I thought that the heroes were wish-fulfillment fantasy figures, but the villains were drawn from real life.
It's interesting indeed how one's sees the "anti-dog-eat-dog-act" and the like all around after reading the book. Still, I think the villains (and even moreso, their 'useful idiots') were caricatures as well -- certainly with a grain of truth, but overall pushed way beyond credibility.
This is the monthly thread for posting media of various types that you've found that you enjoy. I find that reading the sequences makes me less likely to enjoy some entertainment media that is otherwise quite popular, and finding media recommended by LWers is a good way to mitigate this. Post what you're reading, listening to, watching, and your opinion of it. Post recommendations to blogs. Post whatever media you feel like discussing! To see previous recommendations, check out the older threads.
Rules: