Customer Reviews

Watch on the Rhine (Posleen War Series #7)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Tom Kratman's first book, A State of Disobedience was good but filled with first novel issues. Some of his characters weren't fleshed out, and some were intentionally cardboard. It was a didactic novel in the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein, but Kratman did not have the technical skills to bring it off at the level that the Master could.

Now, with John Ringo (it appears that Kratman did most of the writing), he has written a mature second novel, Watch on the Rhine.

His characters are excellently well drawn, and his writing style has matured considerably since his first book. He also stays unblinkingly <u>real</u> in his portrayal of humans in desperate straits.

His Greens and Watermelons are so bad that I kept asking myself, would they really do that? And I kept sinking back into the novel when my answer came back to me as "yes." And finally, his Posleen appear as more than evil BEMs...they have feelings, a culture, and are 'people' too.

I was very put off by the idea of resurrecting "Nazi Supermen" to fight the Posleen. Kratman and Ringo rang some surprising changes on the theme, with enough skill and daring to make you really think over what the Waffen SS really was, and if they were tarred with the Nazi brush somewhat mistakenly...and then they hit you in the face because even good people can fight for evil causes. When asked, one of the characters replies, "Oh, yes, there is one real Nazi here, and we all hate him, but he is a really good tank driver." Sometimes needs must, when the devil drives.

-----WARNING! SNERK ALERT!----

One subplot that just sticks with me, and is pivotal in the plot of the novel, is the death of Gudrun and especially the last scene in which we see her head. Kratman's writing is uncompromising and even though the scene bears all the hallmarks of the grotesque, it forces the reader to care about not only the humans, but in a strange sort of way, for the Posleen too. They are, after all, victims of the Aldenata and the Darhel, too.

Kratman (and Ringo, who must be an excellent teacher) have scored big this time.

Walt Boyes
The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar

Watch on the Rhine is an excellent book for both veterans of the Posleen series as well as new readers. Far more graphic and dark than Ringo's four original books, and far more battle-intensive than Julie Cochrane's "Cally's War," Watch on the Rhine covers the German response to the evil alien invasion of the Posleen.

The story centers on the reconstitution of the SS after the events in Ringo's "Gust Front." Prompted by the destruction of Fredericksburg and the devastation of Washington, D.C. the German chancellor realizes that no measure is too great to defend against the aliens. Kratman writes from a viewpoint that may be too right-leaning for some readers, but his treatment of the SS is very even-handed, and and the larger story is executed quite well. The story is somewhat light on character development, and moves too quickly at times, attempting to cover too much, but the story definitely comes together at the end, with the characters becoming more rounded as the book allows character details to come through. Kratman isn't afraid to kill off characters, and in this story, it aids the story.

Overall, an excellent story, with elements thrown in to delight long time followers of the Posleen series. Although rough in places at the beginning, the story comes together at the end, and is well worth the read.

If you haven't read John Ringo's A Hymn Before Battle and Gust Front, they set the background for the war in Watch On The Rhine. Reading the 3rd and 4th Ringo books in the Posleen war series aren't as necessary. In summary there's several waves of evil alien invasion coming, and some warning and technology from some supposedly friendly aliens is the only help we'll get.

In WOTR, the German Chancellor views the aftermath of the bloody battles in Northern Virginia described in Gust Front. Realizing the brutal nature of the impending invasion, he decides with the reluctant support of his government to use alien rejuvenation technology used to recreate an SS combat unit. In this war no negotiation is possible and every tool available must be used.

The story centers on a super-tank crew of 2 rejuvenated WW2 veterans and several young recruits. The tank commander names the Tiger III after his long dead Jewish wife. Several flashbacks occur throughout the book detailing his past history of WW2 combat, survival, love shared with a Jewish woman, and witnessing deathcamp horror. The story progresses through their training, friction with civilians violently opposed to a reinstated SS unit, and brutal combat with the aliens.

This isn't a Walt Disney portrayal of good vs evil. This is more of a "use one evil to fight another evil". There are no magic pills or roads to military victory: their battlefield successes are the result of harsh, realistic training, close comradeship, cunning tactics, and careful weapon design influenced by early combat experience against the aliens. Unlike Disneyish entertainment, the SS veterans relish combat. They pass on their unique trade skills to their new recruits like parent wolves training their cubs. Similarly, they have no patience or compassion for soldiers or civilians who flee their duty or get in their way. Their ruthlessness will become necessary against the alien Posleen invaders who reveal a shocking new battlefield tactic.

The research into both WW2 history and German language and culture is impressive. You can easily visualize the scarred veterans leading their recruits in verboten Third Reich marching songs and flaunting their black uniforms. At the same time the authors communicate well the pride of these soldiers in themselves and their brothers-in-arms.

The story centers heavily on the super-tanks created for fighting the Aliens. If you liked reading Keith Laumer's Bolo books or Hammers Slammers by David Drake, you'll love this story.

If you like military science fiction, written with a hard edge of reality of a desperate situation with characters both young/rejuvenated/old you can identify with, this is a very good read.

Not great literature but at times it can certainly be fun.

I have done a complete 180 on John Ringo whatever problem I am have with his other books this book is gold. Yes the characters are never complicated but there are times when I prefer a simplistic story to all of this "conflicted villain" nonsense that has become vogue in Scifi in recent years.

At least with Ringo you always know what you are going to get Humans are good and Posleen are bad, humans do whatever it takes to survive even rejuvenated Nazis and Posleen ignore common sense. You also need to remember that any human who talks about retreat or negotiation isn't going to last very long.

If you have read other books in the Posleen war series, you know pretty much what you'll get--lots of gore, beautiful women, and incompetent leftist politicians, along with well-written military encounters with the ravening hordes of centaur-like Posleen. This book delivers more of the same. Unfortunately, Ringo has reached the point that his politics are interfering with his storytelling--even for me, and my politics regarding the military are probably right of center.

Ringo seems to assume that the most controversial issue in the book would be the reconstitution of the SS, but I thought perfectly logical under the circumstances. Ringo's assertions to the contrary, I don't think many Germans or Europeans would object either, particularly given that a recent poll showed that 52% of them favored armed intervention in Iran--a threat, surely, but hardly one of Posleen proportions. Rather I was bothered a great deal by the epilogue, in which many of the characters are back for a planetary bombardment of the Darhel, the intent being the extermination of the Darhel entirely. I can understand waging war against the Darhel, given their toying with human survival in the face of the Posleen hordes. But the idea of wiping out an entire species because of the actions of some of their members is too akin to Hitler's "final solution" for my comfort. The humans even shoot down civilian transports of Darhel, justifying it with the idea that the laws of war permit shooting civilians escaping from a siege, conveniently ignoring the fact that this principle of war was justified by the need to encourage surrender of the area under siege--and the humans would not accept a Darhel surrender. The fact that the Darhel are more or less incapable of fighting back due to their genetic programming makes it all the more appalling. Unlike the humans, who are described with some sympathy as the Posleen cut them down, the faceless Darhel remain unknown and unnamed, apparently undifferentiated in their collective guilt.

We know from Ringo's "Hero" story that the Darhel survive the attempted genocide, but the fact that the humans are unsuccessful makes the attempt to punish an entire species for the actions of some of its members no less disturbing. What point are Ringo and Kratman trying to make? In the afterword, they analogize the Posleen invasion to a war we won't acknowledge (presumably between the Western democracies and radical Islam). Are they suggesting the only solution to the East-West conflict is the eradication of all Muslims, whether or not complicit in terrorist attacks?

Having thoroughly enjoyed the 4 previous Posleen War novels, I thought that this parallel sequel was very entertaining. This tale leaves the Armored Combat Suits behind and deals exclusively with the European Posleen war. In desperation, Germany turns to rejuvenation of the despised Waffen S.S. veterans in nursing homes to turn the tide agaist the alien horde.

Generally a well conceived and written book. Very good development of the central characters; i.e. Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Hans Brasche, and Generalmajor Walter Muhlenkampf. Hopefully the forthcoming novels in the PosleenVerse will be as good! I waffled about giving this 5 stars or 4, but after realizing that I read this one three times--5 stars!

Redemption is a heady word and the goal of every sinner who regrets the sin. The SS of Nazi Germany propagated many sins in their time, that is thankfully over. But there were entire Waffen SS divisions who were not involved with the Holocaust, who were tarred with the same brush as those who did participate. To quote the book, "Soldiers the same as other soldiers." And when aliens come to devour all of humanity, Germany, in its most desperate hour, calls up those veterans of the SS to defend it. The bad SS are there, and the good ones too. And all of them band together to try to save Germany and eventually Europe from the Posleen horde.

To read this book and enjoy it, you must have an open mind. If you cannot do that, then you will not like this book. There are vivid descriptions of violence and gore of all sorts.

When I read Kratman's first book, A State Of Disobedience, I was distinctly unimpressed. And that's putting it mildly. If I hadn't known the man, and if I'd had to go out of my way to get the book, I probably wouldn't have touched Watch On The Rhine.

ASOD - the story, the setting, everything - played almost totally to Kratman's weaknesses. Watch On The Rhine plays to his considerable strengths. I cannot remember the last time I have been so pleasantly surprised at the quality of a book; this is not just a marginal improvement, it's an exponential one.

Kratman is a career soldier, a US Army lieutenant-colonel who did plenty of time in Germany and knows the country, the ground and the culture well. He knows military history and German history; he knows tactics and strategy and combat psychology. He knows engineering - and he's had good advice from people who work in the field for a living, the way he himself makes a living in war and military theory - and he knows people. He knows people surprisingly well, and in a way that I can't credit simply to his change in subject matter - this is a clear and decisive improvement.

Other reviews here, and the publisher's summary, describe the plot of WOTR; I don't need to. The worst thing about it is the premise: simply put, "Germans Reincarnate Nazis To Fight Aliens" is a B-movie description. One that's unfair to the plot, which makes perfect sense.

The SS men in question have depth; Kratman doesn't go out of his way to make his protagonists over-sympathetic, but he doesn't overstep in the other direction, either. Not all the SS were actual Nazis, but some of them were.

In fact, characterization across the book is superb; there are a couple of two-dimensional characters, but none of them major. Even minor subplot characters are surprisingly well-drawn, and I was pleased to see certain cliches that I expected, not happen. (One particular case is a liberal Frenchwoman who becomes a refugee. I expected to see her brought around to the idea that Guns Are Good And So Are Soldiers, by the end of the book; to turn 180 degrees and become a fervent admirer... that, or die. She changed, but not fully in that direction. I liked.)

Excellent combat and plenty of it; I'd personally have appreciated a little more perspective on the `big picture', especially towards the end. The book could have stood to be another 20-30,000 words longer, for that matter. The epilogue was a little redundant, although a nice glimpse of where the series will be going.

Overall: the first `Posleen carnography' book since the primary four-book series ended. The best Posleen book since the primary series ended, too - and arguably better than half of the four books in that series. I've read better military SF, but I haven't read a tremendous amount of it. A very, very worthy addition to the series: where's the sequel, and where are the other Posleen books Col. Kratman is rumored to be working on?

Watch on the Rhine gets back in to the yellow-gore splatter of the Posleen war. While the previous books where set in the USA, this book is set in Germany.

The Chancler of Germany has seen how bad its going to get and in spite of all the left-wing, tree hugging self-rightous socialistic little commie bastards realizes that there are times you just need to fight evil with evil. Thus those of the dreaded SS that still live are rejuved and put in command of fresh young cannon fodder and told to kill all of the Posleen you can.

While this is a war story this is a certain amount of human interest story, mental side-trips dealing the characters reactions to the rejuved SS and the war in general.

On the whole I find the book a faithful followup to the previous books of the series. Rather a good read!

I was glad to see the Posleen War Saga get back to its roots with this installment, especially after the bitterly disappointing previous books (The Hero and Cally's War). Where both of those books took us away from the broader 'defense of the Earth' scenarios, into more personal tales, WATCH ON THE RHINE delivers a story more in line with Gust Front, with masses of alien invaders nearly overwhelming Earth's best defenders and the desperate fight and tough decisions necessary to prevent total annihilation of Earth's people. Only this time we're in central Europe, where leftist politics have all but paralyzed the military and the region's ability to defend itself. As a forward-thinking German chancellor decides to resurrect the WWII-era Waffen SS by rejuvenating old soldiers to lead the German army, our stage is set.

Kratman's writing melds smoothly with Ringo's style, making this book fit right in with the others in the series. Intense action scenes, believable character interactions, disturbingly detailed mayhem and gore, ironically funny humor, and refreshingly candid political incorrectness make WATCH ON THE RHINE the best book in this series since Hell's Faire. While the book is successful in its 'shock value' nothing here is too much over-the-top to offend most readers. The few reviewers that criticize the book for its blatant right-wing slant apparently object to having their own political views questioned in an end-of-the-world setting. Ringo and Kratman's obvious parallels to the real world situation with radical Islam is obviously over the top, but they are successful in asking the question of how far the political left (and even population-control supporters) would go in their quest for appeasement.

To me, the book's appeal was greatly heightened by the flash-back or remembrance scenes involving the old Nazi's. These sections helped to flesh out some of the better characters (Hans Brache in particular) of the whole series. While some may be put off by the 'humanizing' of the Waffen SS, I thought it made for a much more engaging book. Bravo! Looking forward to reading the next in the series.