Rating: 
Summary: No deep philosophy here, but it's worth a read.
Review: I can easily imagine how this series got started: a couple of guys musing, "I wonder what would have happened if an ancient general had access to modern weaponry and tactics..." The result is an engaging look at an alternate reality where Belisarius, a real-life general of antiquity, is contacted by a sentient "jewel" from the future. It shows him a horrific future in which the Indian Malwa dynasty conquers the world for the forces of darkness, and he immediately enlists to stop them. He is given knowledge about gunpowder and modern weapons, and he sets about gathering allies for the war that only he can see coming. The action is almost nonstop as Belisarius journeys to India with new allies to learn about his enemy and help the oppressed Indians begin a revolution from within. Detractors will point out that Drake has done this before with S.M. Stirling, and that is true, up to a point. One major difference, though, is the fact that the sentient gem in this series is not all-powerful from the start; it grows and learns throughout the book, gradually becoming more self-aware and developing a personality. Another aspect that makes this book stand out is the cast of characters. Many of them are familiar from history lessons, and all are individual and interesting. The interplay between strong characters keeps the book from becoming just a dry series of battles and strategies. To sum up, this book has all the fighting action to satisfy a fan of military SF, combined with an intriguing premise. It is skillfully written, and I am eagerly awaiting future installments of the series.
Rating:
Summary: No deep philosophy here, but it's worth a read.
Review: I can easily imagine how this series got started: a couple of guys musing, "I wonder what would have happened if an ancient general had access to modern weaponry and tactics..." The result is an engaging look at an alternate reality where Belisarius, a real-life general of antiquity, is contacted by a sentient "jewel" from the future. It shows him a horrific future in which the Indian Malwa dynasty conquers the world for the forces of darkness, and he immediately enlists to stop them. He is given knowledge about gunpowder and modern weapons, and he sets about gathering allies for the war that only he can see coming. The action is almost nonstop as Belisarius journeys to India with new allies to learn about his enemy and help the oppressed Indians begin a revolution from within. Detractors will point out that Drake has done this before with S.M. Stirling, and that is true, up to a point. One major difference, though, is the fact that the sentient gem in this series is not all-powerful from the start; it grows and learns throughout the book, gradually becoming more self-aware and developing a personality. Another aspect that makes this book stand out is the cast of characters. Many of them are familiar from history lessons, and all are individual and interesting. The interplay between strong characters keeps the book from becoming just a dry series of battles and strategies. To sum up, this book has all the fighting action to satisfy a fan of military SF, combined with an intriguing premise. It is skillfully written, and I am eagerly awaiting future installments of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: "Deadly with a sword is Belisarius"
Review: I first came upon this book when I saw it featured in the free library at the Baen website along with its sister books, "Heart of Darkness" and "Destiny's Shield". Since it was free I took a gander and was immediately hooked. The first book effectively introduces a mystery of grand proportions. In the world of 6th century Rome, Belisarius is a character that is not what we would expect of a Roman general. We expect ruthlessness and atrocities and looting, all the characteristics of a barbaric time in our history. However, what I saw was something which I could truly admire and respect. Belisarius has a fiendish mind for strategy and tactics, combined with that gift is a high code of honor and ethics. He will not stand helplessly and watch evil being committed in his world. He will not "compromise" with his lessors. And he definitly will not be defeated by a bunch of "savages" from India. Read the book based upon Belisarius' character alone. Fortunatly that's not all the reasons why you should read it. The story is set in authentic historical context in the time of Justinia, Emperor of Rome. However, future is melded into the past. A device of unfathomable complexity and intelligence is sent from the future to protect history. It chooses Belisarius as its sole avatar. Belisarius will see the future and the possible future that will be, if he does not act. That future results in a world aflame with agony, and Belisarius will do whatever in his power to prevent that future to exist. Whatever it takes, he will do, and he will do it with the same standards of decency, honor, and ruthlessness as he has defeated all his enemies with. Belisarius will bring into being weapons powered by gunpowder, rockets and grenades that shatter human flesh. Technologies of the future will be retrofitted to fit with the technological base of Rome. The enemy, indeed the enemy of all civilization, the barbarians will meet their match. The barbarians have numerical superiority but their ethics allow them only to use numbers and not elite troops like the Roman's cataphracts. Eric Flint brings his own wry humor into the mix, that is also a reason to read the book. The enemy will be brought down by brilliantly described combat but the dialogue of the characters will show wit, humor, and intelligence to the reader. Absolutely one of the most enjoyable series I have ever read. The series will span the war with the Malwa barbarians, this book will feature the beginnings of that war.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking! Entertaining!
Review: I found AN OBLIQUE APPROACH to be intriguing, thought-provoking, and fun to read. History isn't my best subject, so I don't know anything about the historical basis of this book. But I trust David Drake, and I enjoyed Eric Flint's previous book, MOTHER OF DEMONS. This isn't a fast-action book. This is a thinking book. Belisarius is a general with an excellent mind and the will to use it. Furthermore, Belisarius is not the only character in the book who can do something right. (I'm not crazy about "only you can save the world" books.) I also like the fact that he's devoted to his wife.
Rating:
Summary: NOT BAD, NOT "GREAT"
Review: I have read most of David Drake's books, and this one is a departure from his normal style......what did you expect? It was written WITH someone else!!! I found it to be entertaining and good reading and am looking forward to it's sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Strategy, Battle, and a Quest, all written in Pure Poetry
Review: I missed this one when it came out, largely because David Drake's name on a book is a strong *NEGATIVE* recommendation to me. Drake's stories are usually nasty, and his characters people who, were they dying of thirst in the desert, I would not spit upon them lest the moisture help them live. But *THIS*, this is Eric Flint's work I am sure, with Drake supplying, at most, an outline. I ran into Flint by reading his magnificent "1632" and, when I learned of this series, went out and got all the volumes. I'm working my way through them now. There *are* parallels between this series and the Stirling/Drake "General" collaboration, but while Stirling's good, Flint is easily the master. The writing is strong and, in places, is pure poetry. I don't want to spoil anything, but just wait until you read "How the Monsoon Visited the Palace", and what it wrought there! Flint writes superbly, bringing all his characters to full and vivid life. We see their loves, their hates, their dreams and their nightmares. Belisarius has a cause worth fighting for and an enemy that makes the MPAA, the RIAA, and the Nazis all rolled into one look like spiteful, spoiled children. I would deem it an honor to die guarding *this* Belisarius' back. Or I would follow him to hell. Judging by the vileness of the enemy, it looks like I'll have that privilege before the series is over. Thank you, Eric. I don't find stuff this good very often. May all kindly Gods and Goddesses watch over you and your word processor!
Rating:
Summary: Strategy, Battle, and a Quest, all written in Pure Poetry
Review: I missed this one when it came out, largely because David Drake's name on a book is a strong *NEGATIVE* recommendation to me. Drake's stories are usually nasty, and his characters people who, were they dying of thirst in the desert, I would not spit upon them lest the moisture help them live. But *THIS*, this is Eric Flint's work I am sure, with Drake supplying, at most, an outline. I ran into Flint by reading his magnificent "1632" and, when I learned of this series, went out and got all the volumes. I'm working my way through them now. There *are* parallels between this series and the Stirling/Drake "General" collaboration, but while Stirling's good, Flint is easily the master. The writing is strong and, in places, is pure poetry. I don't want to spoil anything, but just wait until you read "How the Monsoon Visited the Palace", and what it wrought there! Flint writes superbly, bringing all his characters to full and vivid life. We see their loves, their hates, their dreams and their nightmares. Belisarius has a cause worth fighting for and an enemy that makes the MPAA, the RIAA, and the Nazis all rolled into one look like spiteful, spoiled children. I would deem it an honor to die guarding *this* Belisarius' back. Or I would follow him to hell. Judging by the vileness of the enemy, it looks like I'll have that privilege before the series is over. Thank you, Eric. I don't find stuff this good very often. May all kindly Gods and Goddesses watch over you and your word processor!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book! Reminiscent of Turtledove & SM Stirling
Review: I really like this new series. I've always liked Drake, but his collaboration with Eric Flint seems a good one. The writing and characterization are excellent, the pace is good, and -- as a longtime Belisarius fan -- the setting, etc. quite fascinating. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting as hell, but roughly-written
Review: I thought this book's plot was fascinating and nothing but. However, the writing and storytelling is a bit rough and in some parts even cliched. The characters are a bit thin, some of them seeming to be stock caricatures. However, the plot more than makes up for these shortcomings. The battle scene is brilliantly-done, and he puts a decidedly ominous feeling of impending doom throughout the book. DAMN STRAIGHT, DAVE! KEEP IT UP!
Rating: 
Summary: mutter mutter mutter, grumble grumble grumble
Review: I'm going to review the entire series, rather than only the first book. Hopefully it will help if some are prepared for what's ahead. Drake and Flint have killed this series for me with their childish sense of humor. Jokes that were only 'cute' when they first appeared (occasianally) in An Oblique Approach, are downright nauseating when they are FEATURED in the rest of the series. Every character--be they Thracian, Greek, Persian, or Indian--has an identical sense of irony and sarcasm, and Drake and Flint bash you over the head with it like a cataphract wielding a cudgel. Fer cryin' out loud, even the friggin CRYSTAL sports a sense of humor (I use the term loosely) that is identical to every other character in the series! Half-way through In The Heart Of Darkness I was rolling my eyes at the overly-pithy, self-aware wit that was creeping up more often. By the end of Destiny's Shield, I was groaning audibly. The characters are all cookie-cutter: You've got a couple of hard-as-nails hookers with hearts of gold; some grizzled old soldiers with unfailing loyalty to their general; some enemy generals that just drip honor (so you know they'll be switching sides before it's all over); and the vile, honorless, and militarily incompetent enemy generals who howl at the guile and cunning of Belisarius, then ignore the counsel of talented underlings who have spotted his traps. The battles are pretty entertaining, strategically, but they are all routes. There is never a sense of danger, that the battle could go either way but for the brilliant battlefield maneuvering of Belisarius. All in all, An Oblique Approach was a pretty darn good book. The account of Princess Shakuntala's rescue was particularly well written. However, I'm going to do something I rarely do--stop reading a series before it's over. I just can't read "trudge trudge trudge" and "mutter mutter mutter" anymore! Add to that the drunken conversations where the only point seems to be to make you laugh at the way people mispornun... mipsunorn... er, hic, mispronounce words when inebriated, and I've had enough. Mutter mutter mutter. Grumble grumble grumble.
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