War World: The Battle of Sauron

War World #8

by Jerry Pournelle (Series Creator), John F. Carr (Editor), Don Hawthorne

THE SAURONS STRIKE BACK!

War World: The Battle of Sauron by John F. Carr and Don Hawthorne documents the pivotal point of the First Empire of Man, depicting the final clash of arms between the Imperial forces and the genetically-spawned Sauron Super Soldiers, as their battle fleets collide in the Sauron System. This battle between the First Empire of Man and the Sauron Coalition of Secession will determine whether mankind will be supplanted by a race dedicated to the military arts, or if the Empire of Man will continue to reign triumphant over the disparate and far flung worlds of man.

Vessel Commander, Galen Diettinger, of the Sauron battlecruiser Fomoria, is placed in command of the entire Sauron fleet and charged with saving the Homeworld. Will his military genius be enough to reverse the tide of the War? Or will Sauron be destroyed by Imperial military might? The fates of millions depend upon Diettinger’s success.

Genres: Science Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2013

About the author

Dr Jerry Eugene Pournelle was an American science fiction writer, engineer, essayist, and journalist, who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte, and from 1998 until his death maintained his own website and blog.

From the beginning, Pournelle's work centered around strong military themes. Several books describe the fictional mercenary infantry force known as Falkenberg's Legion. There are strong parallels between these stories and the Childe Cycle mercenary stories by Gordon R. Dickson, as well as Heinlein's Starship Troopers, although Pournelle's work takes far fewer technological leaps than either of these.

Pournelle spent years working in the aerospace industry, including at Boeing, on projects including studying heat tolerance for astronauts and their spacesuits. This side of his career also found him working on projections related to military tactics and probabilities. One report in which he had a hand became a basis for the Strategic Defense Initiative, the missile defense system proposed by President Ronald Reagan. A study he edited in 1964 involved projecting Air Force missile technology needs for 1975.

Dr. Pournelle would always tell would-be writers seeking advice that the key to becoming an author was to write — a lot.

“And finish what you write,” he added in a 2003 interview. “Don’t join a writers’ club and sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it.”

Pournelle served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1973.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was much younger I read the original stories in the "War World" series, and was greatly entertained. It seemed to me, though it has been many years since I read the originals, that these tales told of a moderately complex, fictional world: the collapse of states, the forces of history, and of individual acts and deeds both great and small. Even though war and conflict was the focus of the stories, there was much more.

Now, decades later, perhaps a little more worldly, and having seen too much needless suffering and misery, I have become less fond and tolerant of war and war stories. I did buy this book from Amazon on Amazon’s recommendation. After having read it, let me run through the plot.

A half millennium in the future humanity has colonised many planets in our corner of the galaxy, and is ruled by a, more or less, benign imperial government. Then, on the planet Sauron, whose hostile environment compelled its original settlers to be 'tough', the inhabitants decided to artificially evolve 'super soldiers', via genetic engineering.

Then, naturally enough, these SSs develop their own take on existence—one not filled with kittens and flowers—and decided that the imperial government and humanity, more or less, has to go. So they start a war against the Empire and most of humanity (they have a bunch of human fellow travellers). This war proves extremely costly, in terms of lives, money, and stability. The result is the mutual destruction of Sauron and the collapse of the Empire, which are replaced by anarchy and a near dark age.

All great stuff.

My beef with this? I am tired of right wing, pro-war stories. Of humans 'nobly' killing each other, with a stiff upper lip, for honour and duty. Of mangled space ships, and dead men. Where is the line between terrorism and war? Is there one? How about if these Saurons said, "Well, I don't want to die today, nor kill anyone else. Let's go home and watch some tv". The subtle message conveyed in the novel is that war, death, and destruction is ok, as long as it is for a noble purpose. Also, of course, the boot was put into civilian government once or twice along the way. A conservative, military government, with lots of noble conflict is the best! Way to go.


I will not finish here, that would be unfair. It is a good novel, apart from its 'message'. The novel fleshes out a short story from the original series, describing the final battle between the Saurons and the Empire. This is well told, lots of detailed tactical and strategic thought, detailed accounts of weapons and killing, and a little philosophical musing on the part of the Sauron commander. A not half bad novel, however, what it does lack is depth. A wargame in space. Three stars for the quality of the work, if not the grim content.

[Mhorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too one sided

For a book about the battle of Sauron, after an initial battle at Tanith, no imperial character is heard from again. Only Sauron characters and plans. A little disappointing.

[Michael Goffinet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

This a great story that bridges the gap from 'The Face of the Enemy' and 'The Coning of the Eye'.

[Philippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent military SF by Carr. A fascinating series.

[Wilki24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, even though I knew the ending ahead of time (as will anyone who has read the previous novels). Some nicely written space battles, and a fleshing out the arrival of the Formoria at Haven from the Sauron point of view.

It's hard to reconcile the portrait painted of Galen Dietinger in most of the book with the ease that he drops thermonuclear weapons on cities full of civilians. I would expect him to feel something more, yet he seems to dismiss it as necessary and gives it no further thought. I suppose that's the Sauron way, though.

And what was the point of the romance between John and Ingrid... am I forgetting some other short story in the past? Was that just a setup for what happens later, but hasn't been written yet?

The more I read of these books, the more I want to find out what happens in between the stories that we've been told so far.