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Originally Posted by Armor78154
If you like military sci-fi with a definitely old-school gunpowder feel, definitely try S.M. Stirling's "The General" series. These books are available through the Baen web site as well. They are compiled together in two volumes. "Warlord" and "Conqueror" are both priced very reasonably.
These books are loosely based on the life of Belisarius, the great Byzantine general, but set in a universe where a federation of worlds has fallen upon a dark period following a civil war.
In addition, pick up the sequel "The Chosen." It is a great continuation of the series.
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They're actually David Drake/Steve Stirling collaborations, with one also done with Eric Flint when Stirling was unable to continue.
I see these as thematically related to the Belisarius novels that were collaborations between David Drake and Eric Flint. In each series, you have a superb general used by an external force to create a desired outcome. In the Belisarius series, the historical figure becomes the protagonist of an alternate history, recruited by the Great Ones of the far future to counter the attempt by another far future faction to conquer the world and make history come out the way they would prefer.
The Warlord/Conqueror series uses a totally fictional general, recruited by a still functioning battle computer of a fallen interstellar empire to reunite his world and form the seed from which a new interstellar civilization will arise.
They explore the effect a single great leader can have upon history, and the role of the warrior in preserving civilization.
The Chosen stemmed from David's desire to explore some of what he thought were the consequences of a setup like Stirling's Draka novels. The Draka books are alternate history, set in a world where English expatriates, refugees from the defeated Confederacy in the US Civil War and others have settled in south Africa, and created a nation called Drake's Land. The Draka divide people into two groups - themselves, and slaves. In Stirling's series, the Draka have intervened in WWII, striking up through Italy from Africa, eventually conquering Europe and setting up a wholly horrible regime.
Drake and Stirling's Chosen are similar to the Draka, but Drake seems to feel their culture is inherently self destructive, and their attempt to conquer their world ultimately fails, (with a little assistance for the good guys from downloaded personalities of the general and battle computer from the previous books.)
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Dennis