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Tide of Battle
Collected short fiction from multiple bestseller Michael Z. Williamson. After a brutal car crash, a disabled young man beats all odds to pursue his dream of crewing the first starship. Outnumbered and outgunned, a Freehold warship must use guile, expert maneuvering and sheer courage to survive a pursuing UN fleet. Meanwhile, other Freeholders resort to terrifying psyops to destroy their invaders' morale. A family learns that their patriarch isn't as crazy as they thought when a zombie uprising actually happens. A young girl must use her knowledge of elementals and spirit beings to protect a king who is unaware of the threats against him. In an alternate Bronze Age, the descendants of dinosaurs fight with sentient felinoids for territory and survival. Humans reduced to cowering in caves find a most unlikely weapon against their alien invaders. With cutting satire on classic poetry and modern movies, a no-holds-barred lambast of several beloved firearms and their fan clubs, Williamson concludes with more of his Inappropriate Cocktail recipes, frequently both delicious and outrageously snarky, commemorating celebrities, events and cultural memes. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Michael Z. “A fast-paced, compulsive read . . . will appeal to fans of John Ringo, David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and David Weber.”—Kliatt “Williamson's military expertise is impressive.”—SF Reviews Michael Z. Williamson is retired military, having served twenty-five years in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Fox. Williamson is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. He has consulted on military matters, weapons and disaster preparedness for Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel productions and is Editor-at-Large for Survivalblog, with 300,000 weekly readers. In addition, Williamson tests and reviews firearms and gear for manufacturers. Williamson’s books set in his Freehold Universe includeFreehold, The Weapon, The Rogue, Better to Beg Forgiveness . . ., Do Unto Others . . ., and When Diplomacy Fails . . .. He is also the author of time travel novel A Long Time Until Now, as well as The Hero—the latter written in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo. Williamson was born in England, raised in Liverpool and Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Indianapolis with his children.
- GenresScience Fiction
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2018
21 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 19, 2018
Another great selection of Mad Mike's work; let's do this again real soon, okay?
I'm not entirely certain where I got this book. It's not showing up in my Amazon purchases, so I'm guessing I got it directly from Baen. I recently (6/18/18) reviewed "Brilliant Liberal Logic: Three Lies In Three Words" by the same author, and I may have picked this one up at the same time.
This will not be ANYONE'S first book by Michael Z. Williamson. You either got it because you love his work, or you have aggravated the heck out of someone because you are a snowflake, and they sent you this so they could watch your head explode. Mad Mike does not just slaughter sacred cows; he tans their skins and eats the meat. In fact, he might even have included some of the recipes in this volume, along with chicken cooked on a rock.
Some of the stories are in the Freehold Universe, others in shared worlds, and there are stand-alones. The non-fiction runs the gamut, but even when he is being serious, Mad Mike's sense of humor comes through.
A few years ago, Mad Mike put out another collection of short stories in a volume entitled "Tour of Duty." I got the pre-publication version of that one from Baen, and sent one story to my first-born son, who was at the time stationed in Afghanistan. The story I sent was "Desert Blues," which describes an attack on a base in the Middle East, during which a guitarist defiantly proclaims via his music that he will NOT be cowed. I didn't know, at the time I sent it, that my first-born son, who had just been given his OWN first-born son shortly before he deployed, had already been smashed bloody in a rocket attack; and I had no idea that the story was going to help my son, strengthen him to hold on the the things he knew to be true. So, frappen thanks again, Mad Mike. My son still struggles, but the long term prognosis is better, we think.
There are no stories in THIS collection that will profoundly change my life. most likely, although some might change yours. For example:
"The Digital Kid." A boy has the desire burning inside; and when his dreams are shattered, the desire gives him what he needs to overcome.
"Soft Casualty" (Freehold) can bring home to you the horror that some might face from being in a war zone, even if they have no tissue damage. I read the story in some other context, but it's just as creepy here.
"Starhome," also set in the Freehold universe, is another illustration of the way that Big Government/Big NGO cannot allow anyone to remain unaffiliated. The owner/operator of a chunk of rock in a formerly convenient location has to choose.
"Hate In The Darkness" is a straight-up tale of space warfare, with stern chases and intercepts, and choices which WILL kill people who don't deserve to die. The high technology doesn't alter the ethics.
"A Flower Grows In Whitechapel" and "A Peony Among Roses" (written with Gail Sanders) are linked stories, set in a British Empire with magic and fear and colonialism; and flowers.
"How Sweet The Sound" (with Morgen Kirby) is a stand-alone, but it MIGHT be related to Robert Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters." In a world where the survival of the human race is at issue, when can you say "I have had enough?" It has bagpipes, too.
"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Grandpa" is set in Ringo's 'Black Tide' universe. Grandpa is a tough old bird, who knew SOMETHING was going to go wrong. So, he got ready. And his family wanted him to not do that.
"A Fire In The Grass" and "Medley" are co-written with Jessica Schlenker, who is, I believe, a certified Brilliant Person and has been a very helpful resource in Mad Mike's researches. Telepaths and Magic and Nomads, and my inability to stick with the story was very, very inconsiderate, and I will attempt to do better next time. This is MY failure, and not that of the authors.
"Off The Cuff": 140 words. That's it; composed on the spur of the moment in a MOST worthy cause, and FUNNY.
"Battle's Tide" This one has a fascinating context, and I KNOW I have encountered part of it elsewhere. Telepathic dinosaurs, sentient big cats, and the land bridge at Gibraltar has just collapsed, and the big hole is getting filled in; it will be what we call the Mediterranean.
The remainder of the book, in the section most aptly titled 'Provocations,' PROBABLY reflects Mad Mike's positions accurately. However, as he points out, sometimes he says things for the shock value. I must point out that this is a an I have seen posed in front of what must be every variety of Mosin-Nagant ever made; yet, he only owns ONE M1 Garand. So, is he for real, or is he bughouse nuts. Well, his opinions fit my hand better than others do; you be the judge. Be aware that he feels that he MUST be an equal opportunity offender, or else he really will be a racist. And that's gonna lead to some really strange ca-ca, particularly in his list of beverages.
I will note that I enjoyed "A Long Time Until Now" greatly, and his section on 'The Making Of' (not the real title) was like the bonus material on "The Gladiator" DVD; just superb, in my opinion.
I'm not entirely certain where I got this book. It's not showing up in my Amazon purchases, so I'm guessing I got it directly from Baen. I recently (6/18/18) reviewed "Brilliant Liberal Logic: Three Lies In Three Words" by the same author, and I may have picked this one up at the same time.
This will not be ANYONE'S first book by Michael Z. Williamson. You either got it because you love his work, or you have aggravated the heck out of someone because you are a snowflake, and they sent you this so they could watch your head explode. Mad Mike does not just slaughter sacred cows; he tans their skins and eats the meat. In fact, he might even have included some of the recipes in this volume, along with chicken cooked on a rock.
Some of the stories are in the Freehold Universe, others in shared worlds, and there are stand-alones. The non-fiction runs the gamut, but even when he is being serious, Mad Mike's sense of humor comes through.
A few years ago, Mad Mike put out another collection of short stories in a volume entitled "Tour of Duty." I got the pre-publication version of that one from Baen, and sent one story to my first-born son, who was at the time stationed in Afghanistan. The story I sent was "Desert Blues," which describes an attack on a base in the Middle East, during which a guitarist defiantly proclaims via his music that he will NOT be cowed. I didn't know, at the time I sent it, that my first-born son, who had just been given his OWN first-born son shortly before he deployed, had already been smashed bloody in a rocket attack; and I had no idea that the story was going to help my son, strengthen him to hold on the the things he knew to be true. So, frappen thanks again, Mad Mike. My son still struggles, but the long term prognosis is better, we think.
There are no stories in THIS collection that will profoundly change my life. most likely, although some might change yours. For example:
"The Digital Kid." A boy has the desire burning inside; and when his dreams are shattered, the desire gives him what he needs to overcome.
"Soft Casualty" (Freehold) can bring home to you the horror that some might face from being in a war zone, even if they have no tissue damage. I read the story in some other context, but it's just as creepy here.
"Starhome," also set in the Freehold universe, is another illustration of the way that Big Government/Big NGO cannot allow anyone to remain unaffiliated. The owner/operator of a chunk of rock in a formerly convenient location has to choose.
"Hate In The Darkness" is a straight-up tale of space warfare, with stern chases and intercepts, and choices which WILL kill people who don't deserve to die. The high technology doesn't alter the ethics.
"A Flower Grows In Whitechapel" and "A Peony Among Roses" (written with Gail Sanders) are linked stories, set in a British Empire with magic and fear and colonialism; and flowers.
"How Sweet The Sound" (with Morgen Kirby) is a stand-alone, but it MIGHT be related to Robert Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters." In a world where the survival of the human race is at issue, when can you say "I have had enough?" It has bagpipes, too.
"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Grandpa" is set in Ringo's 'Black Tide' universe. Grandpa is a tough old bird, who knew SOMETHING was going to go wrong. So, he got ready. And his family wanted him to not do that.
"A Fire In The Grass" and "Medley" are co-written with Jessica Schlenker, who is, I believe, a certified Brilliant Person and has been a very helpful resource in Mad Mike's researches. Telepaths and Magic and Nomads, and my inability to stick with the story was very, very inconsiderate, and I will attempt to do better next time. This is MY failure, and not that of the authors.
"Off The Cuff": 140 words. That's it; composed on the spur of the moment in a MOST worthy cause, and FUNNY.
"Battle's Tide" This one has a fascinating context, and I KNOW I have encountered part of it elsewhere. Telepathic dinosaurs, sentient big cats, and the land bridge at Gibraltar has just collapsed, and the big hole is getting filled in; it will be what we call the Mediterranean.
The remainder of the book, in the section most aptly titled 'Provocations,' PROBABLY reflects Mad Mike's positions accurately. However, as he points out, sometimes he says things for the shock value. I must point out that this is a an I have seen posed in front of what must be every variety of Mosin-Nagant ever made; yet, he only owns ONE M1 Garand. So, is he for real, or is he bughouse nuts. Well, his opinions fit my hand better than others do; you be the judge. Be aware that he feels that he MUST be an equal opportunity offender, or else he really will be a racist. And that's gonna lead to some really strange ca-ca, particularly in his list of beverages.
I will note that I enjoyed "A Long Time Until Now" greatly, and his section on 'The Making Of' (not the real title) was like the bonus material on "The Gladiator" DVD; just superb, in my opinion.
September 6, 2018
Short story and essay collection. The fiction runs the gamut from entries in the author's Freehold Universe, to Victorian fantasy, and a rather interesting novella set in an alternate Bronze Age, pitting sentient humanoid felines against mind-controlling dinosaur-like reptiles. The essays contain some amusing musings on rifle technology, as well as very inappropriate, and often hilarious, cocktail recipes.
While I don’t always agree with Mr. Williamson’s political views, even in his fiction, he offers insightful political and social commentary with a great deal of thought and research behind it. There is a short passage about how his views have developed in the two decades since he published Freehold. This passage provides tantalising glimpse of an interesting mind which does not deny the impact of new data.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/08/...
While I don’t always agree with Mr. Williamson’s political views, even in his fiction, he offers insightful political and social commentary with a great deal of thought and research behind it. There is a short passage about how his views have developed in the two decades since he published Freehold. This passage provides tantalising glimpse of an interesting mind which does not deny the impact of new data.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/08/...
September 28, 2018
First part, very interesting. Second part, very odd.
Some of these stories had appeared other places, and I'd read them there, but a lot of this collection was new to me, and for the most part, I enjoyed the stories in the collection. The essays collected into the second half of the book were odd to be sure, but they all drive home a point, and even if I don't understand enough to agree or disagree with some of them (such as the article about the various gun models), they're definitely delivered in an interesting style, and to some, that will turn them off, while others will find them engaging. As a whole, not a bad volume, and I find it a nice collection to the collection of books I have on my virtual bookshelf.
Some of these stories had appeared other places, and I'd read them there, but a lot of this collection was new to me, and for the most part, I enjoyed the stories in the collection. The essays collected into the second half of the book were odd to be sure, but they all drive home a point, and even if I don't understand enough to agree or disagree with some of them (such as the article about the various gun models), they're definitely delivered in an interesting style, and to some, that will turn them off, while others will find them engaging. As a whole, not a bad volume, and I find it a nice collection to the collection of books I have on my virtual bookshelf.
December 31, 2018
Some fun, some in a language I don't understand (fretful gun owner), and a few misfires (the title story had too little action for the world building required). But when it works it was a lot of fun.
July 19, 2021
A nice collection, and the "Provocatives" at the end are awesome! Not much Freehold, but don't let that stop you.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews