First to Fight [Paperback]

Various (Author), Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

All-new stories from the masters of military fiction! The first anthology of its kind!

New York Times bestselling authors:

Stephen Coonts
James H. Cobb
Harry Turtledove
H. Jay Riker
and many others

For the first time in print, here are seven short stories by the best combat novelists of our time. Experience all the drama and action of war from the frozen plains of Russia, to the vast expanse of the skies above, to the cutthroat world of international espionage in this one-of-a-kind collection by the masters of military fiction!

* A brilliant concept--the first military anthology for techno-thriller fans

* A killer line-up--including bestselling authors Stephen Coonts, James H. Cobb, H. Jay Riker, Jim DeFelice, and sci-fi/military crossovers Harry Turtledove and William C. Dietz

* An all-out attack--from every branch of the military, from submarines and fighter planes to armored tanks and armed assassins

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Jove (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515125288
• ISBN-13: 978-0515125283
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining Mix Of Styles, April 13, 2001

By 

Brian Glass (Zanesville, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First to Fight (Paperback)

My job occasionally allows me time to read and I prefer to read short anthologies because I don't always have a chance to finish in one sitting. I saw this book while browsing in the local bookstore and was intrigued by the concept. I only read the military tecno-thrillers occasionally but saw several of my favorite science fiction authors listed. I wasn't disappointed in my purchase.

I enjoyed every story although some were light weight fluff, their inclusion here little more than an advertisement for the author's full length novel. Point of Decision is the best example of this. The story (about Marines rescuing the occupants of a U.S. embassy) was adequate but wasn't anything original or gripping. The author of UNODIR doesn't dance around his feelings on the Clinton presidency. The characters spend a good deal of time bashing the "current administration" which given the apparent time frame is a thinly veiled reference to Clinton. Which I have no problem with, it just seems a little heavy handed.

While I enjoyed the story about the A-10 pilot, In The Shadow Of The Hunter, it was mainly because I served in Desert Storm and had spent a big part of my Air Force career supporting the A-10s. As for the story itself, the author left me wishing he would check his thesaurus to find a synonym for the word bile. I also found the hero's inner conflict thing a little annoying.

Hearts and Minds started out as a straight forward, run of the mill action story but the ending took me completely by surprise and blew me away.

Harry Turtledove's story was well written, exciting and also had a good surprise twist at the end. There were many clues through the story that only made sense at the end. William Dietz's story was very entertaining but out of place in this collection. I also liked the feel of The 17th Day by Stephen Coonts although the ending was a little flat.

All in all I was kept entertained, which is about all you can ask for with this type of book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Sampling of Techno-Thrillers, November 27, 1999

By 

Scott Sloan (Vacaville, Ca.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First to Fight (Paperback)

The mere mention of James Cobb being included in this anthology was enough for me to buy this book. Both of his stories I thought were excellent, and provide the reader with an advance look at his upcoming title Sea Fighter. I had never read the other authors, and as another reviewer mentioned. It made me check out some of the authors longer works. Well worth the read for Techno fans!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some Hit, but Most Missed, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: First to Fight (Paperback)

A compilation of short stories in military fiction may sound like a good idea in theory, but it's not. Most of the stories in this collection are bad, not worth wasting your precious time reading. Of the ten entries, I would only rate four as worthwhile reading. They are the ones by Stephen Coonts, H. Jay Riker, and the two by James H. Cobb (both of them are pretty good). Since that's only 4 out of 10, I can only give it 2 out of 5 stars. Sorry, but we live and learn.