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: 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: 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).
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: 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: 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: Good example of military SF
Review: This is acclaimed as a masterpiece of military SF but there are better examples in my opinion (both Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Haldeman's Forever War are markedly better) since this really has little to do with the actual mechanics of the military and the gritty life of a soldier as much as how soldiers fit overall in Dickson's Childe Cycle. At this point we're at book four in the cycle and really this seems to have the least to do with any of the other circulating themes (probably because it was written first and then revised retroactively to fit into what Dickson was building) since there's barely any mention of the Final Encyclopedia or the need to merge the Splinter Cultures. However, there is some crossover from Soldier, Ask Not, so at least we get a sense that everyone lives in the same universe. So we have to judge this one on its merit and honestly it's an entertaining novel, Dickson takes his now pretty much worked out universe and goes nuts by throwing Donal Graeme, a Dorsai who is slightly better than the average Dorsai, into the mix, letting him loose and causing all kinds of havok, the reason for which isn't of course clear until near the end. If you're not a fan of Dickson to begin with, this won't change your mind, Donal is perhaps his strongest character but he's still only an inch away from being a cipher and like all of Dickson's other main character he's so good at everything that it just sucks all the suspense right away, the book is a great read, but don't expect any dramatic tension at all . . . alas, this also makes the book a poor cousin of Tactics of Mistake (the main character was his ancestor) which had the same basic setup, guy really good at intuition outthinks everyone else to a ridiculous degree. On the plus side, we finally get to see a Scientist, even if he's not an average example, but at least they get a mention. Dickson also maintains his inability to write convincing female characters, Anea is a step forward and a step backward, she's a strong, opinionated character, it's just that all her opinions are wrong and she spends most of the book making snide judgements about Donal that clearly make her look stupid . . . plus there's hints of romance that never quite seem to cohere. All in all it's a satisfying read, albeit not one without flaws, it's a good example of pulp SF and Dickson's future history remains as fun as ever but it's not quite the masterpiece that many proclaim it to be. Go in with that mindset and you should have no problem at all.
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