5 comments about Mutiny (Starship, Book 1).

1. The basic plot of the book and the characters have potential but in this 1st book of the series there isn't alot worth looking at or reading. Those people giving 4 or 5 stars probably haven't read any good SciFi (ie. Asher, Vinge, Cherryh, etc.).



2. Maybe I had the ill fortune to read this book just after the wonderful "the lost fleet: Dauntless". This is absolutely an enjoyable reading, but it lacks depth. The story is fast and it keeps you reading, but if you like a semblance of truth in space travelling and in space warfare, this isn't the right book. It is a good novel, but I found it lacking when it comes to integrate the plot with problems like travelling in space, communications and so on.



3. In the Navy, many morons surround me.
   
   
   Well, maybe not quite that bad, but the hero of the piece definitely thinks so at times.
   
   This is a military SF book, but it is closer in tone to Robert Asprin's Phule's Company than Hammer's Slammer's or David Webber's blow them away space navies.
   
   Much wisecracking, little introspection, in other words, as an officer who has used his brains and not the rulebook to solve military situations gets sent to the arse end of nowhere to serve with a crew of misfits on an old rustbucket, wherein he is reunited with an old sidekick.
   
   Cue hijinks and action and disobeying of orders. Pleasingly short and light entertainment.
   
   (call it 3.25)



4. Kept me reading late into the night! Good author with a good story to tell.



5. I would like to read this book, but I'm unwilling to spend the full hardback price on spec. How about a paperback edition?

No comments about A Tale of Two Subs: An Untold Story of World War II, Two Sister Ships, and Extraordinary Heroism.

4 comments about Mercenary (Starship, Book 3).

1. Three thousand years from now, man created the Republic; many alien races joined it. Now the Republic is at war with the Teroni Federation. Commander Wilson Cole of the starship Theodore Roosevelt relieved a captain of her command and in doing so saved a planet and millions of lives. As a reward, he was arrested and awaiting a court-martial, but his squad freed him and they jumped to the Inner Frontier. They became pirates but for law abiding men and women used to a command structure they found out they were not good at piracy.
   
   They become mercenaries selling their services to the highest bidder and found that a bit more honorable. They save lives including that of freeing a client who is held on a warlike isolationist planet; get the patients out of a hospital before an enemy warlord and his armada bears down on them; stopping a warlord from exterminating an entire planet; and saving a space station that is in neutral territory and where all species are welcome. Cole uses his brains to come out the victor especially since one of his most trusted of crew joined forces with their enemy.
   
   Filled with action, brilliant planning for the success of a mission and characters that readers really care about STARSHIP MERCENARY like its predecessors PIRATE and MUTINY is a fabulous outer space saga. The hero is an honorable man treated dishonorably by the Republic he swore to protect but he is not bitter. He spends his time on missions he chooses and caring for each member of his team; and in return they give him their undying loyalty. Val, the pirate who become Cole's Third Officer, doesn't comprehend how the crew of the Teddy's R can care for one another without demanding more in return. Mike Resnick is a great galaxy-builder as he describes alien species so readers believe they will exist in the future.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. You have to have read the first two books to read this one. This is an on going chess game between Resnick, the author, and you, the reader. The first tdwo set up the story line of a wandering Navy hero without a country with a ship and crew of dedicated followers roaming the edges of space looking for a purpose. You had the story of them getting kicked out of the navy and then the story of them trying to be "good" pirates. Each of the first two books has the the hero and the crew evolving to ... what? Ah now that is the question or hooked that is used by the author. There are just so amny jobs in space for a noble hero and crew without a country and a whole navy after their heads. MERCENARY is the next step for this group. Here they do what they think is thier best, being a mercenary. However ethics and morals keep getting in the way and this line of endeavor soon wears out. An the author has athe reader set up for thenext evolutionary step. The book is like a Gary Grant screw ball comedy in the way the characters talk and like FIREFLY is the excution of the schemes. However I like to think of it as "book candy" for your literary sweet tooth. It is fun and a fast read. The cast of characters is charming and expanding. This time the author tells no one story but several stories leading to the next book. The character of Val is what the author or leading character Wilson seem to want to build around or rarther use to teach the moral of the story. Oh yes their is a moral to this story and it is brought out in the lst ten pages. If you are looking for high concept or mind bending ideas this isn't for you. It is entertainment that makes you laugh and want to read more. Hey that is pretty darn good thing for a book to do.



3. The cunning Captain Wilson Cole and the cast of the Starship Teddy R. are back in the third novel in this vastly entertaining series. Easily accessible to non-science fiction readers, its larger-than-life, witty and mythic-sized characters propel the book through snappy dialog and clever plotting. I loved this book and it surely will win a spot on my 2008's best list. (C'mon Hugo award givers, isn't it about time Renick won a best novel award?) Fans of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly really should be reading this. Highly Recommened!



4. It's 1968 of the Galactic Era, some 3,000 years from Earth's future, and a human-created Republic is in the midst of war. A rescued rogue captain finds himself a key player in the conflict, becoming a mercenary ship forming some unusual partnerships which may ultimately be at odds with his goals and self-interest. Military science fiction at its best, STARSHIP: MERCENARY represents Book 3 in a fast-paced series.

5 comments about Pirates.

1. I bought this as a birthday gift for my six year old son. He couldn't have been happier. Just to show you how interesting it is, I kept it in my office at work so he wouldn't find it before his birthday. I can't tell you the number of people who stopped to read the book and told me how interesting it was. I even had people who asked me for ordering information on the book so they could get it for their children. This book is inexpensive and a great read for all ages. All the little pockets, fold outs, letters and maps are a great touch.



2. I bought this for my 7 year old nephew who had a newfound fashion for all things Pirate. Being a book (at a birthday party) it didn't get his full attention until later on when he asked his parents to sit and read it to him.
   Now it's a year later and I found out the book was a tremendous success from the get-go. He brought it into school to share with the class and every kid there wanted his own copy so phone calls were made and the hunt was on. A few parents were able to get a copy. My nephew and his friends dressed up as pirates and went together to see the latest Pirates... movie. Later my nephew was huddled with his special book, relishing all the details it provided. This book is interactive by design which makes the reading all the more personal and imaginative.



3. My adult daughter is mad about pirates. Her niece and nephew (6 and 10) bought this for her for Christmas. It was a hit.



4. This is an all around excellent book, I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and I highly recommend this book for the pirates enthusiast in your family!!



5. This book is so interesting! I love it! My 5 y.o. daughter even loves this book!

5 comments about Japanese Destroyer Captain: Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway - The Great Naval Battles As Seen Through Japanese Eyes.

1. I found this revision to be a little too generic in the type and spelling, but very informative none the less. I used to have the early 70's copy of this book in paperback. I enjoyed it then as I do now.



2. Japanese Destroyer Captain is an excellent written account of Captain Hara missions in the Pacific theater during World War II. This work gives a rare insight into the Japanese perspective regarding the great naval battles of World War II from early campaigns to the last desperate struggles of the Japanese Empire. This account provides a reason why the Japanese lost the initiative in the Pacific by exposing the ill concieved naval tactics which lead to the defeat of the Imperial Navy. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Naval battles of World War II.



3. This may be one of the best first person accounts of the Pacific theater of operations, that I have read from either side. Not only does Capt. Hara explain the individual battles in which he participated in vivid detail, he also gives his own perceptions of Japanese leadership (or lack thereof) during this incredibly demanding period. With his background in torpedo warfare, Hara shares his perception of both the abilities and short-comings within his own navy, but also those of the USN (praise and condemnation where he deemed appropriate, including himself). Overall a very good and fast paced oral history of the Pacific War, I would recommend to anyone.



4. Probably one of the two books anyone interested in the Pacific naval war simply MUST have in his libraray (the other the brilliant 'Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy' by the unfortunately named Paul S. Dull). True experts and affecionados should overlook the occasional mis-identification of ship types (undoubtedly a result of either negligent editing or translation problems), but otherwise a superb recollection of the Pacific war from the point of view of a famous Japanese destroyer captain.
   
   Having studied this war and its naval campaigns, one thing that always struck me was the peculiar paradox of the near-deification of Admiral Yamamoto (engineer of the Pearl Harbor attack) by the Japanese at the time, and many foreign historians as well. Frankly, from any objective point of view, it was Yamamoto who almost single-handedly ensured the disasterous defeat of the Japanese navy, first, by not in fact taking out the most important targets at Pearl Harbor (the enormous fuel tank farm, and the even more important ship-repair facilities and machine shops), and secondly, by repeatedly committing vastly insufficient forces at the places of most importance, and invariably sending these elements through the most convoluted and tortuous separate routes to get there (each element could be easily defeated one at a time).
   
   Further, it appears that at no time during the war did the Japanese have the slightest interest in obtaining or using intelligence, by either method or desire, and this led them into one catastrophe after another. Guadalcanal is probably the best exemplar of this failed strategy, where neither the Japanes Navy, nor the Japanese Army had any idea of the strength of the American presence there, apparently weren't even interested, and instead committed and lost battalions, regiments, whole divisions of troops and squadrons of ships again, and again, and again, until both the Army, and Navy were bled white.
   
   The Japanese submarine fleet was even more useless, not because of any real defect in the subs themselves, but the ridiculous manner in which they were used. This is even more stunning when you consider that not only was the Japanese submarine fleet largely founded by German engineers and specialist after the First World War, but the Japanese maintained close communications with the Germans throughout the war, even sending submarines to Germany and back several times, as well as German U-Boats sailing to Japan and being used by the Japanese Navy. Yet despite the continued availability of the very finest in submarine expertise, the Japanese apparently never bothered to discuss the topic of strategy and/or tactics with the Germans. Incredible!
   
   With all my various studies of this war, I never came across any real recognition of these fundamental flaws, until I read this book, and it is apparent that not only were these flaws as real as i thought, but that many members of the Japanese Navy itself were fully cognisant of these same mistakes, and yet, were unable to convince their own senior command of the need for changes, and so went down together. Starting to sound familiar?



5. Hara gives an unusual and frank insight in the workings of the Japanese Navy during WWII. He describes in great detail how he fought many battles as a destroyer captain and what he, his colleagues and enemies did right or wrong: many battles were stacks of blunders and were won by who blundered the least or simply was the luckiest.
   
   Couldn't put it down: had to keep reading which cost me some sleep....

5 comments about If I Die in a Combat Zone : Box Me Up and Ship Me Home.

1. Having read O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" first, this book seemed a bit dry and journalistic in comparison. It started out slow, and never really pulled me in the way the other did. In this book there are flashes of O'Brien's lyrical, dream-like brilliance, but never as consistent or as seemingly tangible as in "The Things They Carried."
   
   In this book, O'Brien brings the reader along with him from the moment he first learns that he is to be drafted until he is on a plane heading home from Viet Nam. He shares his fears, doubts and political views of the war. The book is mostly about O'Brien's experience in the war, and how it changed him and matured him.
   
   Overall, a good book. Probably of particular interest to anyone interested in a personal, almost documentary-style account of O'Brien's experience in Viet Nam. In a purely literary sense, however, the stories in "The Things They Carried" are far better examples of Tim O'Brien's skill as a writer.



2. Tim O'Brien is one of our more gifted, living writers in the genre of war literature, and although IF I DIE IN A COMBAT zone isn't his strongest book, it is certainly worthy reading, especially in the echoing din of George Bush's Iraqi adventure.
   
   A straightforward account from a soldier's point of view, O'Brien's book includes the before, during, and after of his Vietnam experience -- especially the daily grind of soldiering (during) and the soul-searching and debate about fleeing (before) instead of answering the call of the draft. He had a rather quixotic escape plan to Sweden (of all places), but ultimately did his "duty," all along meditating on the nature of sanity, obligation, and patriotism. There are frequent excerpts from Plato, even, as O'Brien explores that ancient philosopher's take on "courage." As his fellow soldiers are killed, O'Brien details the nature of fate and chance, along with the more realistic details of the many ways "Charlie" (the VC) could arrange for you to die.
   
   Here is a typical excerpt in which O'Brien compares Vietnam to the Trojan War:
   
   "But losing [Captain Johansen] was like the Trojans losing Hector. He gave some amount of reason to fight. Certainly there were never any political reasons. The war, like Hector's own war, was silly and stupid. Troy was besieged for the sake of a pretty woman. And Helen, for God's sake, was a woman most of the grubby, warted Trojans could never have. Vietnam was under siege in pursuit of a pretty, tantalizing, promiscuous, particularly American brand of government and style. And most of Alpha Company would have preferred a likable whore to self-determination. So Captain Johansen helped to mitigate and melt the silliness, showing the grace and poise a man can have under the worst of circumstances, a wrong war. We clung to him." -- (p. 145)
   
   Philosophical riffs like this are frequent -- as are accounts of the soldiers' lives (and deaths), their nicknames for killer devices, their fear and superstitions, and their ways of surviving in a strange land where even women and children could, and often did, mean death. The literary weave of abstractions on war and history with specifics on Vietnam itself make for a potent read. You will come out of it not only feeling better educated about what Vietnam was like, but sensing that many of the arguments of the American government and the officers in charge ring as familiarly hollow now (in Iraq) as they did then (in Vietnam). If I could, I'd buy a copy for the President. But I know he wouldn't read it or, if he did, seek meaning from it.
   
   Pro or anti-war, Vietnam or Iraq, you, however, can glean something from this early effort of Tim O'Brien's. Check it out.



3. If I Die...is Tim O'Brien's first book, and his first of many inspired by his tour of duty as an infantryman in Vietnam, 1969-70. Later, more successful books, like Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried, deliberately smudge the line between reportage and invented story (and, in GAC, he takes it all the way to outright fantasy) but this debut is intended as a soldier's field memoir, the facts as O'Brien saw and remembers them, although with much brooding personal commentary added.
   
   More than 30 years after its publication, the book is still quite powerful, reviving the sights and sounds of a war that America decided a while ago not to forget, but rather to remember in a way it finds most convenient. There are still too many people who believe we could easily have "won" Vietnam if we hadn't been "stabbed in the back" by politicians and hippie protestors at home; that is nonsense, much of which O'Brien's book helps disprove. Indispensible works like The Best and the Brightest, and of course The Pentagon Papers, prove how various US administrations allowed themselves to be deluded about the progress the US military might make in solving the political problems of a small SE Asian country. By the time O'Brien arrived as a foot soldier in early 1969, the war had reached a high-level stalemate, was essentially over, and the Vietnamese simply had to wait us out. LBJ and Nixon knew this but they continued to send our soldiers over to be killed and mangled; too precipitous a withdrawal would have hurt their administrations politically.
   
   What O'Brien does so well is dramatize this fatal stall at the personal level. His book is loaded with stories of ranking officers, brave men with Army careers, allowing their commands to ease off in the field, avoid pointless enemy engagements, even file fake patrol reports, especially at night. O'Brien's tour commenced a year after Tet and My Lai occurred, and in their aftermath, as O'Brien tells it, Army morale at even the officer level had sunk so low, and the failure of US goals was so evident, that few Americans wanted to get killed for a misadventure.
   
   What lingers most in my mind is O'Brien's struggle with his own self-loathing: he believed even before being drafted that the war was wrong, and made serious plans to desert the Army, but found himself unable to make that great break, fearful of the reaction he would eventually encounter from parents and the small Minnesota town of his birth. He gave in to tradition, rather than do what he felt to be right, and it seems he has never forgiven himself.



4. This memoir brought me closer than I had been before to the Vietnam War..it was interesting. Another perspective on the Vietnam War.



5. I've not read a ton of war books and picked up this one because it was on some list of best books of the century or somthing like that from Time. War must not change much, becuase the narrator in this book seems to be saying so much of what I have heard from soldiers coming back from the Iraq, etc. Lots of boredom with moments of great fear peppered in. I like this book a lot. The author's writing style is very matter of fact, but with as frugal as he is with his words, he says tons.

5 comments about Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of her Survivors.

1. ..all this can be found here. Book is written very well. James Hornfischer did a great work collecting and chronicling dramatic stories of many marines and sailors who went through heroic battles and POW camps' existence. There are several unmarked, but clearly distinguished sections in this book, all of them having general historical background detailing how war with Japan started, progressed, concluded (including prosecution and punishment for war criminals) and affected the post-war future of this region of Asia. First (and the best IMO) is naval part, battles of the ships ending with destruction of USS "Huston" and HMAS "Perth".
   Second part tells how mostly British and Americans got into enemies' hands and ended in camps to endure inhumane treatment building railroad and dying in Thailand, Burma and Japan. The third part describes last months of the war in these camps and final, gradual return of prisoners to America. In the end we read what happened to certain heroes and survivors when they returned, how difficult for some of them was "normal" life after spending three years of heavy labour in terrible, hard to imagine jungle conditions. Very unique and not without controversies saga, that cannot be forgotten.



2. I'm not a war, history or navy buff, and "Ship of Ghosts...." was loaned me by a friend who knew I served aboard a naval vessel (DLG) for 3 years. He felt I would find the book by Mr. Hornfischer an interesting read. What an understatement. I was so mesmerized by the history of the ship, and its heroic captain and crew I had difficulty putting the book down. The author does an excellent job of chronicling the naval battles, as well as the subsequent imprisonment of the Houston's survivors and the horrific treatment inflicted on them by the Japanese. The drama is strong enough to bring tears of sorrow and joy simultaneously. What a testament to the bravery of what may be our last great generation. Bravo to the U.S.S. Houston, her captain and all who served aboard her, and to Mr. Hornfischer for revealing the story to the world.



3. This engrossing book traces the epic story of the crew of the USS Houston, beginning with their ship's demise in the early days of WWII. Part of a hodge-podge of allied naval forces, arrayed against the trained and massively superior Japanese air and sea powers, the Houston was sunk when it stumbled onto a giant Japanese landing invasion halfway between Singapore and Batavia (now Djakarta). The book traces the surviving crew, who disappeared from contact at sinking, were captured and sent to Changi prison camp in Singapore, and were dispersed between 1942 and the end of the war as POW work slaves to Burma, Thailand, and Japan, many working on the Burma-Thai railway (the same project as the Bridge over the River Kwai). The book is a well-written and very readable litany of the many horrors endured (malaria, beri-beri, cholera, torture, malnutrition, beatings) and the adaptable will of the lucky survivors. A few more maps and timelines and such would be a welcome addition, but nonetheless this book must be lauded as a very well-researched, thorough, and page-turning account of a little chapter of WWII.



4. As an avid reader of WWII books this is the 2nd book of Hornfischers I've read. The first was "Last of the Tin Can Soliders" which I highly recommend, also.
   Growing up in the 60's I watched the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" and thought it was great, although not extremely factual. The movie and treatment of prisoners had to be softened given how soon after WWII it came out (1958). This movie doesn't really give much background on the real hell that these captured men went through just to survive through another day.
   I am always astounded at what soldiers of the "Greatest Generation" endured to survive in dire situations in WWII. How humble these men and woman remained after the war is also amazing.
   This book gives extensive details of how the Houston and its men got in their predicament by being early on the frontlines trying to stop the Japanese. It contains many personalized stories of both the men that survived and those who didn't. Homage and respect is paid to both by Hornfischer in his detailed accounts of what happened.
   I look forward to Hornfischer's next book. He meticulouly researches his subject matter. He then takes all of the research and creates an interesting read.



5. This was one of those "why not?" choices of reading.
   
   I knew of the heavy cruiser Houston but this book filled in the story. James Hornfischer did a wonderful job accumulating stories to present a good picture of what happened to the men of the Houston in the early days of the war and what happened to them during the war.
   
   The Houston and along with a "rag-tag" collection of ships were given the all but suicide mission to defend Java from the Imperial Navy and the approaching invasion force. Suicide in the fact they were going to a fight severely over gunned and with no air cover.
   
   They tried but were beaten and eventually only the Houstan the and Australian Cruiser HMAS Perth remained. Trying to make a run to Australia, they stumble on the invasion forces even though they thought it was only the navy. The Perth is mortally wounded and the Houston learns she has stumbled on the invasion fleet and rushes in. Four Japanese ships are sunk by the Japanese trying to get the Houston. Eventually she is sunk.
   
   The story reads like an adventure which are greatly added by the personal stories of the survivors. The ship cats of the Perth and Houston. The cat from the Houston runs into the jungle just before the final voyage when the ships stop to refuel. The cat from the Perth is caught 3 times and ordered to be clapped into irons(ie a fuel can with four holes). Poor kitty knew what was coming. The grizzled old marine Sargent who stays at his post firing his 50 calibers while the ship tower sinks into the water(he could not swim). The chaplin who gave up his life in the life boats so the younger men would have a better chance.
   
   The men of both ships try to figure out what to do. Some are picked up but surprisingly many are left by the Japanese. Some unruly Australians cuss out Japanese that try to rescue them. It was commented that in a disaster it's best to be with Australians as they have the penchant to look at everything as an opportunity. One group for instance, made it to shore, made a ragtag ship and sail and were going to make a run for Australia. They were captured.
   
   Next came the stories of the camps. The brutality and the diseases of life in the jungle as a P.O.W. You get to hear the about the amazing doctor who had knowledge of Jungle medicine and probably saved countless men. One thing was surprising was to read these men were involved with the bridge and train system that was told by the move "The Bridge on the River Kawi" I knew Hollywood tends to glamorize things but you will see the full story from this book. One of my favorite characters from this cast is the supreme scavenger named Mccone. The Japanese were scared of him because they thought he was crazy. He assembled a crew which he called the 40 thieves. One story that made me laugh was the arrival of a delivery truck. The thieves stripped it down to the frame in minutes and the tossed the frame next to the junk pile. The driver came back and was subsequently beaten by the guards for loosing the truck. The guards were beaten by the NCOs for the truck being lost and the NCOs were beaten by the commander for the guards loosing the truck. The prisoners had to work from laughing and dreaded what would have happened if the commander had put his hand on the still hot radiator as he looked through the junk pile.
   
   An interesting aspect was the mix of brutality and the rare instances of compassion shown by the Japanese. Beatings were a constant thing but then there were moments of were they would do things. When it came to the Korean guards it was down right brutal.
   
   One interesting side note was the fact the river Kwai was not the original name. It was later renamed after the movie came out.
   
   All in all this is a good book for the historian and the general fan of the area. Numerous sources are listed for further research if so desired. There is also a website listed that keeps track of the survivers and men who died on that day.

5 comments about How to Read a Nautical Chart : A Complete Guide to the Symbols, Abbreviations, and Data Displayed on Nautical Charts.

1. A great resource even for experienced skippers. Also makes you very aware of the limitations of modern cartography (ie how many charted depths are based on a survey done 50 or 100 years ago!).



2. Got about all Nigel's books - as I had expected, he gives a good clear insight on nautical charts and how to read them. Not much else to say! Thanks Nigel for helping make the dream come true!
   Dutch West.



3. Since the current U.S. Administration saw fit to cease publication of CHART NO. 1, the government's own guide to reading maritime maps, back in 2000 (maybe they figured Dubai might pick up the slack around our harbors), HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is an absolutely crucial educational volume for those of us new to reading charts.
   
   It's all here. Nigel Calder does a splendid job of taking the esoterica of chart symbolism and language and turning it into something any boater can understand in everyday terms. He also does a fine job delineating the differences between harbor charts, large area charts, GPS readings and so on, all of which have their own internal but non-complimentary logic.
   
   If you leave the dock, knowledge of and familiarity with charts can avoid costly errors, save your boat, and literally save your life. HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is a reference you must have.



4. As a newbie to reading charts I soon realized that much of the information displayed on a nautical chart is difficult or imposable to decode without some reference outside of the chart itself.
   
   This book does a beautiful job of explaining all the mysterious symbols and conventions. It also has a great introduction that puts chart creation and interpretation into a practical, real-world perspective. I would consider this book to be a vital part of any vessel's safety equipment.



5. Brand new item, very nice. Smooth transaction with excellent communication & quick shipping. Thank You

5 comments about Manxome Foe.

1. John Ringo has been writing excellent military SF for several years now, and for those who enjoy hard-core military SF, check out this series: Into the Looking Glass, Vorpal Blade, and now Manxome Foe (with Claws to Catch coming later this year). Ringo hangs out with real scientists, like his co-author Travis Taylor, so they throw in some leading-edge physics, highlighting the fact that the soldiers of the future will be a lot more than just grunts... if they survive. This is one of the series where I buy the hardback as soon as it comes out and the electronic Advance Reader Copy from the publisher before that.



2. John and Travis make a great team, telling a great yarn, with good, solid characters you can believe in.



3. For "mind candy" readers with a scientific background, the "Looking Glass" series is really fun. The charaters are larger than life but the science is full of "in" jokes that would make Particle Physics almost fun to retake. The military SciFi aspects are the usual Ringo non-stop "who will make it style" that is a standard for real (unreal) entertainment. I can't wait for the sequel (I hope there is one).



4. Manxome Foe was excellent. John Ringo started this series when he wrote, "Into the Looking Glass". Travis Taylor joined Mr Ringo in the second book of the series, "The Vorpral Blade". This new book by both of them continue with the galaxy spanning adventures of Lieutenant Commander William "Doc" Weaver and Seal Master Chief Miller. This is classic action SF with a large does of real science thrown in for fun. Each of the books in this series can stand alone, but it is best when you read the entire series. This is one book you should put on your must read list for this year. Take the time and treat yourself and buy this book! ENJOY!



5. This is what Ringo and Travis do best - create a fast paced story with an engaging plot. The crew of the Vorpal Blade are back (at least what's left of 'em) for another adventure through space. This a great book to kick back with on vacation and just enjoy.

5 comments about Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1).

1. I saw this one on the list for Sci-fi while waiting for my kindle. Looked interesting and I decided to sample it. I liked it enough to buy it and was fairly well pleased. Pleased enough to buy the third book for my Kindle as well. Oddly, the second book in the series is not available for the kindle - disappointing, but we can hope.
   
   Character development is good and the story does keep you turning the pages. I find myself wanting to continue the story and the only think holding me back is lack of availability for my preferred device (the above-mentioned Kindle).
   
   I feel like this series will get better as time goes on (within the books). Truly - I wish I could give it 3 and a half stars - good, not superb, but definitely good.
   
   If you are a fan of Traveller or other sci-fi gaming, this will definitely please.



2. I will put this simple. The trilogy and one more due out in June 08 is one of the best I have read. It is very difficult to put down. In other words, get all three and wait for the fourth to come out.



3. "Campbell"'s novel is a thin volume that was interesting enough to finish but nowhere near as good as other SF novels I've read recently. I understand that "Campbell" is a pseudonym for a published author, and I think that's unfortunate. I don't believe this novel is worthy of allusion to the legacy of SF Grandmaster John W. Campbell. While the novel does suggest the storytelling of decades past, it neither capitalizes on the best aspects of Golden Age SF, nor justifies why it would do so via the story that is told.
   
   For a novel that intends to cover so much ground, it is remarkably narrow in its characters, viewpoint, and settings. Much of the novel focuses exclusively on Captain Geary and his comings and goings on his ship. There are some large space battles, again seen mainly from the Captain's perspective, and visits to several star systems, but the limited point of view and simplistic characters remind me in many ways of teen lit. In fact, I would recommend it very highly for younger readers of SF, so I suppose I can understand the Heinlein comparisons by other reviewers.
   
   But, there is an interesting background which isn't explored sufficiently. The prose is very stiff. The characterizations of ALL the main figures in the novel are weak. The fleet politics, which some apparently find fascinating, seemed relatively childish and simplistic to me. And finally, the battle scenes were almost painful to read, since every one brought to mind the slightly goofy, enormous (but groundbreaking... 70 years ago) battle scenes depicted by EE 'Doc' Smith in his Lensmen books. The main difference here is that Smith was covering new ground. One gets the impression that "Campbell" is trying to make the old sound new again, or worse yet, obscure the fact that he had nothing new to say in this regard.
   
   In the end, I appreciate the novel's theme that we win a moral victory in addition to a combat trial when we maintain our honor, and this novel IS an easy read. In the end, I think the author had some interesting ideas but didn't develop them nearly as much as s/he should have. I'm also worried a bit by the praise this novel is receiving, because if this likable mediocrity earns high praise, how low are most readers' expectations for SF novels, these days?



4. Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell (the pen name of John Hemry) is a military sci-fi novel that revolves around the main character Captain John "Black Jack" Geary. Geary is war hero of historic proportions and the hero of the battle in the Grendel system. The Syndics (a human corporate empire) ambushed the Alliance at Grendel where Geary made himself famous with his heroic "last stand". Geary is thought to be lost in battle at the helm of his ship but a hundred years later an Alliance fleet finds Geary aboard an escape pod, in stasis.
   
   Geary awakes to find that, shockingly, it's an entire century since he commanded the battle at Grendel and the war is still going. He is disturbed by the reaction the crews of the fleet have when they see him, after all he's the legendary "Black Jack". Crews swear by his name much in the same way people use the name "Jesus" in real life. This all disturbs Geary and in fact he finds it just plain annoying. As with most legends, Geary's has been inflated beyond how he can actually perform so he is constantly trying to point out that he is not the person they think he is.
   
   Well, he gets little time to convince them otherwise: Shortly after he awakes the commander of the fleet and his staff are killed by the Syndics in an act of treachery. Admiral Bloch left Geary in charge of the fleet in his absence. Now in charge Geary mush lead the battered, out-gunned fleet home after their terrible defeat.
   
   The Lost Fleet: Dauntless is a great example of Military Sci-Fi. Those who like John Scalzi should like Campbell's style of writing: not overly complicated and doesn't require a degree in physics to understand the technology. Good solid storytelling. The pacing of the story is outstanding and balanced. While there isn't as much combat in the book as one would suspect for this type of novel, Campbell manages to keep the pages turning with the subplots. Many of the subplots revolve around the logistics of running a fleet and managing problems with the crew.
   
   Jack Geary is a very interesting character. Instead of the author pushing him as the "man god" Geary plays down his prowess and despises the legend worship he is met with. He struggles with grasping the new technology of the day and the culture of the fleet has completely changed.
   
   While the setting is covered very thinly, there is enough to get an idea of the cultures of the two human factions involved in this book. Hopefully in future books we will get more background on the Alliance, Syndics, and the characters themselves.
   
   Conclusion: If you like military Sci-Fi this book should be right up your alley. There's enough action, plenty of subplots and a really fun story to be find within the pages of this novel. I feel comfortable saying that Campbell is in the same class as Scalzi, Haldeman, and Ringo. If you like these authors, you should find Lost Fleet: Dauntless to your liking.



5. The book itself was interesting and forthcoming. Although the book would of been better if it had contained much more science fiction taste than military and war type tasteing. The battles were a bit to overaggagerated and to my opinion a bit corny. If the book went away from the fighting and battles for just a bit and went on to a different subject it wouldnt be as dry and boring as it is. The ending was very interesting and made me consider buying the second in the series. For once at the ending it went away from the battles and war. The ending also talks about something that would be considered very science fiction. It left you with questions that where needed to be anserwed and left you wandering. Overall, if your looking for the indepth sci-fi type tasting book I wouldnt reccomend this book. On the other hand if your looking for something with more war and fighting taste with just a touch of sci-fi I highly reccomend this book to you. To me this book was interesting but had to much war and fighting sequences talked about. The book was ok but not fantastic.