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...)

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.

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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)

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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.