Conqueror [Hardcover]

David Drake (Author), S.M. Stirling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2003

Raj Whitehall has led his men across the fact of the planet Belivue to one victory over the barbarian nations after another, until he is close to achieving his secret mission: resurrecting interstellar civilisation with the help of the ancient battle computer Center, which whispers at the back of Raj's mind, giving him superhuman counsel and advice. There's only one problem - Raj's overlord, whose paranoid suspicion of Raj has grown with every famous victory, until now he has room for only one thought: Raj White-hall must die...

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Baen Books; First Edition edition (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074343594X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743435949
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Using the Reputation, June 10, 2003

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conqueror (Hardcover)

Conqueror is the second omnibus edition in the General series, containing the third, fourth and fifth novels. Eleven centuries after the Fall of the interstellar civilization called the Federation of Man, the planet Bellevue is in a downward spiral toward barbarism. The Civil Government controls only a portion of the planet and has been pushed out of the Old Residence, the original capital. Other areas are controlled by the Brigade and the Colony.

Raj Whitehall is a General in the army of the Civil Government of Holy Federation. He has foiled an invasion by the Colony and retakened the Southern Territories from the Squadron. He has been aided in these endeavors by the Center, a pre-Fall military/political computer facility. It has the ability to communicate by voice and pictures to and from Raj and can present detailed, lifelike scenarios to him for various projected actions.

His friend Thom Poplanich, a scion of the previous imperial dynasty, is being retained in suspension within the Center, learning the skills of governing.

In The Anvil (1993), the third novel in the series, Raj commands the campaign against the Western Territories and the barbarians of the Brigade, who hold the Old Residence.

In The Steel (1993), the fourth novel in the series, Raj has taken Lion City and continues his march toward the Old Residence.

In The Sword (1995), the fifth novel in the series, Raj has taken the Old Residence, but his wife Suzette has shot the Governor's young heir, Cabot Clerett, when the man tried to shoot Raj. The Governor is about to reduce Raj to quivering protein, but is interrupted by news that the Colony has invaded the Eastern provinces, taking Gurnyca. The military situation looks hopeless, so Raj is reprieved and given command in the East, with full Viceregal authority.

This story presumes a level of technology -- i.e., ships, armaments and equipment -- at about the pre-Civil War stage, much higher than that of Byzantium during the time of Belisarius, but still not as devastating as that of World War I. Thus, the force multipliers of firepower and mobility increased the damage that could be done by smaller forces against the more primitive Squadron and Brigade forces. However, the forces lead by Whitehall did not have such technological superiority over the Colony forces and, indeed, had a numerical disadvantage, so Raj used superior maneuvering, massed artillery fire, and defensive positions against them.

Recommended for Stirling & Drake fans and anyone else who enjoys military SF set in a early industrial milieau.

-Arthur W. Jordin

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Military 'Alt-History' Series, February 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Conqueror (Hardcover)

This hardback reprint from Baen includes the final 3 books in David Drake's/S.M. Stirling's "The General" series about Raj Whitehall (in an alt-history role replacing the Byzantine general Belisarius). The books were first released in paperback ~ 10 years ago, glad to see them back in print. This hefty 3 volume sequel follows up to the first two books, also combined and released in hardback as 'Warlord'.

I enjoyed these books when they first came out, I remember being very frustrated each time I'd finish a book because I had to wait months before the next book in the series came out. Play your cards right and you'll have all the enjoyment, none of the frustration. As it should be.

After you've finished these books you may find yourself curious about the history behind this alt-history series. If so, I also recommend 'Count Belisarius' by Robert Graves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 5 book series, now in 2 volume omnibus, January 4, 2005

By 

silliman89 "silliman89" (Burke, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conqueror (Hardcover)

This is the standard by which I judge all military fiction. I have never found another series that was it's equal. Even when the same authors got together again for books 6 and 7 (which I have reviewed separately) they couldn't recreate the magic of this series.

THE GENERAL series (now released in a two volume omnibus edition - Warlord and Conqueror) is about a fallen interstellar society which has climbed it's way back up to the technological level of the American Civil War. The hero, Raj Whitehall, has to reunite the planet in order to reach the stars again some day. This involves a lot of fighting and empire building. What gives Raj his edge is the pre-fall computer he has linked with that can see through his eyes.

This series has outstanding character development, a solid and well thought out overall plot line, and good story resolution in each book. The two things that really make the series the top of its genre are the interaction between the computer and the hero, and the realism of the situation. The interaction is a delicate balance that the authors perform magically. If the computer (Center) contributes too much, then the hero has too much of an edge, he doesn't have to try, and the story becomes boring. Without the computer, the hero is just this god like superhuman character that can do no wrong. The computer assistance makes Raj identifiable to the reader, even after he overcomes overwhelming odds to defeat the enemy. The realism comes from the fact that Raj is based on the life of a real person. The whole story is very similar to the story of Byzantine General Belisarius who conquered most of the Mediterranean world for his Emperor after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. That makes it very believable. The characters are very real. Their actions really happened a millenium and a half ago.

This is a must read for any fan of military fiction or empire building.