*Angua
*Prince Cadram
*Fred Colon
*Detritus
*Lt Hornett
*Carrot Ironfoundersson
*Cheery Littlebottom
*Nobby Nobbs
*Leonard of Quirm
*Lord Rust
*Reg Shoe
*Havelock Vetinari
*Samuel Vimes

==Reception==
In ''[[Interzone (magazine)|Interzone]]'', [[John Clute]] described ''Jingo'' as fitting "seamlessly" into the Discworld, commenting that it does not "dishonour its predecessors in the series" and "is in fact better than most of them". Clute also compared Pratchett's writing to that of [[P. G. Wodehouse]], and noted the presence of "totemic moments", and of several scenes which he felt to be "[[Homily#Other senses|homilies]]".<ref name=Clute>[https://books.google.com/books?id=eI6PDQAAQBAJ&dq=jingo+pratchett+review&pg=PT150 Been Bondage Done That], by [[John Clute]], originally published in ''[[Interzone (magazine)|Interzone]]'' #126 (December 1997); archived in "Scores", by John Clute; published November 24, 2016 by [[Orion Publishing Group]]</ref>

''[[Escape Pod (podcast)|Escape Pod]]'' stated that a significant portion of the plot is "Vimes subverting the status quo in ways that shouldn't work, but somehow do anyway".<ref name=Escape>[http://escapepod.org/2011/11/05/book-review-snuff-by-terry-pratchett/ "Book Review: 'Snuff' by Terry Pratchett"], at ''[[Escape Pod (podcast)|Escape Pod]]''; published November 5, 2011; retrieved June 30, 2017</ref><!--I'm citing a review of "Snuff" here because the reviewer *compared it to* "Jingo"--> The ''[[SF Site]]'' ranked it "above ''[[Feet of Clay (novel)|Feet of Clay]]'' but not quite as good as ''[[Guards! Guards!]]''", considering that "The story stumbles a bit, especially once the action moves to Klatch, and there are few nitpicky things here and there", but concluding that it is nonetheless "a fine addition" to the Discworld.<ref name=SFSite>[https://www.sfsite.com/06b/jing35.htm Jingo], reviewed by Todd Richmond, at the ''[[SF Site]]''; published 1998; retrieved June 30, 2017</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Discworld#Jingo|Jingo}}
* {{isfdb title|9883|Jingo}}
* [http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/jingo.html Annotations for ''Jingo'']
* [http://www.lspace.org/books/pqf/jingo.html Quotes from ''Jingo'']

{{s-start}}
{{s-other|[[Discworld#Storylines|Reading order guide]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Hogfather]] | title = 21st [[Discworld#Novels|Discworld Novel]]  | years=  | after = [[The Last Continent]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Feet of Clay (novel)|Feet of Clay]] | title = 5th [[Ankh-Morpork City Watch|City Watch Story]]  | years=Published in 1997  | after = [[The Fifth Elephant]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Discworld books}}
{{Terry Pratchett}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1997 British novels]]
[[Category:Discworld books]]
[[Category:1997 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Anti-war novels]]
[[Category:Victor Gollancz Ltd books]]
[[Category:British comedy novels]]
[[Category:Speculative crime and thriller fiction novels]]