The cold cash war [Hardcover]

Robert Asprin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1977

International conglomerates plot a complete domination of the free world, facing off against world governments, who want only freedom, in a calculated and vicious battle of wits and blood.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312147171
• ISBN-13: 978-0312147174
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,208,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asprin's War books at their best, March 13, 2000

By 

Alan P. Zube "pre-engineering teacher" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The cold cash war (Hardcover)

I have read Asprin's amazing "Myth" and "Thieves' World" series, and compliment him greatly on these fine works. One day, I was reading a list of Asprin books and saw "Cold Cash War". Normally a fantasy lover, I expanded my horizions and decided to see if this science fiction/war novel was any good.

Boy, was I suprised. Asprin amazes me with grim detail and cultural changes in his "corporate world", where the country is run by feuding businesses. With mercenaries and Japaneese samauri, these corporations battle the US government in the ultimate battle for business freedom. Not for every Asprin reader (especially not a lighthearted one), but an intriguing book for any techno or war fan. The only depressing thing about it is that Asprin never wrote a sequel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Ideas, Poor Execution, July 17, 2006

By 

David Hood (Wesley Chapel, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Cash War (Paperback)

There are some interesting ideas in this brief satire of business, war and politics. Unfortunately they get overshadowed by the poor mechanics of the plot. Along with the interesting ideas are also some hoary cliches Asprin should have been ashamed to have included. We have the elite ninjas, we have the grizzled and competent mercenaries.

What seems to be at first an anti-corporate screed as we see corporations warring with one another by the use of simulated combat and slowly escalating this combat to real combat and assassinating executives of other corporations soon turns to an anti-government screed as the governments go to war against the corporations and lose badly. At the end we have joint rule by corporations and a Russia-China communist consortium presented as a good thing!?

I am normally in favor of shorter works given today's prediliction towards 1000 page books full of filler, but in this case the book was too short to fully develop the plots of double-crossing and to develop his characters.

So though it was interesting and a quick read, the oddness of the conclusions and shifting of villains and the lack of development leave this only average.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Asprin - humor in a jugular vein..., June 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Cold Cash War (Paperback)

Those used to Asprin's more recent works might have difficulty connecting the author of light humor works such as Phule's Company and MYTH-Adventures to this biting, bloodthirsty satire on the corporate culture and warfare. This is not a pleasant world - from corporate subcontractors sabotaging equipment to take over their competitors to wounded soldiers burying themselves alive to deprive their enemies of a body count, nothing is sacred, and everything is for sale to the highest bidder.

Many argue that Asprin is at his best when writing screwball comedy, and in depicting vivid characters to interact within this framework. In Cold Cash War, his characters are often too stereotypical to have individual identities, and the humor is much more deeply seated. Skeeve in the author's Myth Adventures books is frequently sympathetic because his actions are unbelievable - the Cold Cash Warriors, however, are entirely too believable, even when their actions are unpredictable. This places an edge on the humor, as if we are uncertain whether to laugh or shudder.

This book is a must-read only to the dedicated Asprin fan, along with the author's other fantasy-war book, The Bug Wars. Those who enjoy their humor dark, and with a healthy dose of cynicism, will also enjoy this book. Those who would rather wait and find out who offed Gleep may want to pass this one by.