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Countdown #2
Countdown: M Day
#2 in the breakthrough Countdown modern-day military adventure series. Brutally effective retired Army colonel Wes Stauer commands a crack outfit of former comrades to pull off a miracle mission. But Stauer must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself.
War is brutal. Colonel Wes Stauer gets it. He ought to. He was once one of war’s most brutal practitioners – not to mention one of its most effective and least bloody. Brutal yes; stupid no. Now, not only must Stauer command his crack outfit of former comrades and pull off yet another miracle mission, he must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself. Okay, almost as implacable. There will be war. And there will be warriors like Wes Stauer who have the know-how and, once set in motion, the unstoppable professional drive, to see the bad guys to their graves and destroy every last earthly piece of their nasty legacies.
About Tom Kratman’s military thrillers and military science
“Kratman's dystopia is a brisk page turner full of startling twists…[Kratman is] a professional military man…up to speed on military and geopolitical conceits.” –Best-selling author of America Alone Mark Steyn on Tom Kratman’s uncompromising military SF thriller, Califate
“Kratman raises disquieting questions on what it might take to win the war on terror…realistic action sequences, strong characterizations and thoughts on the philosophy of war.” – Publishers Weekly
War is brutal. Colonel Wes Stauer gets it. He ought to. He was once one of war’s most brutal practitioners – not to mention one of its most effective and least bloody. Brutal yes; stupid no. Now, not only must Stauer command his crack outfit of former comrades and pull off yet another miracle mission, he must also harness and direct the brute within himself – a beast he will need in order to destroy an intelligent enemy who is as implacable as Stauer himself. Okay, almost as implacable. There will be war. And there will be warriors like Wes Stauer who have the know-how and, once set in motion, the unstoppable professional drive, to see the bad guys to their graves and destroy every last earthly piece of their nasty legacies.
About Tom Kratman’s military thrillers and military science
“Kratman's dystopia is a brisk page turner full of startling twists…[Kratman is] a professional military man…up to speed on military and geopolitical conceits.” –Best-selling author of America Alone Mark Steyn on Tom Kratman’s uncompromising military SF thriller, Califate
“Kratman raises disquieting questions on what it might take to win the war on terror…realistic action sequences, strong characterizations and thoughts on the philosophy of war.” – Publishers Weekly
720 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 30, 2011
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87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 11, 2017
Most well known for his, excellent, Patricio Carrera series, and Caliphate, Tom Kratman's sleeper hits, as it were, are his Countdown series. This second volume of a yet to be determined how long series, has to rank as his finest work.
To those who don't know, he was a short bird Colonel in the US Army, a combat veteran, an instructor on war and morality, and a former lawyer. His experience with fighting certain types of folks, then working with them later, lends him a particular insight into the minds of men, and women, at war.
The premise of this book is that M-Day, a mercenary organization made up of former American, Russian, Israeli, South African, German, and Chinese soldiers and sailors has taken up residence in the nation of Guyana. They earn rent by helping to train Guyana's small military, and keeping her well defended.
Good thing too as Venezuela, reeling as the price of oil plummeted, plans to invade to get the people's minds off the failure that is the Bolivarist revolution. Without going into the details of what happened, you should read it to find out, I want to, instead, comment on what Kratman does that few other military fiction writers do right.
While the Venezuelan's are involved in an immoral exercise, he writes them, including Hugo Chavez (yes, he's a character, the book is several years old), not as villains but people, often damned good people, caught up in a shitty situation. As such, they do their duty, as they know it, the best they can, even Chavez.
This humanizing of the enemy, even their leader, is one of the best aspects of the book. You know a writer has done a good job when one of the enemy dies, you feel a pang of loss, and grieve with his superior who falls on his knees in anguish over the fallen form of the best damned Sergeant Major in the Venezuelan's Army.
Not too many can do that.
And oh yeah, it's filled with action, not the least of which is the best damned armor assault scene I've ever read in military fiction. And as a former combat vet, he gets all the little details right, especially logistics which many writers ignore.
All in all, this is my favorite of Kratman's many works, and highly recommended.
To those who don't know, he was a short bird Colonel in the US Army, a combat veteran, an instructor on war and morality, and a former lawyer. His experience with fighting certain types of folks, then working with them later, lends him a particular insight into the minds of men, and women, at war.
The premise of this book is that M-Day, a mercenary organization made up of former American, Russian, Israeli, South African, German, and Chinese soldiers and sailors has taken up residence in the nation of Guyana. They earn rent by helping to train Guyana's small military, and keeping her well defended.
Good thing too as Venezuela, reeling as the price of oil plummeted, plans to invade to get the people's minds off the failure that is the Bolivarist revolution. Without going into the details of what happened, you should read it to find out, I want to, instead, comment on what Kratman does that few other military fiction writers do right.
While the Venezuelan's are involved in an immoral exercise, he writes them, including Hugo Chavez (yes, he's a character, the book is several years old), not as villains but people, often damned good people, caught up in a shitty situation. As such, they do their duty, as they know it, the best they can, even Chavez.
This humanizing of the enemy, even their leader, is one of the best aspects of the book. You know a writer has done a good job when one of the enemy dies, you feel a pang of loss, and grieve with his superior who falls on his knees in anguish over the fallen form of the best damned Sergeant Major in the Venezuelan's Army.
Not too many can do that.
And oh yeah, it's filled with action, not the least of which is the best damned armor assault scene I've ever read in military fiction. And as a former combat vet, he gets all the little details right, especially logistics which many writers ignore.
All in all, this is my favorite of Kratman's many works, and highly recommended.
November 4, 2015
I abandoned this one at about 100 pages in.
If you like the excruciating minutia of a (fictitious) mercenary battalion's table of organization, their weapon loadout, pay scale for various ranks (down to the percentage adjustments for native vs non-native troops), and detailed descriptions of armored column echelons, then this book might be for you.
If you enjoy the author's concept of the deep internal (multi-page) thoughts of Hugo Chavez, this book might be for you.
If you like an author to head-hop to multiple character's POVs in one scene, and you like frequent interruptions of the narrative with each character's internal thoughts, then you'll LOVE this book.
I have liked Tom Kratman's work in the past, and I really like well-written military Sci-Fi, so I had some decent expectations for this one. Sadly, I found this book was not for me. For nearly 100 pages, Kratman's supposed MC (Stauer) drives around with a prospective new hire and discusses--in rich and loving detail--the merc battalion. Kratman intersperses this with a close-focus on Hugo Chavez and his plans to divert Venezuela's attention away from their internal problems by picking a fight with Guyana, home of Stauer and his pals. A nice set up for a fight, so I kept with it...for a time. I skimmed ahead a hundred pages and learned the buildup was still...building up--with more excruciating detail.
Sorry, Tom, this war fizzled for me before it ever got started.
If you like the excruciating minutia of a (fictitious) mercenary battalion's table of organization, their weapon loadout, pay scale for various ranks (down to the percentage adjustments for native vs non-native troops), and detailed descriptions of armored column echelons, then this book might be for you.
If you enjoy the author's concept of the deep internal (multi-page) thoughts of Hugo Chavez, this book might be for you.
If you like an author to head-hop to multiple character's POVs in one scene, and you like frequent interruptions of the narrative with each character's internal thoughts, then you'll LOVE this book.
I have liked Tom Kratman's work in the past, and I really like well-written military Sci-Fi, so I had some decent expectations for this one. Sadly, I found this book was not for me. For nearly 100 pages, Kratman's supposed MC (Stauer) drives around with a prospective new hire and discusses--in rich and loving detail--the merc battalion. Kratman intersperses this with a close-focus on Hugo Chavez and his plans to divert Venezuela's attention away from their internal problems by picking a fight with Guyana, home of Stauer and his pals. A nice set up for a fight, so I kept with it...for a time. I skimmed ahead a hundred pages and learned the buildup was still...building up--with more excruciating detail.
Sorry, Tom, this war fizzled for me before it ever got started.
November 18, 2011
Kratman makes you sympathize and understand the reasons of the enemy, making it all the harder to see them killed off. War at its Best, War at its Worst, all boils down to Manpower and Money, and the willingness to spend both when needs must. All in All , The Liberators was a better read.
August 18, 2021
Very enjoyable.
April 16, 2025
Oh damn you!
I have to give this five out of five. It was f***ing riveting! Finished it now, very late at night.
But why OH WHY did you have to kill Reilly? I liked him quite a lot. Chiefly because I kinda share his taste in music, the SS and I am a "former" tank commander. I liked Reilly more than the main character. Very much enjoyed all the rest. Just... Why him? And with a baby on the way. Cruel!
I have to give this five out of five. It was f***ing riveting! Finished it now, very late at night.
But why OH WHY did you have to kill Reilly? I liked him quite a lot. Chiefly because I kinda share his taste in music, the SS and I am a "former" tank commander. I liked Reilly more than the main character. Very much enjoyed all the rest. Just... Why him? And with a baby on the way. Cruel!
March 21, 2024
Light, somewhat tongue in check, contemporary military fiction read. Characters are sort of silly, but they are supposed to be, so that works.
Picked this up for $2 at a used book store and definitely got my money's worth. Not sure how I missed this author for the last 20 years.
Picked this up for $2 at a used book store and definitely got my money's worth. Not sure how I missed this author for the last 20 years.
January 17, 2012
I have a difficult time rating this one impartially. I'm well-acquainted with the author, I read snippets of it on the Baen's Bar site, and Tom did me the credit of almost killing me off as a minor character. His work fuels my inner demons and makes me miss active soldiering like no one else.
I found The Liberators a SLIGHTLY more absorbing read, because manning, equipping, and training units was my real passion in the Army. At the same time, M Day still earns the "full five", and I did the same for it on Amazon when I rated it there at time of publication. Seeing the Regiment in action, in desperate straits, was well worth the wait to see the completed work.
But for those of you hung up on this one, remember that "H-Hour" and further works are under construction. Baen's committed to publishing at least five in the series.
I found The Liberators a SLIGHTLY more absorbing read, because manning, equipping, and training units was my real passion in the Army. At the same time, M Day still earns the "full five", and I did the same for it on Amazon when I rated it there at time of publication. Seeing the Regiment in action, in desperate straits, was well worth the wait to see the completed work.
But for those of you hung up on this one, remember that "H-Hour" and further works are under construction. Baen's committed to publishing at least five in the series.
January 19, 2015
Not a bad book, but the ending seemed a little rushed, as if the author suddenly realised he had to wrap it all up in a couple more chapters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, which takes place at the same timeline as this one.
January 14, 2014
Venezuela 'liberates' a large portion of Guyana and M-Day, Inc. responds, fighting to protect their base of operations.
May 28, 2015
Meticulously planned out, fast paced, emotional, and irreverent; definitely worth a read if you like military fiction.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews