Authorized Personnel Only: "Alias" [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

It's been a long time since the Alias TV series went on air, but there hasn't been an official guide to complement with its popularity. And now finally, there is this book to satisfy our need for Alias(and give us "the story so far...")while we watch the current fifth season.

I got this book from a store, but initially I hesitated on buying it, since I'm reliant on book reviews and there isn't one as yet on Amazon right here. This official guide is written by Paul Ruditis, who wrote several tie-ins to Alias, Star Trek and Charmed, to name a few. He also co-wrote Angel: The Casefiles Vol.2 and Vol.3 of the Watcher's Guide. I bought Angel: The Casefiles Vol. 2 and I must say I was quite disappointed that Paul Ruditis' version was not as detailed and long as the previous Vol.1, which was written by another group of writers. So I was quite wary when I bought this guide, but it turns out Paul did a good job on this one.

Enough on the history already. Let's get on with the contents of this official guide. Inside, the Alias: Authorized Personnel Only guide is fully coloured with photos from the series. Contained in this book are:

(a) Agent Profiles

A fully detailed description of every single core member in the SD-6, CIA, the recently formed APO unit, civilian information and their current status.

(b) Milo Rambaldi

The history of this visionary architect from the past is detailed in this section, plus a full guide on the various devices he created and the items that revealed his prophecy on the Chosen One and the Passenger.

(c) Mission Archives

In this part of the guide are the detailed mission logs from Season 1 to 4. There are also major plot points that move the story and profiles found scattered throughout this section.

(d) Op Tech Manual

This section contains all the equipment and gadgets featured or mentioned (surveillance, computer processing equipment, stealth technology, lockpick/entry tools, tranquilizing agents, weapons, assorted items) throughout the series.

(e) Mission Key

A list of all episodes from Season 1 to 4, their original airdates and the mission log nos. that were featured in the episodes.

(f) Travel Log

A guide detailing the travel log of Agent Sydney Bristow on missions throughout the world, and the organisation she was doing the missions for.

Overall, I must say this has been a good official guide, if not more, and I'm satisfied with the way this guide was written. I highly reccommend this book to fans and ongoing viewers of Alias, plus first-time viewers who are interested and intrigued in this suspense and action drama series.

After Mark Cotta Vaz's adequate first volume, I was hoping for a follow-up from Ruditis that at least matched it and hopefully surpassed it. Sorry. Didn't happen.

This guide is kinda flashy but isn't constructed well. It's written as fiction, like you've been handed a dossier on Sydney Bristow and the gang and are having their missions explained to you. But all the energy spent on assigning made up file numbers and access codes comes across as taking focus off the show and sounds just plain corny. As usual with Ruditis books, there's little real-life info on the show. Do they not like this guy?

If you've collected the 'Alias' magazine, you've got a thousand times more info than you'll get from this. For the completist only.