One of the John Falkenberg, CoDominium books. Not what I was expecting as I'd gotten it confused with another after all these years. Actually, I didn't remember this much at all, but it's probably been over 30 years since I last read it. I enjoyed it quite a lot. It raises a wonderful moral dilemma for the armed services, diplomacy, & Colonial government. Better, it does it in a fast moving, action packed story with likeable characters. Even the bad guys aren't... well, read the book. it's a tou...

-Ejemplo de Ciencia-Ficción militar basada en fuerzas de tierra convencionales.-Género. Ciencia-Ficción.Lo que nos cuenta. El planeta Arrarat fue un planeta prisión en el que ahora hay ciudadanos libres, personas que viven al borde la legalidad y reos que conviven de forma precaria en una sociedad entre lo medieval y la Norteamérica de la época de los pioneros del oeste. El capitán Falkenberg , salido hace poco de la Academia, y la compañía 501 de Infantes de Marina, son destinados a Arrarat par...

Bel romanzo di fantascienza militare. Intrecci e intrighi di guerra che ricordano il miglior Heinlein.

A merely okay military sci-fi romp by modern standards. This isn't a snipe against Pournelle, rather a recognition that the genre has advanced and grown a lot.The CoDominium is a neat universe, but by and large this novel was a relatively thin action story with some, by current eyes, tired tropes. Honorable soldiers and dishonorable politics, etc. Not to say this isn't somehow a valid observation to modern readers, more that it's a bit ham-fisted in its approach to it. Most of the characters are...

I first read this book as a teenager. I don't remember if I read it, serialized in a magazine, or if I read it as a book. I re-read it today, forty years later. I thought this was a good book, but then I enlisted, and spent 28 years in the Military. Now, I know it is a GREAT book, and something that certainly should be mandatory reading for every young man or woman who wants to be an officer candidate - Academy, ROTC or OTS. I was ten years enlisted before I went to OTS, and I've learned all the...

Christian Johnny takes the stageThis is the first story of Falkenberg's Legion told through the eyes of a green lieutenant on his first assignment. Pournelle is an excellent storyteller when it comes to military sci-fi & draws on the history of the French Foreign Legion to provide realistic action & characters.

Today’s review is for “West Of Honor” (1978©), written by Jerry Pournelle. Pournelle is a famous Science Fiction writer who not only wrote great individual novels, he also wrote story lines which spanned several books – much like Robert Heinlein’s “Lazarus Long” story / timeline. In Pournelle’s case, the premise is that the United States and the Soviet Union come together to form a “CoDominium” to 1) control the Earth and the exploration of space; and, 2) maintain their relative positions in the...

A... book. The plot was alright. It was dated, certainly, an artifact of its time, but that can be waved away. It does show some forward thinking concepts, and certainly the author is trying. The problem then, is that the combat is stupid. Much of the warfare concepts are utterly irrational and it appears like the author did not do his research. Even worse, because Jerry interlinked politics and his imagining of war so inextricably, you can't help but think how utterly insane it is. For example...

A good but dated book. Vietnam ended in '75 and this was published in '80. The combat is only slightly advanced from Vietnam era and the politics really aren't. Soldiers are forced into dishonorable actions because of politics and even when they manage to fight against oppression the victory is tainted by the politics that created problem in the first place. Nevertheless, Pournelle writes an intelligent and enjoyable hero story and I'm glad I took the time to listen to it.

The LegionA classic military scifi, short on the science, long on the military. This starts the John Christian saga which is best appreciated by reading The Prince...unfortunately unavailable electronically or new hardcover.

West of Honor (is there a clue in the title?) starts as a Space Western. In an anti-technology future on a frontier planet struggling ranchers are menaced by marauding bandits. The Marines (read US Cavalry) are sent to restore order. Sounds standard space opera, but Jerry Pournelle is an intelligent and thoughtful writer, there's a whole lot more to the story than these basics. Deriving it's impetus from the 'military sf' genre - which Pournelle, if he didn't invent, certainly took to prominence...

3.5/5- The same problem as with Django Wexler's ''Thousand Names'' which could take place during Napoleonic wars in North Africa or Middle East, not in some fantasy world. "West of Honor" is 95% military fiction - no a lot of Sci-Fi in this Sci-Fi ;) - this one was written 45 years ago, so, some things are already dated, like computer battle simulation and hyperdrive are only visible technological advancement compared to 1975.+ military side seems very good and realistic (checked up some reviews...

Good military SCI-FI. I’ve read several Jerry Pournelle novels. Most of them years ago. I recently discovered (rediscovered?) that many of his novels share the same universe (CoDominion) of which a few I have read not knowing, or at least not remembering, that they are set in the same universe.I looked for a reading order which was problematic due to Pournelle’s books being reprinted in various editions. I think West of Honor seemed like the best place to start. It was a quick read/listen. I wil...

Reading it againI readed this book back in 1978. I was in highschool. I reread it almost ten years later for the second time. I was in the desert on my tank in Eygpt. The thrid time l was out of the Army and enjoying civilian life. Now it's the fourth time l have reread this story. I know that I'm not the same person I was back over the years, but I think this story has spoken to me in different ways each time.

Is the co dominion still possible?A strong entry in the co dominion series. Written by what was perhaps the best educated sci fi writer of all time. A world is being fought over by a young falkenberg, raises many questions about the validity of the military lifestyle? Do not read if college has scrambled your brain.

Read decades ago. Remember liking the book a lot. I remember someone telling me that from their experience in the military, what he wrote really rang true.

If you like military sci fi, you’ll enjoy this. Set on an alien planet where former convicts have been running roughshod over the populace, our hero’s save the day.

I think I read this as part of The Prince collection. Can't be sure.

On the planet of Arrarat, the decidedly low tech folks who are struggling with making a simple living on the planet have been invaded by convict gangs. J.C. Falkenberg and his brand new 501st Line Marine unit made up of newly minted officers, some veteran non-coms and mostly new recruits had been sent to garrison the place and keep the peace. Harlan Slater is the narrator, a new Lt fresh from the CoDomimium academy, he joined the Marines to avoid the legal problems he had gotten into on Earth. T...

Faljenberg's Legion (which included this story) was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager. It played a part in my idealism that led me to enlisting in the infantry when I turned 17.25 years later it's still a good story. As with some the books by Pournelle, as well as other sci fi stories of the era, the role if women is outdated. Still, it seems to predict some other themes in other works. In Joss Whedon's Firefly, we see space ships and horses side by side. In West of Honor, Lt. Slate...