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JAG in Space #1
A Just Determination
Ensign Paul Sinclair is assigned to the orbiting space warship the USS Michaelson as the ship’s lone legal officer. When the ship’s captain is accused of ordering the destruction of a civilian research vessel and commanded to return to port for court-martial, Sinclair must testify at the hearing. With his own future and that of his captain resting on a knife-edge, which side will Sinclair choose to fight for?
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2003
54 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,030 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 4, 2011
Interesting blend of hard SF and legal drama. Ensign Paul Sinclair’s first ship assignment is on the USS Michaelson, where, in addition to his other duties, he acts as the ship's legal officer. The naval dialogue seems quite realistic, and were it not for a few references to space stuff, one might think they were aboard a modern day Navy ship. Except there was not one “fuck” in the entire book. So maybe in the future they have eliminated all swearing; yeah, right.
The Michaelson’s captain Wakefield, anxious to see some combat, decides to intercept an alien vessel that is technically outside his patrol zone. He’s the typical Queeg without the steel balls and stolen ice cream. (As an aside, the Caine Mutiny is a must read and based oin Herman Wouk’s experiences aboard a WW II mine-sweeper/destroyer. Queeg’s must have been relatively common because my brother-in-law’s first assignment as an ensign was under a similar character.) When the ship fails to heave to and then makes what appears to be a threatening move, the captain asks Sinclair for a legal interpretation of the orders, very broad and suitably vague,** then destroys the ship only to learn it was an unarmed civilian ship, albeit an alien one. (Remember the USS Vincennes shooting down Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988? see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air...) I’m still puzzled by how an Airbus 300 could have been confused with an attacking F-14. 290 civilians were killed including 66 children.*)
Unlike the captain of the Vincennes, Wakefield is court-martialed and the last third or so of the book is the trial, itself quite interesting if you like legal drama, which I do. Sinclair finds himself in some interesting moral and ethical dilemmas that are sensitively handled.
Billed as a legal thriller, it’s not much of the latter, but the legal aspect is quite good.
*Quote from the Wikipaedia article: When questioned in a 2000 BBC documentary, the U.S. government stated in a written answer that they believed the incident may have been caused by a simultaneous psychological condition amongst the 18 bridge crew of the Vincennes called 'scenario fulfillment', which is said to occur when persons are under pressure. In such a situation, the men will carry out a training scenario, believing it to be reality while ignoring sensory information that contradicts the scenario. In the case of this incident, the scenario was an attack by a lone military aircraft. Just imagine what the U.S. reaction would have been to an Iranian attack downing a U.S. civilian airliner.
** That reminds me of something a candidate for a job once said during an interview. One of the search committee had asked something about mission statements, and the guy (bless him) said that he was familiar with mission statements, that they were “vague yet meaningless.” Direct hit.
The Michaelson’s captain Wakefield, anxious to see some combat, decides to intercept an alien vessel that is technically outside his patrol zone. He’s the typical Queeg without the steel balls and stolen ice cream. (As an aside, the Caine Mutiny is a must read and based oin Herman Wouk’s experiences aboard a WW II mine-sweeper/destroyer. Queeg’s must have been relatively common because my brother-in-law’s first assignment as an ensign was under a similar character.) When the ship fails to heave to and then makes what appears to be a threatening move, the captain asks Sinclair for a legal interpretation of the orders, very broad and suitably vague,** then destroys the ship only to learn it was an unarmed civilian ship, albeit an alien one. (Remember the USS Vincennes shooting down Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988? see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air...) I’m still puzzled by how an Airbus 300 could have been confused with an attacking F-14. 290 civilians were killed including 66 children.*)
Unlike the captain of the Vincennes, Wakefield is court-martialed and the last third or so of the book is the trial, itself quite interesting if you like legal drama, which I do. Sinclair finds himself in some interesting moral and ethical dilemmas that are sensitively handled.
Billed as a legal thriller, it’s not much of the latter, but the legal aspect is quite good.
*Quote from the Wikipaedia article: When questioned in a 2000 BBC documentary, the U.S. government stated in a written answer that they believed the incident may have been caused by a simultaneous psychological condition amongst the 18 bridge crew of the Vincennes called 'scenario fulfillment', which is said to occur when persons are under pressure. In such a situation, the men will carry out a training scenario, believing it to be reality while ignoring sensory information that contradicts the scenario. In the case of this incident, the scenario was an attack by a lone military aircraft. Just imagine what the U.S. reaction would have been to an Iranian attack downing a U.S. civilian airliner.
** That reminds me of something a candidate for a job once said during an interview. One of the search committee had asked something about mission statements, and the guy (bless him) said that he was familiar with mission statements, that they were “vague yet meaningless.” Direct hit.
January 4, 2023
This is an unusual mil-SF novel. Really, it's just barely SF, and might better be termed a naval procedural -- and very nicely-done, too. In 2098, Ensign Paul Sinclair's first duty assignment is aboard the USS Michaelson CLE(S)-3, a long-endurance space cruiser, newly-deployed to patrol American-claimed space. Young Sinclair suffers through the agonies of on-the-job officer training -- trials that will bring a twinge of sympathy from anyone who's started out green in a demanding job with a difficult boss. Hemry's portrait of the trials and triumphs of day-to-day naval life rings true to this former naval officer -- and I'm pleased that the Supply Officer, the humble 'porkchop', is one of the more sympathetic characters, since that was my job, too.
On patrol, the Michaelson detects a South Asian Alliance ship trespassing on the American claim. Challenged, the rival vessel flees. The Michaelson orders the intruder to heave to for boarding. The intercept goes horribly wrong -- the American cruiser fires on the SASAL ship, killing all on board. The intruder turns out to be an unarmed research vessel.
Captain Wakeman is called to account for his actions at a general court-martial, described as meticulously, and as grippingly, as any fictional courtroom drama I've read. Ens. Sinclair, who doubles as the ship's Legal Officer, feels compelled to testify in favor of his disgraced Captain, even though he thinks Wakeman was a piss-poor commanding officer.
All of this is related in thoughtful, serviceable, workmanlike prose that clunks at times, but gets the job done. The job, in this case, is a sympathetic examination of how the modern US Navy actually works, with fallible people doing their duty, or dodging it, or bungling it.
Naval SF novels tend to be Hornblower-knockoffs (Weber, Drake, Feintuch, etc.), so it's a pleasure to see one drawn from the 21st century instead of the 18th. The young Ensign's coming-of-age reminded me of Heinlein's classic Space Cadet, which was drawn from his 1930's Naval service.
Hemry is a retired Naval officer who grew up as a Navy brat, so he's walked the walk, too. Hemry's space warships are, reasonably enough, extrapolated as subs/tin cans-in-space, with similarly compact and, um, challenging interior dimensions. About the only substantial change in Hemry's end-of-the-21st century US Navy is the complete integration of women into the service. This is reasonable, too, as the Navy is a *very* tradition-bound organization.
This is the first and best of the four "JAG in Space" novels. I'll post my notes on #2 & #3. But, basically, read the first and stop, is my advice.
[Review written for Infinity-plus in 12-2003]
On patrol, the Michaelson detects a South Asian Alliance ship trespassing on the American claim. Challenged, the rival vessel flees. The Michaelson orders the intruder to heave to for boarding. The intercept goes horribly wrong -- the American cruiser fires on the SASAL ship, killing all on board. The intruder turns out to be an unarmed research vessel.
Captain Wakeman is called to account for his actions at a general court-martial, described as meticulously, and as grippingly, as any fictional courtroom drama I've read. Ens. Sinclair, who doubles as the ship's Legal Officer, feels compelled to testify in favor of his disgraced Captain, even though he thinks Wakeman was a piss-poor commanding officer.
All of this is related in thoughtful, serviceable, workmanlike prose that clunks at times, but gets the job done. The job, in this case, is a sympathetic examination of how the modern US Navy actually works, with fallible people doing their duty, or dodging it, or bungling it.
Naval SF novels tend to be Hornblower-knockoffs (Weber, Drake, Feintuch, etc.), so it's a pleasure to see one drawn from the 21st century instead of the 18th. The young Ensign's coming-of-age reminded me of Heinlein's classic Space Cadet, which was drawn from his 1930's Naval service.
Hemry is a retired Naval officer who grew up as a Navy brat, so he's walked the walk, too. Hemry's space warships are, reasonably enough, extrapolated as subs/tin cans-in-space, with similarly compact and, um, challenging interior dimensions. About the only substantial change in Hemry's end-of-the-21st century US Navy is the complete integration of women into the service. This is reasonable, too, as the Navy is a *very* tradition-bound organization.
This is the first and best of the four "JAG in Space" novels. I'll post my notes on #2 & #3. But, basically, read the first and stop, is my advice.
[Review written for Infinity-plus in 12-2003]
September 1, 2010
2.0 to 2.5 stars. This was a tough book for me to rate because I liked the "realistic" approach to both life aboard a Navy ship as well as the detailed aspects of the "court martial" that is at the heart of the story. I also liked the main character, Paul Sinclair.
The reason for the rating of just "okay" was because I thought the writing was a bit simplistic (maybe geared towards a younger audience) and the way the story unfolded didn't hold my interest as much as I thought it would. I am a fan of the author's work and really enjoy the "The Lost Fleet" series (under his pseudonym Jack Campbell) so I will certainly read the next book in this series.
The reason for the rating of just "okay" was because I thought the writing was a bit simplistic (maybe geared towards a younger audience) and the way the story unfolded didn't hold my interest as much as I thought it would. I am a fan of the author's work and really enjoy the "The Lost Fleet" series (under his pseudonym Jack Campbell) so I will certainly read the next book in this series.
August 10, 2024
This novel exhibits what is coming to seem a pattern in Henry / Campbell's books of amazing settings and characterization and a so-so plot. Very, very little happens in the story, but the backdrop is amazing. The nickname "JAG In Space" is apt. The story centers on the trial of a captain following questionable actions in combat. What is interesting about the story isn't the combat event or even an emotional stake in the outcome of the trial but in seeing modern military court practice extended to the future with space travel.
One thing I wish it had done more of is fleshing out the sense of the law and practice of command necessarily turning full circle in an era of space travel. In centuries gone by ship captains were largely laws unto themselves given the long time they spent between contact with home and command. Their power was far-reaching and there was tremendous weight vested in their judgement. We now live in a period in which communication is nearly always instantaneous between and level of command and action that is desirable. The potential negative outcomes of that are one of the two major themes of Campbell's first trilogy on Stark's War. Distant space travel returns us to the previous state where there will again be long, cut-off periods where action must be taken. This element is present in the novel, and in fact gives rise to the limited plot that exists, but could have been taken much further. Perhaps the law could have been archaic in a sense, developed during a period more like the current one with space ship captains hobbled. Perhaps the author could work out the similarities and differences to traditional military rule and made that more interesting.
This doesn't sound like a four-star review. It is really hard to say what is amazingly good about the novel. I really cared about the main character. His world is drawn in wonderful color and your heads snaps about wanting to see what it is like. Though I wouldn't say it is done to the same extent, he shares this with Robert A. Heinlein who, particularly in later novels, might let a plot fall apart somewhat but compensated with such amazing characters and settings that you don't mind much.
One thing I wish it had done more of is fleshing out the sense of the law and practice of command necessarily turning full circle in an era of space travel. In centuries gone by ship captains were largely laws unto themselves given the long time they spent between contact with home and command. Their power was far-reaching and there was tremendous weight vested in their judgement. We now live in a period in which communication is nearly always instantaneous between and level of command and action that is desirable. The potential negative outcomes of that are one of the two major themes of Campbell's first trilogy on Stark's War. Distant space travel returns us to the previous state where there will again be long, cut-off periods where action must be taken. This element is present in the novel, and in fact gives rise to the limited plot that exists, but could have been taken much further. Perhaps the law could have been archaic in a sense, developed during a period more like the current one with space ship captains hobbled. Perhaps the author could work out the similarities and differences to traditional military rule and made that more interesting.
This doesn't sound like a four-star review. It is really hard to say what is amazingly good about the novel. I really cared about the main character. His world is drawn in wonderful color and your heads snaps about wanting to see what it is like. Though I wouldn't say it is done to the same extent, he shares this with Robert A. Heinlein who, particularly in later novels, might let a plot fall apart somewhat but compensated with such amazing characters and settings that you don't mind much.
February 16, 2009
Really enjoyed this book! This is the Navy in space and the author is obviously well versed with the military. Our main character, Paul, is the legal officer aboard a spaceship and finds himself embroiled in a court-martial. Really liked the main character and his determination to act with integrity. Although it appears to be in the sci-fi category, I'd actually describe it as military drama. No aliens here! :-) This is actually the same author as the Lost Fleet series but with those he writes under the name of Jack Campbell. Although listed as Book 1, this book could definitely stand alone.
March 24, 2025
The writing is a bit clunky, but the verisimilitude makes up for that. Surprisingly enjoyable.
May 3, 2023
I liked the combination of navy-in-space and military law.
August 12, 2020
I read three titles in this series, and they were a lot of fun. Filled with the details of military life that ring true, despite the futuristic setting. A military ship in space is still a military ship, after all.
Stories were engaging; characters, vivid and interesting. The series sits in such a niche genre that I actually rolled my eyes at a blurb on the jacket, stating that Hemry writes the best military science-fiction legal thrillers the reviewer has ever seen. Not a cornucopia of novels in that field!
Not books I'd reread again and again, but worth a look.
Stories were engaging; characters, vivid and interesting. The series sits in such a niche genre that I actually rolled my eyes at a blurb on the jacket, stating that Hemry writes the best military science-fiction legal thrillers the reviewer has ever seen. Not a cornucopia of novels in that field!
Not books I'd reread again and again, but worth a look.
March 4, 2010
Okay, this book combines three of my favorite genres--the courtroom thriller, science fiction, and sea fiction/Navy fiction. This book quite literally appeals to all three.
Set at the end of this century, (the 2000s), the US and various other countries have "claimed" various parts of the Solar System as "theirs." The United States Navy has extended its mission into space, and, the result is a mixture of the familiar--naval ranks, naval procedures, etc.--and the futuristic (an amazingly designed spacefaring warship that, using today's technology, could probably actually be built and work if a government decided to construct one. The extrapolation is amazingly well done; Hemry builds his future seamlessly and explains it as he tells the story. The settings he creates are so realistic that they don't seem like science fiction extrapolation, but rather places the author has actually scene.
The novel (and it is the first in the series) follows the fortunes of Paul Sinclair, a newly minted ensign, who's assigned to a ship about to go on a cruise. Paul is kind of an everyman, going through all of the problems, challenges, and screw ups that befell a new officer as she or he learns the ropes shipboard.
But the ship winds up in a sticky situation and the captain orders an attack on a ship that has ventured into US "Space." Although the captain thinks the vessel was military and was planning at attack, investigation after the crew of the other ship is killed reveals that it was a research vessel with no military armament. The ship is ordered back to port (a space station) and the Captain is placed on trial.
Paul is placed in a tricky situation; although he does not care for his CO, he realizes that the Rules of Engagement (the orders issued that dictate if, when, and how deadly force can be used) the captain has been working on were unclear and that the captain's actions were potentially defensible given the unclear rules of engagement. Paul does not think the captian should be fully exonerated, but he does not think he should be railroaded and imprisoned because the captain's superiors bear a measure of the blame for issuing unclear rules of engagement.
So Paul must decide whether to think of career first, or to defend an ineffective officer against a court martial that may be unjust.
The book really rocks; fast plot, believable characters, realistic portrayal of Navy life (I am a Naval veteran), morally complex issues that aren't easily resolved. It's a book that is thoughtful and exciting at the same time.
Set at the end of this century, (the 2000s), the US and various other countries have "claimed" various parts of the Solar System as "theirs." The United States Navy has extended its mission into space, and, the result is a mixture of the familiar--naval ranks, naval procedures, etc.--and the futuristic (an amazingly designed spacefaring warship that, using today's technology, could probably actually be built and work if a government decided to construct one. The extrapolation is amazingly well done; Hemry builds his future seamlessly and explains it as he tells the story. The settings he creates are so realistic that they don't seem like science fiction extrapolation, but rather places the author has actually scene.
The novel (and it is the first in the series) follows the fortunes of Paul Sinclair, a newly minted ensign, who's assigned to a ship about to go on a cruise. Paul is kind of an everyman, going through all of the problems, challenges, and screw ups that befell a new officer as she or he learns the ropes shipboard.
But the ship winds up in a sticky situation and the captain orders an attack on a ship that has ventured into US "Space." Although the captain thinks the vessel was military and was planning at attack, investigation after the crew of the other ship is killed reveals that it was a research vessel with no military armament. The ship is ordered back to port (a space station) and the Captain is placed on trial.
Paul is placed in a tricky situation; although he does not care for his CO, he realizes that the Rules of Engagement (the orders issued that dictate if, when, and how deadly force can be used) the captain has been working on were unclear and that the captain's actions were potentially defensible given the unclear rules of engagement. Paul does not think the captian should be fully exonerated, but he does not think he should be railroaded and imprisoned because the captain's superiors bear a measure of the blame for issuing unclear rules of engagement.
So Paul must decide whether to think of career first, or to defend an ineffective officer against a court martial that may be unjust.
The book really rocks; fast plot, believable characters, realistic portrayal of Navy life (I am a Naval veteran), morally complex issues that aren't easily resolved. It's a book that is thoughtful and exciting at the same time.
August 17, 2012
Military science fiction and law! The combination just appealed. (I am, of course, someone who read a tome on the U.S. Supreme Court history for fun)
I got exactly the story I predicted from that simple description. There was nothing unexpected about this book except perhaps the unflinching portrayals of incompetents in the Navy. They seemed a bit cartoonish, but sadly I could accept that people with issues this severe could indeed make it through the military ranks. Ensign Paul Sinclair, of course, isn't one of them; he's new on board, determined to do his best, and even when he doesn't always succeed, keeps on trying. Given that he's assigned three collateral duties alongside his primary job on the first day he steps on board, I felt a fair bit of sympathy for him.
One of those duties is as the ship's legal officer, because he's taken a one-month course. It's from that perspective that he watches the captain give orders that eventually lead the ship's crew into testifying at a court martial.
The dialogue felt a bit wooden to me -- not a deal-breaker when a higher ranking officer was addressing Paul and there were lots of "Yes, sir"s, but even the banter between ensigns wasn't quite natural. But the book's written quite earnestly and it's very readable, and there were a couple of minor characters that I thought were interesting, so I think I'll pick up the next one.
I got exactly the story I predicted from that simple description. There was nothing unexpected about this book except perhaps the unflinching portrayals of incompetents in the Navy. They seemed a bit cartoonish, but sadly I could accept that people with issues this severe could indeed make it through the military ranks. Ensign Paul Sinclair, of course, isn't one of them; he's new on board, determined to do his best, and even when he doesn't always succeed, keeps on trying. Given that he's assigned three collateral duties alongside his primary job on the first day he steps on board, I felt a fair bit of sympathy for him.
One of those duties is as the ship's legal officer, because he's taken a one-month course. It's from that perspective that he watches the captain give orders that eventually lead the ship's crew into testifying at a court martial.
The dialogue felt a bit wooden to me -- not a deal-breaker when a higher ranking officer was addressing Paul and there were lots of "Yes, sir"s, but even the banter between ensigns wasn't quite natural. But the book's written quite earnestly and it's very readable, and there were a couple of minor characters that I thought were interesting, so I think I'll pick up the next one.
March 19, 2015
Ensign Paul Sinclair, newly assigned to the space ship Michaelson, arrives there to take up his duties, and get the collateral duty, among others, of legal officer. Which means that after he has met the captain and been thoroughly less than impressed with his character, he gets the job of reviewing their orders and the vast discretion the captain has under them.
The particular orders are to patrol a section of space the United States claims and deal with any attempts to contest its sovereignity. You can read his naval background in the sections about the patrol, and Sinclair's interactions with fellow junior officers, enlisted, and superiors, both in his usual tasks, and as a legal officer. Accidents and minor offenses occur and things must be done.
And in due course, there comes a time where Captain Wakeman has to use his discretion, which he hasn't got.
They had talked earlier about what it would take to return early. It is not pleasing to actually have it happen. And the investigation leads to consequences and courtroom drama. Sinclair must make decisions about his own testimony which have impact both on the trial and on his career and relationships with the rest of the crew.
The particular orders are to patrol a section of space the United States claims and deal with any attempts to contest its sovereignity. You can read his naval background in the sections about the patrol, and Sinclair's interactions with fellow junior officers, enlisted, and superiors, both in his usual tasks, and as a legal officer. Accidents and minor offenses occur and things must be done.
And in due course, there comes a time where Captain Wakeman has to use his discretion, which he hasn't got.
They had talked earlier about what it would take to return early. It is not pleasing to actually have it happen. And the investigation leads to consequences and courtroom drama. Sinclair must make decisions about his own testimony which have impact both on the trial and on his career and relationships with the rest of the crew.
June 12, 2011
The first book in the “JAG in Space” series is a short and neat novel about a young ensign, an incident, and a court martial. Hemry delivers a page turner. Not the heaviest reading, to be sure, but there are depths between the lines. There is in fact quite a decent coming of age story between the covers.
I am always partial to books where I can identify with and feel sympathetic with the characters. Hemry is excellent at making the reader (well, this reader at least) identify with protagonist Paul Sinclair during his struggles on his first deployment. The other crew members of the U.S.S. Michaelson are a mix of good and bad, with wildly varied motivations, just like in real life. Overall, the characters feel well fleshed out, and Hemry is skilled at portraying both them and the action, entirely from young Sinclair’s perspective.
It could perhaps be argued that this novel’s setting is incidental, and that it would have worked just as well on the sea. That may be so, but that does not detract from its appeal. A fine read.
Note: Hemry also writes under the pseudonym Jack Campbell.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=840
I am always partial to books where I can identify with and feel sympathetic with the characters. Hemry is excellent at making the reader (well, this reader at least) identify with protagonist Paul Sinclair during his struggles on his first deployment. The other crew members of the U.S.S. Michaelson are a mix of good and bad, with wildly varied motivations, just like in real life. Overall, the characters feel well fleshed out, and Hemry is skilled at portraying both them and the action, entirely from young Sinclair’s perspective.
It could perhaps be argued that this novel’s setting is incidental, and that it would have worked just as well on the sea. That may be so, but that does not detract from its appeal. A fine read.
Note: Hemry also writes under the pseudonym Jack Campbell.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=840
March 8, 2018
3.5 stars
I liked the story and the characters. It was just a litte to wordy and technical for me. Also an appendix for some the "navy language" would have been great.
I liked the story and the characters. It was just a litte to wordy and technical for me. Also an appendix for some the "navy language" would have been great.
October 9, 2016
A clunky space navy YA: few pleasant characters, overdrawn cartoonish villains, and lapses into preachiness, especially near the end. (Note that I'm carefully distinguishing idealism, which I like, from preachiness, which I don't care for except in 19th century novels.)
I was annoyed that
Better space navy books with YA elements: Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy, David Feintuch's Seafort Saga.
If somebody handed me the sequels, I'd read them; but I wouldn't go buy them.
I was annoyed that
Better space navy books with YA elements: Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy, David Feintuch's Seafort Saga.
If somebody handed me the sequels, I'd read them; but I wouldn't go buy them.
September 12, 2017
I was very dubious reading this book despite the fact that I love the author's space opera when writing as Jack Campbell. Soured by super JAG from TV where the JAG officer flies F-14s, is a former SEAL, and is just so awesome as to defy mere mortals such as admirals, full-bird captains, and fleet commodores.
This book was fairly good, but gets a little tedious with all of the legal wrangling in the court. I really like the interaction between the characters and the character development.
My one complaint though is that Jen should have told Paul that she does not do one night stands BEFORE she slept with him. Jen is lucky that Paul did not "thanks toots" and bolt like so many men might have.
This book was fairly good, but gets a little tedious with all of the legal wrangling in the court. I really like the interaction between the characters and the character development.
My one complaint though is that Jen should have told Paul that she does not do one night stands BEFORE she slept with him. Jen is lucky that Paul did not "thanks toots" and bolt like so many men might have.
February 16, 2015
Another great science fiction book by John G. Hemry a.k.a. Jack Campbell. This book is a blend of hard SF, military SF and legal drama. It describes the first tour of duty of a young Navy Ensign (Ensign Paul Sinclair) on a deep space ship. One of his side jobs is as the ships legal adviser. When the Captain destroys a civilian space ship his side job suddenly takes on great importance and a test of his character. A great read which I highly recommend.
July 26, 2023
The first part of this book is slow - Ensign Paul Sinclair is on his first deployment after the academy. Among his responsibilities is to serve as the ship's Legal Officer, but mostly he's just trying to find his way around.
The second half, which deals with a court martial is much more interesting. Overall I really enjoyed reading this.
The second half, which deals with a court martial is much more interesting. Overall I really enjoyed reading this.
October 1, 2016
Read in print in 2011 and listened with David in 2016. Very nice "read" for a car trip! Nice characters and great extrapolation of naval culture to the future space navy.
Reading again for my SF group October 2016.
Reading again for my SF group October 2016.
May 14, 2024
A quick read, light and fluffy, which would seem to be the wrong adjectives to describe a hard sci-fi military courtroom drama, but the shoe fits. I enjoyed it, and will likely look into its sequels.
July 12, 2022
I always enjoyed the TV show Jag. The appeal to me was the genre mashup of military and legal drama. This was a blending of ingredients that resulted in a whole that was superior to both of its parts. So imagine my reaction when this concept is further mashed up with my greatest love, science fiction. I knew I had to read this book.
The result didn't disappoint. I wasn't surprised to learn that the author is a veteran of the US Navy. This book definitely gave the impression of being written by somebody who knows what he's talking about. This is one of the most believable -feeling military spaceships I've encountered in fiction.
The story took longer than I expected to get to the court case, but everything before that served the development of character, the world-building, and laying important seeds that would become important later in the book.
The author made a surprising choice of protagonist for this book. Rather than using one of the lawyers, or even the accused, the protagonist is an eager young Ensign, fresh from the academy starting his first posting on a spaceship. He is made ship's legal officer as one of his secondary duties and does get involved in the trial, but in an unexpected way.
I've come to love this character as I've read his story. Paul is an idealistic and thoughtful man who gives great consideration to his actions and ultimately puts what is right ahead of what is best for him. He's the kind of guy I'd want to be friends with were I serving on this ship.
A Just Determination explores themes of duty, personal responsibility and sacrifice. Exactly the kinds of themes you'd expect from a military legal thriller. But it explores them well in a satisfying way.
This book has excitement, adventure, intruige, and even a little unexpected romance. It all added up to a great yarn.
This serves as a grand opening to what promises to be an enjoyable and fulfilling series. I, for one, am very eager to continue this journey with Ensign Paul Sinclair.
The result didn't disappoint. I wasn't surprised to learn that the author is a veteran of the US Navy. This book definitely gave the impression of being written by somebody who knows what he's talking about. This is one of the most believable -feeling military spaceships I've encountered in fiction.
The story took longer than I expected to get to the court case, but everything before that served the development of character, the world-building, and laying important seeds that would become important later in the book.
The author made a surprising choice of protagonist for this book. Rather than using one of the lawyers, or even the accused, the protagonist is an eager young Ensign, fresh from the academy starting his first posting on a spaceship. He is made ship's legal officer as one of his secondary duties and does get involved in the trial, but in an unexpected way.
I've come to love this character as I've read his story. Paul is an idealistic and thoughtful man who gives great consideration to his actions and ultimately puts what is right ahead of what is best for him. He's the kind of guy I'd want to be friends with were I serving on this ship.
A Just Determination explores themes of duty, personal responsibility and sacrifice. Exactly the kinds of themes you'd expect from a military legal thriller. But it explores them well in a satisfying way.
This book has excitement, adventure, intruige, and even a little unexpected romance. It all added up to a great yarn.
This serves as a grand opening to what promises to be an enjoyable and fulfilling series. I, for one, am very eager to continue this journey with Ensign Paul Sinclair.
September 9, 2022
A Just Determination is written by John Hemry which later goes by his name Jack Campbell. This story revolves around Paul Sinclair which is a newly minted Ensign fresh from the Academy and specialized training to board his first ship the USS Mickelson. It goes about being acquanted to ship life, have specialized duties as the ships legal officer, and go about a situation that would require Mr. Sinclair to make a difficult decision.
A Just Determination is a fantastic novel and I ordered the rest of the series, so I will update on future books in the series. Mr. Sinclair is a great protagonist and someone easy to root for. He has many flaws, makes many mistakes, but lives by the noble notions of honor and justice. Those kind of ideals are hard to see even today, but it makes for great reading having someone start from the bottom on up and learning through all the challenges.
For this review, I try to keep spoilers to a minimum. This is the first sci fi book in a long time that had me forget about sleep to finish the book and 5 star rating is something of a rarity to me. For someone such as myself that has never been in the military, following the ranking of officers can be a bit tricky at times. It doesn't detract from the story because all the characters, including side character, feel like real people. There is a problem nowadays that has writers have their character or side characters portrayed as perfect. It pisses me off, rolls my eyes, and most times detracts from the story. This story doesn't do that. All of these people have flaws, make mistakes, and to me that makes getting invested in these characters that much easier.
All I will say is that I loved the ending and in parting words my favorite line from the book. "Where is Tweed!"
A Just Determination is a fantastic novel and I ordered the rest of the series, so I will update on future books in the series. Mr. Sinclair is a great protagonist and someone easy to root for. He has many flaws, makes many mistakes, but lives by the noble notions of honor and justice. Those kind of ideals are hard to see even today, but it makes for great reading having someone start from the bottom on up and learning through all the challenges.
For this review, I try to keep spoilers to a minimum. This is the first sci fi book in a long time that had me forget about sleep to finish the book and 5 star rating is something of a rarity to me. For someone such as myself that has never been in the military, following the ranking of officers can be a bit tricky at times. It doesn't detract from the story because all the characters, including side character, feel like real people. There is a problem nowadays that has writers have their character or side characters portrayed as perfect. It pisses me off, rolls my eyes, and most times detracts from the story. This story doesn't do that. All of these people have flaws, make mistakes, and to me that makes getting invested in these characters that much easier.
All I will say is that I loved the ending and in parting words my favorite line from the book. "Where is Tweed!"
March 15, 2022
A Just Determination is the March book for our local SF reading group. I have to confess I wasn't initially enthusiastic about it, as it didn't sound like one of my favorite types of books. But I was happy to be proved wrong. It was a lot of fun.
Paul Sinclair is a junior Ensign in the US Navy space force. He's assigned to a ship where the Captain basically wants to show off, to set himself up for promotion. When the Captain allows the situation with a ship that strayed into US space escalate, resulting in the death of the crew of the enemy ship (which turns out to have been unarmed), the Captain is Court Maritalled. But Paul feels, while the Captain did wrong, some of the charges against him are unjust, and testifies for the defense.
The novel does a good job of exploring the interpersonal relationships on the ship, as well as providing details on how such a ship operates. Henry is clearly leveraging his naval background here.
Overall, not a great book, but certainly a fun one.
Paul Sinclair is a junior Ensign in the US Navy space force. He's assigned to a ship where the Captain basically wants to show off, to set himself up for promotion. When the Captain allows the situation with a ship that strayed into US space escalate, resulting in the death of the crew of the enemy ship (which turns out to have been unarmed), the Captain is Court Maritalled. But Paul feels, while the Captain did wrong, some of the charges against him are unjust, and testifies for the defense.
The novel does a good job of exploring the interpersonal relationships on the ship, as well as providing details on how such a ship operates. Henry is clearly leveraging his naval background here.
Overall, not a great book, but certainly a fun one.
August 11, 2021
A Just Determination s clever introduction to the character of Paul Sinclair as he is put through his pacing as of his first assignment to the USS Michaelson! The charaterisation of Paul and the others such as Wakeman, Jen etc is brilliantly done. This all keeps Sinclair on the hop and Jens and Wakeman interaractions you will not see coming!
The plot, and Pauls seeing that Wakeman gets a fair try, is brillianlty done! The tension is al there from the start but A Just Determination is also packed full of action and humour throughout! The cast of characters are all three dimensional but at the same all different to each other making for unpredicatable interations! You will be up late guessing as to which way things are going to go!
Brilliant, tense, full of action and acventure! Crisp High Five! Get it When You Can! Highly Recommended!
The plot, and Pauls seeing that Wakeman gets a fair try, is brillianlty done! The tension is al there from the start but A Just Determination is also packed full of action and humour throughout! The cast of characters are all three dimensional but at the same all different to each other making for unpredicatable interations! You will be up late guessing as to which way things are going to go!
Brilliant, tense, full of action and acventure! Crisp High Five! Get it When You Can! Highly Recommended!
March 30, 2018
A good start to another military leadership series
Mr Henry has written the beginnings of a series that could sit up on the shelves besides Horatio Hornblower and Dan Lenson. A good but flawed and wet behind the ears Ensign is struggling through how to become a good person, a good sailor, and, eventually, a good leader.
The book does have some slogs.... not many would be as interested in the long court martial set as I was (I've always loved the law and how it can be used - or misused - in everyday life. I spent 20 years in the Air Force and 18 years as the son of a old line, traditional Chief Petty Officer and I was pleased with how Mr. Henry portrayed the day to day military life.
IN CONCLUSION - A GREAT READ YOU REALLY NEED TO TRY IT.
Mr Henry has written the beginnings of a series that could sit up on the shelves besides Horatio Hornblower and Dan Lenson. A good but flawed and wet behind the ears Ensign is struggling through how to become a good person, a good sailor, and, eventually, a good leader.
The book does have some slogs.... not many would be as interested in the long court martial set as I was (I've always loved the law and how it can be used - or misused - in everyday life. I spent 20 years in the Air Force and 18 years as the son of a old line, traditional Chief Petty Officer and I was pleased with how Mr. Henry portrayed the day to day military life.
IN CONCLUSION - A GREAT READ YOU REALLY NEED TO TRY IT.
September 28, 2023
As a fan of the Jack Campbell books, I have been reading other books besides the Lost Fleet series and all its spinoffs. This book written under the true name of the author John Hemry is closer to his naval experience and it shows. This is a navy procedural story with a Captain Queeg who exceeds the bounds of his authority. It quickly turns into a naval JAG legal story.
I, as always, found the writing excellent. Hemry carries the intricacies of the story well and gives a good sense of life on a constrained naval space warfare vessel. As with his other work, I found this worth reading and will continue with this series as well as his other works under his nom de plume Jack Campbell.
I, as always, found the writing excellent. Hemry carries the intricacies of the story well and gives a good sense of life on a constrained naval space warfare vessel. As with his other work, I found this worth reading and will continue with this series as well as his other works under his nom de plume Jack Campbell.
May 26, 2019
A court procedural set in space is an interesting concept, but one which is well-handled by Campbell/ Hemry. However, despite the blurb on the back cover, the destruction of the science ship doesn't happen until about halfway through, and despite the title, the book isn't really about a JAG in Space - the main character just happens to have some legal training.
Very much enjoyed the book, but be prepared that the trial is only the last third, it's really obvious which way it's going to go, and the plot of the first two-thirds of the book is entirely revealed by the blurb.
Very much enjoyed the book, but be prepared that the trial is only the last third, it's really obvious which way it's going to go, and the plot of the first two-thirds of the book is entirely revealed by the blurb.
April 9, 2025
Sometimes you want to read a well-written story about people being competent, and sometimes you'll settle for a lackluster one. There's an old SF term, Bat Durston, used to refer to "science fiction" stories that are really just Westerns with references to six-shooters swapped out for ray guns and aliens taking the place of Indians or cattle raiders. This is the space military equivalent, with the gosh-wow attitude towards the military that you'd expect from a children's book author or a veteran. I was in the mood for something to read but not think about, and this does that.
July 18, 2019
A Just Determination is a very interesting story about the events of a young Ensign in the United States Navy, assigned to the spaceship Michaelson, when things go horribly wrong. It was well written and very engaging as a science fiction procedural. Hemry really brought the day-to-day life of an overworked ensign to life, mixing tedium and excitement while leaving the reader wanting more.
October 27, 2022
A brilliantly immersive, compelling and charming view into the world Naval service cleverly transposed into space. Add in a cast of varied characters engaged in moments of drudgery and then high drama. You get a story that serves this depiction of Naval service well as a fulcrum in which to tell an engaging story of why the judgement of military officers is so important and how when that judgement goes wrong, military law functions to deal with it.
January 13, 2018
Summary: Really well written and thoughtful book, the plot is weak and the action thin, but the premise is excellent
Plotline: Very simple plot but superbly presented
Premise: Totally believable, but not very far in the future
Writing: Simple, very descriptive, the detail is breathtaking
Ending: Predictable but satisfactory
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: Very simple plot but superbly presented
Premise: Totally believable, but not very far in the future
Writing: Simple, very descriptive, the detail is breathtaking
Ending: Predictable but satisfactory
Pace: Never a dull moment!
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