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).
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing. A classic it ain't.
Review: Other reviews -- and the book's intro -- compare it with _Starship Troopers_ as a classic of military sci-fi. Sorry.Clunky writing, an uninteresting plot, and little of the military angle the book is supposed to be famous for make this one to skip (or at best get from the library). Problems are rarely solved; they just disappear. Aside from the beginning, we don't see tactics or strategy. Unlike _Starship Troopers_ we are *told* about a character's evolution rather than seeing it happen. All in all, a weak book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST Sci-Fi
Review: Proves that Gordon Dickson is the best (or among the best) living sci-fi authors. The story is dynamic and captivating. The "food for thought" is plenty, the philosophy is rich. Do yourself a favor - read this one, re-read it and grok it. (:-)
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it a lot
Review: Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others STORY: In a universe where the Dorsai are the most feared warriors, Donal Graeme stands out. He stands out because his oddities drive him to seek his future amongst the stars. This book is the story of his journeys. MY FEEDBACK:
1) This book has the same feel as other classics like Asimov's Foundation series. 2) Gordon creates a great universe here that acts as the backdrop to the various adventures of Donal 3) This story has some elements of Dune in it (especially the ending) but not to the same dramatic suspense as Herbert's masterpiece. 4) I agree with other reviewers that a large part of the suspense was removed because Donal just wins every time. This was fun on the other hand because his solutions were logical and innovative. 5) I'm told this is the first of at least a 12 book series. This story can stand on its own if you don't care to read the rest of them. 6) I didn't leave the book feeling like I cared about any of the characters, even Donal. They either played such detached roles or in Donal's case, the reader has already been fed so many of his victories that there doesn't seem to be much left to strive for or challenge him. OVERALL: Well written. Engaging. Action kept me going. Solutions to challenges didn't make me feel cheated. Very good read.
Rating:
Summary: 2nd best book I've ever read
Review: The best book was the Tactics of Mistake. It's in the same series
Rating:
Summary: MUST READ for sci-fi readers everywhere
Review: The first book in one of the best sci-fi series in History, the Childe Cycle. A young man begins to manifest his differentness and alter the path of the Human Race to a new evolutionary step. Take my word for it, you want to read this book. Several of the books later in the series got all kinds of awards and you want to read them in order so start here. This is where it all begins. The next book in the series is Necromancer
Rating:
Summary: Pointless
Review: The problem with writing a story about a military genius, is how do you convincing portray such a character without being a military genius yourself. Dickson tries to use the fact that his story is set in a high tech future to disguse the impausibility of his military plans. But even if the reader accepts Donal's strategies as good it's hard to believe no one ever thought of them before. The universe is unrealistic and Dickson treats human societies as if they themselves are individuals. This might work if as individuals they weren't all completely one-dimensional. This is a very simplistic and unsasitisfying book which even fails to work as a simple time-passer do to the clumsy writing and silly characters.
Rating:
Summary: Pointless
Review: The problem with writing a story about a military genius, is how do you convincing portray such a character without being a military genius yourself. Dickson tries to use the fact that his story is set in a high tech future to disguse the impausibility of his military plans. But even if the reader accepts Donal's strategies as good it's hard to believe no one ever thought of them before. The universe is unrealistic and Dickson treats human societies as if they themselves are individuals. This might work if as individuals they weren't all completely one-dimensional. This is a very simplistic and unsasitisfying book which even fails to work as a simple time-passer do to the clumsy writing and silly characters.
Rating:
Summary: This book kicks...derierre
Review: This book is one of the best finds I've had lately. It really reads quickly, but at the same time, there isn't anything that gets left out. Dickson does a great job of creating his own galactic political system. There are no real gaps in the logic behind it, and it is pretty intricate. Dickson also has established some great characters, although there aren't many that stay throughout the book- Donal, the main character, is a mercenary, and is always somewhere new, with someone new. The ones that do surface more thatn once are well-developed, though. Overall,I must say any one, well, any one who likes sci-fi, should be able to dig this book. Dickson was a great writer, and this book is a true showcase of some genuine talent. I would recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Gone, but not forgotten
Review: This from an email to me from friend of mine: I've just read that Gordon R Dickson has died. He was the author of, among lots of other things, the 'Dorsai' series of science-fiction novels. And I liked them. So did a few other people - do a web search on 'Dorsai' and you'll find a couple of charitable projects set up from being inspired by the model mercenaries of the novels. If you get a chance have a read of something like 'Soldier, Ask Not' or 'The Tactics of Mistake', or his collection of short stories 'Ancient, My Enemy'. Shame to see another one of the pre-cyberpunk generation of authors go.
| 
