Rating: 
Summary: first of the Childe Cycle....
Review: ....and an impressive start. Those with outsiderish traits may relate to Donal, the soldier/dreamer who can't understand people, yet understands them too well (as the Exotics are aware).
Rating:
Summary: first of the Childe Cycle....
Review: ....and an impressive start. Those with outsiderish traits may relate to Donal, the soldier/dreamer who can't understand people, yet understands them too well (as the Exotics are aware).
Rating: 
Summary: Has greater potential
Review: Dorsai is a novel centered around the character Donal Graeme, who happens to be a member of an elite military force known as the Dorsai. The Dorsai are highly respected and can be considered mercenaries, because they will take any contract.Due to this info, it can be expected that this novel is a military novel. Now, there have been some military novels that are excellent, or even considered a classic. But, this book falls very short of such potential. First off, there is not a lot of information regarding the history of the Dorsai, or what kind of training the Dorsai undertake that makes them the most phenomenal power in the galaxy. Furthermore, the story centers around Donal, but yet it jumps numerous times into the future. For instance, a chapter could end, and at the start of the next chapter it is 3 years later, but you have no clear cut version of what happened. As a result, the quality of the book has been deteriorated by this fact. The book is very easy to read, and simple to get through. However, Dickson could have spent more time elaborating the Dorsai or this vast sprawling galaxy that he has greated. This is why the novel has greater potential. Yes, it introduces parts for the series, but this novel is almost unnecessary. It is great trepidation that I would recommend this novel due to its lack of specific content. The overall rating of 3 stars is definetly generous, and it is recommended that you proceed with caution on reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Has greater potential
Review: Dorsai is a novel centered around the character Donal Graeme, who happens to be a member of an elite military force known as the Dorsai. The Dorsai are highly respected and can be considered mercenaries, because they will take any contract. Due to this info, it can be expected that this novel is a military novel. Now, there have been some military novels that are excellent, or even considered a classic. But, this book falls very short of such potential. First off, there is not a lot of information regarding the history of the Dorsai, or what kind of training the Dorsai undertake that makes them the most phenomenal power in the galaxy. Furthermore, the story centers around Donal, but yet it jumps numerous times into the future. For instance, a chapter could end, and at the start of the next chapter it is 3 years later, but you have no clear cut version of what happened. As a result, the quality of the book has been deteriorated by this fact. The book is very easy to read, and simple to get through. However, Dickson could have spent more time elaborating the Dorsai or this vast sprawling galaxy that he has greated. This is why the novel has greater potential. Yes, it introduces parts for the series, but this novel is almost unnecessary. It is great trepidation that I would recommend this novel due to its lack of specific content. The overall rating of 3 stars is definetly generous, and it is recommended that you proceed with caution on reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: First Novel of the Childe Cycle
Review: Dorsai is a planet so poor in resources that their only export are soldiers, and the Dorsai are the finest soldiers of the galaxy. Donal Graeme is the finest of the Dorsai. This is first of the Childe Cycle novels. In the future mankind has splint in several splinter cultures, which the Dorsai are but one.
Rating:
Summary: A good read, but...
Review: Dorsai! is hallowed as one of the first and greatest of the military science fiction subgenre. As I read it, I am amazed at Gordon Dickson's prescience and imagination. For a book that was written in 1959, Dorsai! holds up quite well. However, Dickson's macroview of this universe leaves me wanting. There isn't enough detail or personal involvement for me to really care or understand the characters as much as I'd like to. I haven't read the other books in this series yet, but I hope that they satisfy these needs. Nevertheless, Dorsai! is a good, fast read, full of sweeping action and excitement and many innovative ideas.
Rating:
Summary: A woman's review, a word of caution
Review: I have been told that most sci-fi connoisseurs are men. They certaintly seem to write the most popular titles. But I've always been a sci-fi nut and there must be other women out there...this is for you. I really enjoyed this book! Enough to purchase and read "Lost Dorsai"...another in the Childe Cycle. I found the male characters complex and interesting and the setting (future, multiple worlds interacting politically, economically)fascinating. It whet my apatite enough to go searching for the other books in this series. A word of caution to female readers...the female characters are at times embarrassing...they often lack substance and seem poorly drawn or just poorly understood.This complaint ,however, did not significantly impede my enjoyment. With all "classic sci-fi" I personally find the same problem. Just keep in mind this was written by a man in 1965 (many of us weren't even born then). The way that I deal with it is to realize that it's only a "man's" perspective of what woman are like...we all know just how acurate that usually is : ) .
Rating:
Summary: An intro to a clasic series
Review: I read this book back in High School, and loved it. But he years, and much more reading, have changed my impression. The story best serves to introduce the Dorsai Universe of Gordon R. Dickson. It most likely was the inspiration for all the Sci Fi mercenary novels since. The protagonist is simply not likable or interesting. Problems are not solved by any great effort. Donal Graeme simply applies his Dorsai Tactical and Strategic abilities, and the problems go away. The next two books, Soldier Ask Not, and Tactics of Mistake, are much better. Dorsai introduces a fascinating Universe, which is a great backdrop for his stories. By all means read Soldier Ask Not, and Tactics of Mistake, as well as Necromancer, a prequel to Dorsai. But the Short Stories, Brothers, Lost Dorsai, and Act ofCreation, are gems. Act of Creation, which was in a collection of his stories, and is not a typical Dorsai tale, is almost like a parallel Dorsai Universe tale. Brothers, and Lost Dorsai, feature the twins, Ian and Kensie, and add depth to the Dorsai Soldierly ethos. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I was unable to enjoy this either as a literary novel or as an adventure novel or as SF. I'd been led to believe that it was some SF military classic, yet it read like a bad pulp novel. It is depressing that it's presented as classic SF.. this does the genre no good at all and gives it a bad name. Anywhere else this book would be promptly forgotten since it's not particularly well written or interesting and has little or no literary value.
Rating: 
Summary: Great SF Classic!
Review: I've read this book five times in the last twenty years, and I already know that I'll be reading it again. I like it so much, that I even buy a new copy every time I read it. I wish Gordon Dickson a very long, happy life for creating Donal, one of the most interesting characters in SF literature. If you want to read one of the true classics of SF literature, read this book. For me, it ranks right up there with Asimov's Foundation series (be sure to read those if you haven't).
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