stillhq.com : Mikal, a geek from Canberra living in Silicon Valley

The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 3

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:25:00 PST

ISBN: 9781892389800
LibraryThing

This book consists of three paperbacks combined into one volume, and follows in from Volume 1 and Volume 2. I'll cover each story separately:

The sharp end: this story is a little different from the other Hammer's Slammers stuff. To be honest, its a bit less grim. Normally the stories are about how war is in the end just a bunch of guys trying to not die (for the grunts at least), whereas this story is a little bit more hopeful than that. Then again, there is still plenty of the negative side of war in this story.
Paying the piper: I've seen other people complain that this book is disjointed, which is a fair comment. Concepts are reintroduced several times, even though they've already been covered. I wonder if this was originally a set of short stories in a series? Its a good read however.
The darkness: a much shorter story, which is a lot more like the ones in Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Tags for this post: book() David_Drake()

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The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 2

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:22:00 PST

ISBN: 1892389738
Night Shade Books (2006), Hardcover, 500 pages
LibraryThing

This book is as good as The first volume. This book comes highly recommended.

Tags for this post: book() David_Drake()

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The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:21:00 PST

ISBN: 189238969X
Night Shade Books (2005), Hardcover, 500 pages
LibraryThing

It occurred to me over the weekend that it was odd that I was updating books I had recently read on a book site like goodreads, given that all I'm doing by entering data on their site is blogging someplace that not even I remember to read. I'm therefore going to move all of that stuff over to here, and then try to remember to blog about books I've read recently in the future. Don't worry though, I don't get much time to read in between work, study and kids, so it wont be too many posts.

Dad got me this and the second volume for my birthday last year, and they were awesome. The books are about a future tank squadron which takes on mercenary jobs, none of which ever seem to be clean or simple. Along the way you end up learning that they're all just misfits who haven't managed to find any other job which is a better fit for them. Worse than that, I'm left with the impression that in the back of their minds they all realize that they're running on borrowed time. David Drake has a unique position to comment on what its like to fight in a war, given he is a Vietnam veteran. These stories are fantastic science fiction, and often leave you with a realization that war often isn't simple, or fair. I first encountered David's writing when I was a kid reading a remaindered anthology called "Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow", which was a collection of short war science fiction stories. Luckily for me 15 or so years after I first encountered them I still think they are great stories. These books are highly recommended.

Tags for this post: book() David_Drake()

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