March Upcountry
David Weber & John Ringo
(Reviewer - - D. H. BROWN)
2001 Baen Books
ISBN: 067131985X
A prince, third in line to the Throne of Man, is sent to a backwater planet where he has to grow up--or die!
Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock is the brattiest of royals with only one redeeming feature--the Bravo Company of his mother, the Empress' Own Regiment. If anyone can get this youngster off the planet Marduk alive, it is these Bronze Barbarians who will defend him from damnbeasts, killerpillars, carnivorous plants & feral hordes with really bad dispositions.
Reviewer - D. H. BROWN writes:
As anyone who knows me & my reading tastes, all they have to do to get me to read a book, for sure, is to put the name David Weber on the front cover. I am completely besotted with his entries in the field of military sci-fi.
So when a copy of March Upcountry was presented to me as a Christmas present, I drooled, my palms itched & I complained when I had to work until at long last I was able to sit down, open it & start to read.
I think what I like best about this subset genre, is the fact that it allows me to take a flight of fancy without going into fantasy. I get the same tickle now at 55 that I got at 12 watching Dale Evans & Roy Rogers, or Combat on television those many years ago.
March Upcountry is just exciting story telling &, of course, the one thing David Weber always brings to anything he writes is that thread of honor. He expects the characters who populate his worlds to recognize treachery & deceit & in the face of overwhelming odds, display an almost mythical, stereotypical sense of honor.
I find it comforting, especially in this day & age of watching our politicians manipulate, prevaricate & tergiversate that very sought after moral high ground.
This is the first book I've read where David Weber has co-authored with John Ringo whose works I became familiar with in his own series, which I'm sorry to say somehow slipped through the cracks & I didn't review. So I'll say it here, read them! Buy them! They are very, very good & they're listed below!
Back to March Upcountry--the theme is of a young privileged snot-nosed haughty prince who has to grow up or die, while watching those sworn to protect him also die. It is a good read, & Moms & Dads, whatever you feel about war & those who wage it, if you have teenage boys whom you want to understand what honor is about, buy them a copy of March Upcountry & its sequels March to the Sea & March to the Stars.
This is a worthy read, the authors have not lost their touch, if anything they've gotten better!
Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries. In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow. During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN). While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.
D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."
He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com
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D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries. In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow. During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN). While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.