Action! No sign of this series winding down...

books:


	• A Band of Brothers (Lost Regiment) William R. Forstchen Roc, 1999 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 30 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Action! No sign of this series winding down...

This is the seventh in the series. Not the best one, but a very good installment. This one picks up right where the previous one left off. The author does not spend much time introducing the characters or the plot. It gets right into the action.

In the previous book, the humans have just been defeated soundly and are in full retreat to the lands of the Roum. The Bantag are in hot pursuit. The humans are counting on the winter weather to halt the Bantag campaign. However, since Ha'ark is from a different (modern) world, he understands the importance of continueing the campaign once the enemy is on the run. He pursues the humans and begins the seige in the dead of winter.

Ha'arks lines of communication and supply are tied to a single rail line leading all the way back to the Great Sea. Several hundred miles. The port city is resupplied via sea from the land of the Chin. Ha'arks supplies take 10 days to reach the front lines from the Chin. Ha'ark has plenty of trains and ships ferrying supplies.

I tell all this because resupply is the only Bantag weakness. If the humans can disrupt the resupply, even for only a few days, the tide of the battle will turn. That's all I will tell about the battle.

If you're reading the series, this one has to be read in the correct order. If you are not reading the series, a lot of the storyline may be confusing. There are lots of reference to events and people in the previous books.

Bottom line, this is a good book.

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The still darker side of courage.

Keane is hurt and that changes him. The leader of the humans becomes the most deeply human of the lot, forced to face his fear and his guilt, while a vicious street by street fight erupts in the city of Roum, from the sewers to the buildings. The Redeemer shows himself as a less than ideal tactician, reacting to the circunstances more than creating them, which is actually what has been documented as real war, where combat is changing and fluid. Hans will end up leading "his" people, the Chin, into battle against the Bantag with little more than their hands. This is stirring writing, which appeals to our emotions as much as to our rationality. This alien world is very possible, and the technology to get there is part of theoretical physics, with wormholes between universes and/or galaxies, or sectors of galaxies, and the reversion of the hordes to primitive nomads after their ancestors "walked between the stars." "A Band Of Brothers" manages to keep the suspense alive just at the moment (the seventh installment) when most series that last this long wind down and either die, or crawl ahead to ever-diminishing interest. By shifting the focus and by making his characters more fallible and, therefore, more human, Forstchen has written a dark, different winner.

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disappointment at the saga's finale

I looked forward to Band of Brothers, preordering the book. However, I found that the book seemed rushed, as if the author, like our central character and his Republic, were tired of the long war. There were occasional moments when the author's skill resurfaced to enthrall one, but overall the book was a big disappointment, not worthy of the rest of the series.

Hmmm... Okay...

The only reason this book did not get three stars was the fact that William Forsthcen is one of my favorite authors, but otherwise it was not the best in the series. The Bantag War, compared to the Tugar and Merki Wars, is quite dull. The land ironclads are somewhat interesting, but they don't really add anything overly exciting to the tale. There were some odd things going on in Roum, as well. The Senate building (the Curia) kept being called a palace, even though it is not, and now suddenly Marcus's name has gone from Graccus to Crassus. The late Ferguson's wife is still called Varinna for some reason, even though she was originally named Olivia. Vincent kept being referred to as Chuck, which was creepy considering Chuck is dead! The airship stuff is getting boring and repetitive, and a few characters are becoming rather dull. The battle scenes, especially Hans's scuffle by the Ebro, were slow moving and confusing, and maps would have been somewhat helpful. Jurak's actions towards Ha'ark at the end of the book were predictable-- it's already happened a couple times in this series. No shocker there. The only real exciting parts in the book were the opening and the free-for-all in the Temple of Venus. Band of Brothers, I'm sorry to say, is one of my least favorite entries in the Lost Regiment series, and now that I begin Men of War, I'm hoping for much better from Mr. Forstchen.

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Seven books, an epic!

An epic, that is all I can call it. While waiting for #8 Men of War, I sat down and re-read all seven books and believe now more than ever that these are some of the finest books I have ever read. I have a library of over one thousand books in my home, and The Lost Resiment stands high as the best I have read. Never has a book or series of books so moved me as an American and a student of American history. You can feel the power and the pain of their struggle as these fine men fight against overwhelming odds for one simple reason - to live free. The most important factor of the stories is that the heroes are people just like you and me. Just like any hero, a moment before they were a hero they were plain old folks, just another person. You can connect with the people in the story because of that, you feel for them, you feel their joy and pain, when they laugh, you laugh, and when they cry you cry with them. When one of them quotes "We few we happy few, we band of brothers" tears will well up into your eyes, because you feel the brotherhood he speaks of. I am now going to sit down and read "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield, which was recommended to me by William R. Forstchen. 'Nuff said!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

In the ten years since his regiment was transported to an alien world, Commander Andrew Keane has bravely fought time and time again for humanity's freedom. But after he is injured in battle, his confidence is shaken, and his ability to lead is damaged. Seeing their leader struck down also takes its toll on Keane's men, who have followed him to hell and back. Now, with the Human Republic weakened, their sinister enemies--the Bantags--offer a truce to the two halves of the Republic--one that would guarantee safety for one nation, and seal the doom of the other! Now, Keane must face his demons, or the dream of freedom will be lost forever.

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