28 used & new from $8.83

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War Series #1)
 
 

A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War Series #1) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "How many worlds does this make?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sergeant Green, God King, Sergeant Duncan (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


7 new from $59.95 19 used from $8.83 2 collectible from $54.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover, September 30, 2000 -- $59.95 $8.83
  Mass Market Paperback, September 30, 2001 $7.99 $3.99 $0.75
  MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged $18.99 $16.63 $20.98
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $18.71 or less with new Audible membership

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Gust Front (Posleen War Series #2)

Gust Front (Posleen War Series #2)

by John Ringo
4.1 out of 5 stars (61)  $7.99
When the Devil Dances (Posleen War Series #3)

When the Devil Dances (Posleen War Series #3)

by John Ringo
4.1 out of 5 stars (45)  $7.99
Hell's Faire (Posleen War Series #4)

Hell's Faire (Posleen War Series #4)

by John Ringo
3.4 out of 5 stars (37)  $7.99
Cally's War (Posleen War Series #5)

Cally's War (Posleen War Series #5)

by John Ringo
2.9 out of 5 stars (86)  $7.99
The Hero (Posleen Wars Series #6)

The Hero (Posleen Wars Series #6)

by Michael Z. Williamson
3.0 out of 5 stars (39)  $7.99
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Michael O'Shea, a fireplug of an iron-pumping ex-soldier, leaves game design behind to train and then lead power-armored infantry in a merciless battle against the equally merciless, centauroid Posleen for the sake of Earth's allies. Several subplots show Ringo's fondness for special ops types and marines, and his experience as a paratrooper shows in the way he handles military small-group politics and disciplinary problems. The subplots point up the potential grimness of Earth finding itself under siege, if not actually under assault. (Don't worry, that will probably come; this book has series written between all the lines.) The interstellar skulduggery is thick, and the final action sequence, occupying a third of the book, juxtaposes power armor, aliens, lasers, and leopard tanks, and is practically impossible not to read in one sitting. An exceedingly impressive first novel is what we have here. Standard military sf based on a standard premise--humans as the desperately needed warrior allies of alien pacifists--it may be, but it is executed with skill, verve, and wit. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Product Description

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE...

With the Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the peaceful and friendly races of the Galactic Federation offer their resources to help the backward Terrans -- for a price. Humanity now has three worlds to defend.

As Earth's armies rush into battle and special operations units scout alien worlds, the humans begin to learn a valuable lesson: You can protect yourself from your enemies, but may the Lord save you from your allies.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Baen; 1St Edition edition (October 3, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0671319418
  • ISBN-13: 978-0671319410
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #762,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

John Ringo
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's John Ringo Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.



Books on Related Topics (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War Series #1)
82% buy the item featured on this page:
A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War Series #1) 4.0 out of 5 stars (101)
Hell's Faire (Posleen War Series #4)
5% buy
Hell's Faire (Posleen War Series #4) 3.4 out of 5 stars (37)
$7.99
When the Devil Dances (Posleen War Series #3)
5% buy
When the Devil Dances (Posleen War Series #3) 4.1 out of 5 stars (45)
$7.99
Gust Front (Posleen War Series #2)
4% buy
Gust Front (Posleen War Series #2) 4.1 out of 5 stars (61)
$7.99

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

101 Reviews
5 star:
 (54)
4 star:
 (17)
3 star:
 (11)
2 star:
 (12)
1 star:
 (7)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (101 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A MOST auspicious debut!, October 2, 2000
By Geoffrey Kidd (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
It's books like this that make me a loyal Baen Books reader.

John Ringo has crafted a universe in which some aliens, themselves incapable of violence or, apparently, military strategy, have decided to use humans as literal "army ants" to destroy some other aliens who have been taking their worlds away from them one by one. And, of course, once the job is done and we're no longer needed...

Of course humanity has long had a history of wriggling out of binds and generally playing merry hell with expectations made of it, and in this book, we are no different. I won't spoil the fun, but it's interesting seeing Ringo deal simultaneously with High Strategy and Low Tactics at the same time, while giving us characters we can care about and follow around as they attempt to keep humanity alive.

This is the first book in what promises to be a series well worth following. The ending ties up the current set of loose ends very neatly, but I'm already salivating in anticipation of the sequel, which will be out in April, 2001, and I've already bought my "webscription" copy.

Read it and enjoy. Me, I'm going out to get a copy as a gift for my brother, and watch the smile on his face.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A Respectable Freshman Effort, March 15, 2001
By John C. Snider (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
In the very near future, humanity receives good news and bad news. The good news is that Earth has finally been contacted by a superior alien society - and they're friendly. The bad news is, the friendlies are on the losing end of an interstellar war with an implacable enemy - and Earth is directly in the line of fire!

How would mankind adjust to the double shock of knowing that "we are not alone" and the fact that the Earth will soon be ground zero in a seemingly hopeless battle? More specifically, how would the military men and women on the front lines deal with such daunting responsibility? This is the premise of freshman author John Ringo's novel A Hymn before Battle - the first in a proposed trilogy to be published by Baen Books.

Ringo, an Army veteran and admitted fan of such suspense writers as W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy, plunges us into the world of the grunts - the men and women of our armed forces who do all the dirty work, and who must live (or die) with the consequences of incompetent command. This book is tech-heavy and combat-detailed - fellow veterans and fans of the military SF which is Baen's stock-in-trade should love this book. Foul-mouthed, tough and quirky, Ringo's good guys are forced to deal with alien technologies they'd never dreamed of, face foes that make previous human adversaries look like prom dates, and work around short-sighted bureaucrats pursuing personal agendas. In the background, Earth's new allies (a motley collection of intelligent species) are enigmatic and conniving - and it remains to be seen if humanity can trust them in the long run!

Despite a few warts, A Hymn before Battle is a fine first effort and John Ringo a good fit with Baen's stable of writers. With additional experience (and under the tutelage of accomplished SF author David Weber, with whom he is currently writing another trilogy), John Ringo will very likely rise to the top of his game.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut...can't wait for others, October 30, 2000
By John C. Silva "History Teacher" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have been reading this in pieces since it was available online at Baen. Take a little Heinlein, a little Clancy, mix in the imagination of this great new author and you have one of the best new SF books to come along in years. A stunningly realistic book that shows what would happen if today's soldiers wer forced to fight tomorrows war. Ringo accurately portrays the United States military, especially the Airborne warriors and writes a story that is amazingly real.

Read this book and then read it again so you catch all of the action. I sincerely hope that there is more to come from John Ringo.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars The biggest battle was forcing myself to finish it.
Simply awful and wins the award for the worst book I have ever read.
The lead character is clearly the author's daydream for himself. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Anthony

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly well thought out Sci-Fi.
This is Military Science Fiction at it's finest. I know of no other war series debut comparable or exceeding to it save for The Black Company. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ian Stewart

5.0 out of 5 stars What I was looking for in military SciFi
This excellent novel takes much from Heinlein's Starship Trooper, and is what I have been looking far in military SciFi. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Gary R. Schamburg

4.0 out of 5 stars A body count circus
In the early 21st century, humanity is approached for help by a very advanced alien civilization - the Galactics - dealing with fierce invasion by a centauroid race called the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by J. Richardson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
With military stories, good character development, and a non-stop plot, there's not much more one could ask. It's a fun book I'll look forward to re-reading in a couple years.
Published 10 months ago by B. Welch

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Sci-Fi Combat
If you like the Bolo stories, you will probably like this book. I plan to get the rest of the series now.
Published 14 months ago by E. A. Helman

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs a LOT of work
I'm not going to repeat what others have posted here, except to agree as many have noted that the barrage of military acronyms are confusing, especially to those who have never... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Jericho

2.0 out of 5 stars Two stars for a great concept that should have been realized in one book.
When I read the back of the first book in this series I had visions in my head of great storytelling in an exciting and vibrant new Sci-Fi universe. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Christopher LV426

5.0 out of 5 stars Military sci fi at its best
Absolutely wonderful. I was blown away by this book, no pun intended. Ringo certainly knows how to write his battle scenes and lays out an amazing progression of events that... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Brian Hawkinson

2.0 out of 5 stars Far Too Passive
I'm not going to waste time deconstructing Ringo's prose style - it's perfectly adequate. Nor am I going to bother commenting on the functional, if formulaic plot. Read more
Published 20 months ago by N. Oxford

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.