Hero [Hardcover]

Joel Rosenberg (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Metzadan Mercenary Corps' reputation hangs on a young man's fight to overcome his fear of battle while a guerilla war on the planet Neuva Terra tests the mettle of the galaxy's finest soldiers-for-hire. This sequel to Not For Glory ( LJ 3/15/88) exhibits Rosenberg's talent for fast-paced, readable military sf with a unique ethnic twist. For large libraries.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 259 pages
• Publisher: Roc (October 3, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451450116
• ISBN-13: 978-0451450111
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,323,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Drake-like effort, August 9, 2004

By 

Barnacle Bill (Somewhere on the wine-dark sea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hero (Paperback)

I'm going by memory because I read this years ago. I was moved to write this because, looking for more in the series, I discovered that nobody had written a review of this one.

From the title of my review, you might gather that I think this is similar in style to David Drake's work. I do indeed - if you like Drake you'll like this. You could probably transplant the story wholesale to the "Hammers Slammers" universe.

The title character is a young man from a distinguished family on a world that makes its living by selling their services as mercenaries. Similar in principle to Dickenson's Dorsai, but with a twist - the Metsadans are essentially transplanted Isrealis, with the reputation of the IDF carrying over. BTW, I'm not Jewish, but as a student of military history I can say that the IDF is probably man-for-man very near if not at the top in military skill. The Metsadan Mercenary Corps is the IDF-in-space, and for a nominal fee they'll fight for you...

Our hero's problem is that he is a coward. The story finds him in his first contract, in service of an apparent Italian colony against some other ethnicity on the same planet (I forget who they were - it isn't very important to the story). He disgraces himself in his first action, but his influential relatives manage to avoid his being cashiered by assigning him to "advise"/command a unit of decidely non-elite locals. The story is about how he deals with the twin challenges of his own fear and his unenthusiastic subordinates.

Anyway, it stuck in my head enough that I not only remember it but was searching for a sequel - so if you like military science fiction of the "gritty" sort, I recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Barnacle Bill (and everyone else), November 19, 2004

By 

M. Blitz "Hyperspeed Reader" (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hero (Paperback)

Your wish is granted. Rosenberg's _Not For Glory_ is the first (and so far, only other) book in this fantastic series. This, the second book, is actually the prequel.

If you're a fan of futuristic military campaigns, these two titles definitely need to be a part of your collection. Both books are about as realistic, believable, and character-driven as the genre ever gets.