Galactic Patrol

Cover art by Chris Foss (Panther Science Fiction, 1972).

Galactic Patrol was serialized in six parts in Astounding Stories between 1937 and 1938.

The real first book of the Lensman series.

This is the classic space opera. Absolutely incorruptible geniuses who are also superb agents and fighters oppose ultimate evil.

In this story, Kimball Kinnison, just graduated from the Lensman Academy on Earth, is assigned the problem of stealing a Boskonian ship containing their new super-powerful cosmic energy drive, which is causing unacceptable losses to Civilization. He has many adventures along the way, and discovers two new civilizations while he's at it.