What do you think?
Rate this book
Red One: A Platoon Leader's Memoir From the Second Combine War
Everyone remembers where they were when Luna was attacked. Everyone remembers who was with them as we all watched religious zealots drag the Sol Alliance into a war it was unprepared for and against an enemy it couldn’t understand.
I was in my last year of college, a cadet on the verge of graduating and commissioning in the Alliance Army, and knew what those burning shipyards on Luna meant for my future.
The Alliance went to war, but its virtually unchecked hunt for the extremist organization responsible for the attacks quickly floundered. Desperate for an expedient victory, our chancellor redirected the military to seize Lohtua, the origin system and heart of the Bothic faith, deep in Combine space.
I was there.
This is my story, familiar to those who served in the opening phase of the Second Combine War, but this one is mine.
Written by a GWOT combat veteran, Red One is a military science fiction tale of leadership and survival in a poorly planned war that is rapidly spinning out of control.
I was in my last year of college, a cadet on the verge of graduating and commissioning in the Alliance Army, and knew what those burning shipyards on Luna meant for my future.
The Alliance went to war, but its virtually unchecked hunt for the extremist organization responsible for the attacks quickly floundered. Desperate for an expedient victory, our chancellor redirected the military to seize Lohtua, the origin system and heart of the Bothic faith, deep in Combine space.
I was there.
This is my story, familiar to those who served in the opening phase of the Second Combine War, but this one is mine.
Written by a GWOT combat veteran, Red One is a military science fiction tale of leadership and survival in a poorly planned war that is rapidly spinning out of control.
578 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2025
5 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 16, 2025
Rating: 4.5 stars
War is not a non-stop action movie and Troy Gordon does a great job at portraying the reality of war. His futuristic backdrop in Red One provides a thin veil behind which the reality of a true story exists. Those who have served will quickly realize what is really happening.
I was a little surprised that the author did not use a different term for "tanks" with this being a futuristic battlefield, but I think that tankers may struggle with the thought that tanks may someday become obsolete.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anybody who had a desire to read a real story of military action during a time of war. People who have not served might appreciate the reality of one soldier's experience while those who have served might find themselves saying, "yep that's it right there" as they find many things in common with their deployment(s) during a time of war.
Congratulations on your book, Troy and look forward to others down the road.
War is not a non-stop action movie and Troy Gordon does a great job at portraying the reality of war. His futuristic backdrop in Red One provides a thin veil behind which the reality of a true story exists. Those who have served will quickly realize what is really happening.
I was a little surprised that the author did not use a different term for "tanks" with this being a futuristic battlefield, but I think that tankers may struggle with the thought that tanks may someday become obsolete.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anybody who had a desire to read a real story of military action during a time of war. People who have not served might appreciate the reality of one soldier's experience while those who have served might find themselves saying, "yep that's it right there" as they find many things in common with their deployment(s) during a time of war.
Congratulations on your book, Troy and look forward to others down the road.
January 3, 2026
Exceptional
A fantastic and well-written story of the life of a junior officer on a futuristic battlefield. Red One is reminiscent of Heinlein but with a deep focus on the relationships and politics of the military at the level of the soldiers on the ground. The author puts you right there into the terrifying combat as well as the everyday life of a soldier. Besides being excellent military science fiction, there are many lesson to be learned on the nature of leadership at all levels.
A fantastic and well-written story of the life of a junior officer on a futuristic battlefield. Red One is reminiscent of Heinlein but with a deep focus on the relationships and politics of the military at the level of the soldiers on the ground. The author puts you right there into the terrifying combat as well as the everyday life of a soldier. Besides being excellent military science fiction, there are many lesson to be learned on the nature of leadership at all levels.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews