Customer Reviews

There Will Be War

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"There Will Be War" is a must read for everyone. It is a collection of fictional military short stories and essays by various authors. Every one of them is outstanding! Past, present and future are all represented by some of the worlds greatest authors. In J.E. Pournelle we have not just an intelligent author with a gift of the pen, but also a superlative eye for fantastic stories. The works you'll find here will delight,entertain,provoke your thought, and make you wish it was three times as long. Luckily, however, there are more, each as wonderfull as this. As the saying goes, "If you only read one book this year, read this one!"

A 1983 collection of material on war in the future, starting off with a prequel of the "Mote in God's Eye". Mostly short stories, but also a few poems and a few technical weaponry essays. The quality of the stories varies, but there are a lot of classic names here. Also includes "Ender's Game" (the original short story).

This series does a wonderful job of opening the door to war and allowing the reader to get a glimpse of what it is like. Pournelle seems to be able to put himself into the space that the warriors are occupying, rumor has it that he should be able to do that. As a VN vet it is sometimes difficult to get good fiction about war, fiction that doesn't resemble a Rambo movie. Pournelle has been able to find authors and stories that meet this need. Way to go Jerry

1) I wish at least the first 5 were in one giant hardcover ala the Prince, though more the better.
2) If you are in or headed to the armed forces, start reading these...you will thank me later. Doubly so for officers.

I still have this book I bought new from the book rack way back when. It holds the missing battle from "The Mote In God's Eye". There is a lot of truth in some stories. Well worth the read. Does not generally glorify war but shows some thing from the other side of the coin.

The book is an anthology of short stories and theses on war and it's many aspects. From amazing stories of battles and leaders such as "Ender's Game" and "Ranks of Bronze" to delightful looks at who the victors in war are and what they receive in "The Battle", mixed in with non-fiction reports on war, the military, and it's technology, this book covers a lot of ground. I gave it three stars simply because I wish I would have read it when it was first published and the non-fiction was more relevant to the status of the world and its military situations.