Major (Dirigent Mercenary Corps) [Paperback]

Rick Shelley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dirigent Mercenary Corps | Publication Date: December 1, 1999

The year is 2804 AD. Humanity has colonized the universe. But the authority of the Confederation of Human Worlds is spread thin. Where the Army of planet Earth cannot reach, mercenaries must keep the peace--and the Dirigent Mercenary Corps are the best of the best.

Lon Nolan is skyrocketing through the ranks of the DMC, proving time and again that he’s got what it takes to be one of the most elite fighters in the galaxy. But as his family grows, he grow less certain that the mercenary life is for him. With one kid at home and another on the way, he grows more reluctant to march off to battle.

But when duty calls, he must answer. In MAJOR, Nolan is off to the mining planet of Bancroft on a routine security mission. Of course, this is the DMC, so it won’t stay routine for long ...

The Dirigent Mercenary Corps books are classics of military science fiction. Rick Shelley was himself a veteran of the U.S. Army, and his experience and knowledge shine through on every page.

PRAISE FOR RICK SHELLEY

"Rick Shelley was a soldier at heart, and his books were written from the heart.  They carry the real feel of the sweat, blood, and camaraderie of those on the front lines." --Jack Campbell, author of the bestselling LOST FLEET series

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ace (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441006809
• ISBN-13: 978-0441006809
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,201,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biography of a Professional Soldier of the future., February 29, 2000

By 

Thomas M. Rux "Sci-Fi Sonardog" (Roy, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Major (Dirigent Mercenary Corps) (Paperback)

Rick Shelley's book "Major," (ISBN 0-441-00680-9) is the fourth in his series chronicling Lon Nolan's life as a soldier in the Dirigent Mercenary Corps (DMC) is well worth reading. Lon Nolan's adopted home world of Dirigent's major source of revenue is selling the services of professional soldiers and the exporting of military equipment and munitions. Lon has advanced relatively quickly to the rank of Captain in the DMC and is commanding officer of Company A, 2nd Battalion in the 7th Regiment, which is at the top of the contract list for deploying to another world. Prior to the three month contract to train the police militia on the world of Bancroft, Captain Lon Nolan is called to sit as a member of a General Court-martial the results of the weigh heavily on him even after the case is over. The training contract goes well until Lon learns that Bancroft's mining settlements, which are the world's major source of revenue, are being attacked by one or more parties of raiders, who steal the products produced by the mines. Captain Nolan, after negotiating a rider to the contract, leads three of his platoons in to Bancroft's wilderness on a mission to attack, capture, and, if possible, eliminate the raiders based on very little information. The Dirigent Mercenary company looses the first encounter with a group of raiders, but only makes Captain Nolan that much more determined to bring them to bay. You must read the book to find out what happens to Captain Lon Nolan and his troops.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not good, not bad, September 17, 2008

By 

General Pete (SC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Major (Dirigent Mercenary Corps) (Paperback)

The problem here is where there are strengths in the narrative they are few and far between. Otherwise it is completely indistinguishable from any other futuristic military scifi that you may have read.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just readable, January 7, 2000

By 

D.F.Wanek (Athens,Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Major (Dirigent Mercenary Corps) (Paperback)

This book finally reads more like a sci-fi novel than a reading of a manual of the DMC. Lon Nolan has the potential of becoming a stellar action hero, if Mr. Shelly has the ability to make him so. The action scenes need more vivid and exiting or spellbindig segments, while the character developement is almost captivating it falls just short. Compared with the first three books in the series this is the better of the three, but still not up to writers such as E.Moon, and D.Weber.I will give Mr. Shelly one more try and then decide on further purchases.