Series: “The General” books 1-5 by S. M. Stirling and David Drake
Very good military fantasy/science-fiction series
May 6, 2011
S. M. Stirling and David Drake
The Forge (first book in the series “The General”)
Baen, 1991
ISBN: 0-671-72037-6
323 pages
Out of print; inexpensive used copies seem to be readily available
S. M. Stirling and David Drake
The Hammer (second book in the series “The General”)
Baen, 1992
ISBN: 0-671-72105-4
290 pages (main text)
Out of print; as of this writing inexpensive used copies are readily available
S. M. Stirling and David Drake
The Anvil (third book in the series “The General”)
Baen, 1993
ISBN: 0-671-72171-2
301 pages (main text)
Out of print; as of this writing inexpensive used copies are readily available
S. M. Stirling and David Drake
The Steel (fourth book in the series “The General”)
Baen, 1993
ISBN: 0-671-72189-5
302 pages (main text)
Out of print; as of this writing inexpensive used copies are readily available
S. M. Stirling and David Drake
The Sword (fifth book in the series “The General”)
Baen, 1995
ISBN: 0-671-87647-3
343 pages (main text)
Out of print; as of this writing inexpensive used copies are readily available
I have previously written about the first and second books of the series “The General” by S. M. Stirling and David Drake, but it’s not all that useful to talk about the books individually. They’re thoroughly entertaining but they’re not especially different from one another and they tend to go by pretty quickly. Reading the last four of the original five-book series (there is a three-book follow-on series) back-to-back was excellent fun.
The series is set on the planet Bellevue, which was settled by space-faring humans long ago. About a thousand years ago, nuclear war plunged the planet into barbarism and, since then, various splintered parts of its civilization have progressed unevenly back toward civilization and technology. One of the most advanced societies calls itself the Civil Government and it has, approximately, the technology of late nineteenth-century Europe. The main character of the series, Raj Whitehall, is a member of their rural gentry and young officer in the Civil Government army as the series begins.
At the beginning of the first book, Raj and his friend Thom Poplanch are exploring catacombs below the capital, East Residence, when a still-functioning artificially-intelligent computer chooses to reveal itself. The computer, which calls itself Center for short, estimates that the time is right to re-unite Bellevue under a single government and it intends to give Raj advice that will help him win the battles that will make that possible. The subsequent events are inspired in part by the career of the great Byzantine (or Eastern Roman) general Belisarius.
The series is not politically correct. One of Bellevue’s civilizations that Raj will have to defeat is Islamic and the soldiers in the books are no more politically correct than soldiers generally are.
The first book begins with Raj winning a fairly small victory and the series goes on from there. There are splendid battles, memorable characters, and clever strategies, both on and off the battlefield. There is also, of course, the difficult relationship between an autocratic leader and a general who is almost too successful.
Mr Drake also wrote a series of novels based somewhat more closely on Belisarius in collaboration with Eric Flint. (Reviews of them are at: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.) That series is probably a little more interesting to read. But if you’ve read that one, this one is reliably enjoyable.