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Summary: Like "old-home-week!"
Review: Having now worn the uniform of my country for the last 29 years, reading this book is like old home week. As John Ringo describes the antics of SSG Duncan (now SGT Duncan), and his exploits on the range at the FT Bragg Rod & Gun club, I can see it in my mind's eye. SGT Duncan and other characters reminds me of quite a few folks I've had the privilege of serving with. What a pleasure to read good military sci-fi that is actually accurate and does a real and credible job of portraying the heart and soul of the warriors that protect our freedoms.
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Summary: One for military type minds to read and enjoy
Review: I'm quite sure that this book has inaccuracies and faults. There is a feeling of hate mongering here. The enemy is faceless until near the end of the book, a species with no redeeming quality or reason for existence. However, this is escape fiction with the feeling of military reality. Maybe a little too many cliches to make it hip and contemporary abound. But for those who like the genre, military science-fiction, this is a rewarding read.It's also a promising start to a series. Our planet Earth is being used by powerful figures from other planets who appear to be our benefactors. They give us the technology to use against a galactic horde which is conquering planet after planet and is planning on attacking Earth within five years. In return, we start battling this enemy on other planets. This is for war buffs, action buffs and those who appreciate a wry humor. There's plenty of the typical bashing of military bureaucacy, and plenty of profanity to establish the toughness of the characters, but all in all, this is a book and a series that should fully satisfy war fans.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: This was one of those books that I picked up to read and did not put down till it was finished. Then I picked it up again a month later and read it again. Mr Ringo creates a nice mix of present and future with a compelling plot. He also expands on Robert Heinleins battle suits from starship troopers. Great book for those who like military sci-fi
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Summary: Kicked ...!
Review: The best aliens versus present day humans war novel since Footfall! I am a former Marine and appreciate Ringo's first hand knowledge of weapons and tactics (and how leaders can really screw-up). I can even forgive him for messing up Marine enlisted ranks a couple of times (First Sergeant would be a demotion, not a promotion for a Master Gunnery Sergeant). Now I'm hooked and have read the whole series.
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Summary: A War of the People
Review: A Hymn Before Battle is the first novel in the Legacy of the Alldenata series. The Federation is losing its battle against the rapacious Posleen and the Darhel finally decide to turn to the humans on Earth for help. Some believe that the cost to them will be very high. In this novel, Michael O'Neal, an Atlanta web page designer and science fiction writer, is told by his former Army boss to report to Fort MacPherson on Monday morning; he is being borrowed by the US Army for an unspecified task. He begins to comprehend the importance of the task when the team is briefed by the Chief of Naval Operations. They are informed that the Earth has made first contact with friendly aliens who want human assistance in the war against the Posleen. In exchange for that help, they will provide financial and technical knowledge and some hardware against the day that the Posleen attack Earth...in about five years. Everyone on the team is recalled into active duty and Mike is also offered a commission. After accepting, Mike is tasked with equipping a special operations team with appropriate galactic technology to support a recon mission against the Posleen. Command Sergeant Major Jacob Mosovich is told to report to Vice Chief of Staff Trayner for briefing on a mission for unspecified reconnaisssance in hostile territory and environment outside CONUS; while meeting with the General, he is introduced to Himmit Rigas, an oversized frog with four eyes, who had been hanging unobserved on a side wall for hours. Jake finds himself is charge of planning the recon mission and promptly co-opts SFC Ersin to assist him. Their insertion point is an unsecured area on Barwhon V, a planet under attack by the Posleen. Shortly thereafter, the President informs the nation of the nature of the enemy and presents a tape of a multinational effort to make peaceful contact with the Posleen. Only the enemy and the information transmitted offworld survived this contact. While this novel contains some spatial combat, the bulk of the story is about ground combat. The enemy has only a few types of weapons, but each of these is superior to the human equivalent. Although the GalTech weapons are superior to that of the enemy, the humans do not have them in large numbers. The infrastructure is being built as rapidly as possible, but will not be able to equip enough troops with the new weapons before the enemy's first strike. The enemy will attack in overwhelming numbers and will shoot down any plane or missile that comes into line of sight, so nuclear weapons will be difficult to deploy. Earth will have to use superior strategy and tactics in order to win, but they also have another advantage: the Posleen are mostly followers rather than leaders and not too comfortable in unexpected situations, but the humans have an abundance of leaders who readily invent new tactics whenever possible. This novel owes much to Heinlein's Starship Troopers, Pournelle's Falkenberg's Legion, and Drake's Hammer's Slammers. This debt is acknowledged implicitly in various ways and explicitly at least once in the character Major Joachim Steuben of the Tenth Panzer Grenadiers. Other reviewers have disliked the large number of threads that seem to go nowhere. Ringo, however, appears to understand the complexity of any war, particularly one that includes a large-scale upgrade of basic equipment. Many different stories are involved and often converge only toward the end of the conflict. This war involves more people in more places than did World War II; Ringo has attempted to portray the big picture through its impact on common people in much the same way that Turtledove does. Recommended for Heinlein, Pournelle, and Drake fans and anyone who enjoys combat SF stories with an emphasis on small-unit tactics.
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Summary: Great book
Review: If you like starship troopers or armour you will love this book.
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Summary: i hate alien storys,,,but! WOW!!!!
Review: got this book as a "try it i liked it and you might too".
boy was i amazed, if you like sci-fi,military,or alternate history books youll LOVE this one.
i still dont like alien books, but i found a new guru in John Ringo.
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Summary: There is a Part Two isn't there
Review: As the Reading pages get thinner and thinner you reliase that a>Someting Dramatic is going to Happen OR b> Sequel It is a unusual book in that towards the end you have a feeling that one of the Races being Defended by the Terrans is behind the Polseen (Bad Guys).Also with all the Galactic Federation Science, The Strike Team that has been carefully characterised and Built upon seems to be thrown away(with some survivors).One makes a Startling Discovery but we are not told (2nd Book perhaps) The Team and lastly the Survivors use a.50 calibre Sniper Rifle and the trusty .45 Colt Semi-Automatic to Kill the God-Kings and Foot Soldiers .Not a Laser,Phaser or even a Razor in sight.
It gets promising at times such as when Two Scientist working on the Wrist Translator ,Finding it has hidden capabilities are Murdered.BUT THAT's IT ,GOES NO WHERE
Or the Ornery old Gunnery Sargent that takes a Platoon of Bad Boys and turns them into Good Likeable Soldiers ,Then sent to their Transit Camp, They Find Everybody Has Mutinied,So this Team of Likeable Rogues somehow seem to fix it and Arrest the Ring Leader. BUT AS ABOVE IT GOES KNOW WHERE.
John Ringo characterizes Beutifully you really start to care about the Characters in Question.The Science seems Plausible,He has the Alien Races Mapped out extremely well.
But to many Question are left unanswered, To many Plot Twist go no where.
I hope this leads to a second Book
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be swayed by sycophants
Review: This book was so self conscious I almost felt like the author was portraying himself as the main protagonist. I was influenced by all the positive, glowing reviews of this novel to buy it and see what all the fuss was about. Well, it doesn't even deserve to be called a novel. The story was choppy and felt completely unfinished. Not in the way good books leave you with a cliff hanger, making you want to read the sequel, but in a confused, rambling way that just left you scratching your head. Entire chapters were included that should have just been edited out with the heading "not the same story as the rest of the novel". If it were a piece of art - with random tangents that were symbolic of the subtle themes beneath the storyline, maybe that would have flown better. But this is no piece of art. Basically, the book follows three or maybe four main stories. With most emphasis on one guy (lets call him "the author's alter ego") who is ex-military, a weight-lifting, help desk techie and coincidentally a closet sci-fi author. hmmm. That storyline is the only reason I gave this book 2 stars. If the rest of the drivel was cut out, it would have been a decent 200 page action packed sci fi novel instead of 500 pages of bland tripe. Don't bother.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor to very poor
Review: This book is badly written and at times just plain silly. Ringo also has the bad habit of indulging in little side stories that go on and on and on. It's really not worth your time. There are much better authors of military science fiction out there, such as Weber, White, Deitz and Drake.
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