March Up Country

leebase · 05-16-2010, 06:45 PM

I love the Baen Free Library. I've been discovering new (to me) authors...as in David Weber (with his Honor Harrington and Safehold series') and Eric Flint (1632 series). I had put the Prince Roger's series (March Up Country, March to the Stars, March to the Sea, We Few) on my "to be read" list but pretty far down. Then I read folks here complaining about John Ringo and his right wing politics. Which piqued my interest and so I decided to read March Up Country by John Ringo and David Weber. Love the Baen folks as their books are DRM free and I was able to read this via iBooks on my iPad.

First a note about iBooks. I used the dictionary feature several times while reading this book. Words I'd normally just skip over, I looked up and there they were, actual words, in the dictionary. Very cool.

This is definitely a "man's territory" book. Soldiers, war, politics, technology, battle scenes. I loved it. And it was kinda funny that the bad guys are "the Saints" who are an environmentally wacko society. Kind of the opposite of Avatar. Humans are bad, all human impact on the environment is bad. But really, other than a few references, it's not what the book is about.

There is this whiny, spoiled, privileged prince -- third in line to be emperor of the Empire of man. He's sent out to an undesirable world to represent the crown and is traveling with a company of the best of the best of the best marines as his body guards. They are mixing like oil and water on the voyage...until the ship is sabotaged and they wind up on a tropical backwater planet. The planet is the Amazon jungle -- only much much worse. The natives are 4 armed bipeds, the Mardukans, who have a pre industrial revolution level of technology.

There is only one modern outpost, the spaceport -- but it's in enemy hands. Fleeing their destroyed ship, the prince and the marines are forced to land on the complete other side of the planet and have to....wait for it....march up country. They travel through the jungle, battle nasty beasties and warring natives....and our whiny prince starts maturing.

The book is populated with a variety of very interesting characters who have a depth that goes beyond just battles and fighting.

It's a nice, fast paced, quick read. If you like this type of book, you'll like this book. It's a nice "meat and potatoes" example of the genre. It's also a fairly quick read. I've already finished the second book before I got around to writing this review.

Lee

SameOldStory · 05-16-2010, 07:06 PM

"This is definitely a "man's territory" book. Soldiers, war, politics, technology, battle scenes. I loved it."

Better tone it down. There ARE people that will get ticked off at that kind of talk.

I've looked thru some of John Ringo's stuff and it didn't appeal to me. But this sounds GREAT. Just downloaded it. Thanks.

leebase · 05-17-2010, 12:43 AM

It was people talking about how they hated Ringo's writing that enticed me to read the boom in the first place

Or am I supposed to worry about suggesting a book with strong military themes and battles is something that will appeal primarily to men? I wrote that because several of the book forums I participate on are heavily populated by women who's tastes do not run towards the types of books I read.

Lee

Xenophon · 05-17-2010, 11:22 AM

Ringo and Weber together write rather differently than either of them writes separately. The Prince Roger books are quite enjoyable. They even have enough characterization and general plot interest to hold my wife's interest! And that's saying something, given that she generally prefers to skip the battles/politics/boomenstuffen.

Xenophon

BooksForABuck · 05-17-2010, 11:45 AM

Agree that the March stories are superior to much that either of these authors puts out on their own. I've developed Honor fatigue and can't get through the gratuitous liberal-bashing in Ringo's books. Not that this doesn't have liberal-bashing but it's at least integrated into the story. Of course, free is a great price.

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com

Nate the great · 05-17-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BooksForABuck

Agree that the March stories are superior to much that either of these authors puts out on their own. I've developed Honor fatigue and can't get through the gratuitous liberal-bashing in Ringo's books. Not that this doesn't have liberal-bashing but it's at least integrated into the story. Of course, free is a great price.

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com

I agree. The liberal bashing in his last couple novels is simply too much.

leebase · 05-17-2010, 01:19 PM

I enjoy a good liberal bashing....lord knows we conservatives have such few opportunities in entertainment

Lee

SameOldStory · 05-17-2010, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenophon

Ringo and Weber together write rather differently than either of them writes separately. The Prince Roger books are quite enjoyable. They even have enough characterization and general plot interest to hold my wife's interest! And that's saying something, given that she generally prefers to skip the battles/politics/boomenstuffen.

Xenophon

I find the same is true of Douglas Preston & Lee Child. Separate, no. Together, great.

sabredog · 05-17-2010, 10:24 PM

Actually the whole series is a damn fine read. Excellent writing. The fourth book though seems a tad rushed to me. It is though, a series that does beg a continuation though

AnemicOak · 05-17-2010, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

I find the same is true of Douglas Preston & Lee Child. Separate, no. Together, great.

Off Topic I know, but that's a nice Gordian you have in your avatar. Do you collect?

Xanthe · 05-18-2010, 12:10 AM

Speaking as a woman, the Prince Roger series is one of my favorites, and one that I reread every few years. As a somewhat-liberal, I enjoy the perversity of the Saints being ecologists to the ultra-extreme with all the tunnel vision that any extreme POV brings with it.

But the Saints are such peripheral characters that they're just almost a running joke for most of the series. I think that was how Weber allowed Ringo to get it out of his system,

because the rest of the story doesn't contain his usual comic-book females and conservative rants. The complaints of the soldiers are universal ones, because no matter what type of administration is in power there are always people in it who are going to cut corners for profit and in turn get people killed by their actions.

I really enjoyed all the members of the Bronze Battalion and how their personalities evolved over the course of the books; I felt bad when characters were killed off. What I really liked was how the Mardukans became individuals in their own right, to the point that for me at least I tended to forget that their physical appearance was "alien".

The series is just such a good mix of adventure, horror, battles, intrigue, humor and yes, romance. It is a good, fun read.

05-16-2010, 06:45 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	March Up Country I love the Baen Free Library. I've been discovering new (to me) authors...as in David Weber (with his Honor Harrington and Safehold series') and Eric Flint (1632 series). I had put the Prince Roger's series (March Up Country, March to the Stars, March to the Sea, We Few) on my "to be read" list but pretty far down. Then I read folks here complaining about John Ringo and his right wing politics. Which piqued my interest and so I decided to read March Up Country by John Ringo and David Weber. Love the Baen folks as their books are DRM free and I was able to read this via iBooks on my iPad. First a note about iBooks. I used the dictionary feature several times while reading this book. Words I'd normally just skip over, I looked up and there they were, actual words, in the dictionary. Very cool. This is definitely a "man's territory" book. Soldiers, war, politics, technology, battle scenes. I loved it. And it was kinda funny that the bad guys are "the Saints" who are an environmentally wacko society. Kind of the opposite of Avatar. Humans are bad, all human impact on the environment is bad. But really, other than a few references, it's not what the book is about. There is this whiny, spoiled, privileged prince -- third in line to be emperor of the Empire of man. He's sent out to an undesirable world to represent the crown and is traveling with a company of the best of the best of the best marines as his body guards. They are mixing like oil and water on the voyage...until the ship is sabotaged and they wind up on a tropical backwater planet. The planet is the Amazon jungle -- only much much worse. The natives are 4 armed bipeds, the Mardukans, who have a pre industrial revolution level of technology. There is only one modern outpost, the spaceport -- but it's in enemy hands. Fleeing their destroyed ship, the prince and the marines are forced to land on the complete other side of the planet and have to....wait for it....march up country. They travel through the jungle, battle nasty beasties and warring natives....and our whiny prince starts maturing. The book is populated with a variety of very interesting characters who have a depth that goes beyond just battles and fighting. It's a nice, fast paced, quick read. If you like this type of book, you'll like this book. It's a nice "meat and potatoes" example of the genre. It's also a fairly quick read. I've already finished the second book before I got around to writing this review. Lee

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05-16-2010, 07:06 PM	#2
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	"This is definitely a "man's territory" book. Soldiers, war, politics, technology, battle scenes. I loved it." Better tone it down. There ARE people that will get ticked off at that kind of talk. I've looked thru some of John Ringo's stuff and it didn't appeal to me. But this sounds GREAT. Just downloaded it. Thanks.

05-17-2010, 12:43 AM	#3
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	It was people talking about how they hated Ringo's writing that enticed me to read the boom in the first place Or am I supposed to worry about suggesting a book with strong military themes and battles is something that will appeal primarily to men? I wrote that because several of the book forums I participate on are heavily populated by women who's tastes do not run towards the types of books I read. Lee

05-17-2010, 11:22 AM	#4
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,487 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	Ringo and Weber together write rather differently than either of them writes separately. The Prince Roger books are quite enjoyable. They even have enough characterization and general plot interest to hold my wife's interest! And that's saying something, given that she generally prefers to skip the battles/politics/boomenstuffen. Xenophon

05-17-2010, 11:45 AM	#5
BooksForABuck Zealot Posts: 123 Karma: 150001 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Beach, CA Device: Color Nook, Kindle 2, Palm III, eBookWise, HP Jornada	Agree that the March stories are superior to much that either of these authors puts out on their own. I've developed Honor fatigue and can't get through the gratuitous liberal-bashing in Ringo's books. Not that this doesn't have liberal-bashing but it's at least integrated into the story. Of course, free is a great price. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com

05-17-2010, 01:19 PM	#7
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	I enjoy a good liberal bashing....lord knows we conservatives have such few opportunities in entertainment Lee

05-17-2010, 10:24 PM	#9
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Actually the whole series is a damn fine read. Excellent writing. The fourth book though seems a tad rushed to me. It is though, a series that does beg a continuation though

05-18-2010, 12:10 AM	#11
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	Speaking as a woman, the Prince Roger series is one of my favorites, and one that I reread every few years. As a somewhat-liberal, I enjoy the perversity of the Saints being ecologists to the ultra-extreme with all the tunnel vision that any extreme POV brings with it. But the Saints are such peripheral characters that they're just almost a running joke for most of the series. I think that was how Weber allowed Ringo to get it out of his system, because the rest of the story doesn't contain his usual comic-book females and conservative rants. The complaints of the soldiers are universal ones, because no matter what type of administration is in power there are always people in it who are going to cut corners for profit and in turn get people killed by their actions. I really enjoyed all the members of the Bronze Battalion and how their personalities evolved over the course of the books; I felt bad when characters were killed off. What I really liked was how the Mardukans became individuals in their own right, to the point that for me at least I tended to forget that their physical appearance was "alien". The series is just such a good mix of adventure, horror, battles, intrigue, humor and yes, romance. It is a good, fun read.

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