Man o' War [Paperback]

William Shatner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

In retaliation for stepping on some high-ranking toes, maverick career diplomat Benton Hawkes finds himself posted to Mars, where slavelike living conditions, unfulfilled promises, and discontent have brought the planet to a state of open revolt. Reprint. PW. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Benton Hawkes, diplomat-hero of this rumble-tumble start to a new Shatner series, is, like the hero of the author's Tek novels, a cut-from-cardboard macho man. Around the end of the next century, Hawkes is sent to Mars to deal with the human colonists there, on the verge of rebellion because of their slavelike status. The situation is critical, for Earth's population will quickly starve without Martian supplies. The plot and the speculative concepts grounding it are shaky at best, resulting in a novel that distinguishes itself as neither science nor fiction. Hawkes, however, will appeal to those who like their heroes Hollywood-style, a man whose integrity gets him into scrapes that he punches, shoots and slices his way out of. His crises are nearly endless, so fans of hardboiled SF ("And now, he thought, he was going to Mars. Heaven help whoever he found there") could do worse that to join him in his bloody quest.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Star Trek actor and sf author Shatner begins a new series featuring diplomat Benton Hawkes. As punishment for negotiating fairly, he is sent to Mars as its governor to quell unrest among the human colonists who supply all of Earth's food. Tight writing, rather than character development, propels this action/adventure. Fans of his "Tek" series will enjoy.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ace (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441004547
• ISBN-13: 978-0441004546
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,777,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shatner comes into his own with a vengeance, December 29, 2002

By 

S. Smith "ltcolkiranerys" (Arvada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man o' War (Paperback)

Many authors take a while to come into their own, and Star Trek's William Shatner has done it with a vengeance in Man O' War, the first of two Benton Hawkes novels. Hawkes, the novel's protagonist, is an ambassador sent to mediate a rather thorny dispute between Red Planet, Inc, owners of the colony on Mars, and the men and women employed as laborers there. Upon arriving, however, he finds that the men and women of the workforce are kept as virtual slaves, barely earning enough to survive while being worked to death in the underground caverns of the Martian colony. Having discovered beforehand that someone with a high-ranking position back on Earth has taken out a contract on his life, Hawkes then undertakes a second mission: to find out just who is behind the plot to assassinate him. What he uncovers has far-reaching consequences that will affect not only the Martian colony, but the Earth as well.

I have found Man O' War to be a very good book, and Shatner seems to have found his niche as a Sci-Fi author in writing it. It's fast-paced, exciting, and a cracking good adventure that will appeal to fans of the s/f genre as well as those who might just enjoy a good mystery now and again. I promise that anyone who picks up this tome will not be sorry they did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Martian Sci-Fi action story that is a lot of fun., January 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Man o' War (Hardcover)

A hard fisted, straight talking diplomat is given a tough job. He must bring peace to revolt-ready 21st century Mars, avert a world-wide disaster that could kill millions, and uncover a plot that includes the planned murder of the Martian governor, a position to which he has just been assigned. Benton Hawkes takes on all types of enemies, from bomb planting traitors, murderous assasins, space pirates and cunning politicans as he tries to get to the bottom of his own attempted murder and a plan that affects the 21st century breadbasket for Earth's population, Mars. The story is full of action with gunfights, riots, hand-to-hand fights in space, and pitched battles on the Martian surface. Sure Benton Hawkes is always in danger and he will always find a way out of it. The story reminds you of an old Saturday matinee where you know that the hero will beat the bad guys in the end, but the fun is in how they get to that place. If you want a deep technical science fiction story that explains the great secrets of humankind and the universe, then this probably isn't for you. However, if you enjoy a story with action and enough of a plot to keep you with a few mysteries till the end, this story from Mr. Shatner will give you several hours of enjoyable reading.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun. Shatner makes good., June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Man o' War (Hardcover)

This novel is wonderful for what it tries to be. It isn't so much about a person, but about a person who gets thrown unwillingly into interglobal intrigue and is still able to keep on his toes. Wonderful and subtle humor, and interesting character motivations are only a few of the good things about this book. Read it for fun.