Go Tell the Spartans

Falkenberg's Legion #3

by Jerry Pournelle, S.M. Stirling

Called upon to train the people of the colony planet Sparta in the ways of war, mercenary John Christian Falkenberg and his Legion unwittingly transform their own deadly enemies into enemies of the planet as well. Reissue.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction, War

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

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

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denna är mycket bra. Samhällsanalysen är skarp, bataljerna nervkittlande och oron för förräderi ständig. Jag är på gränsen att ge den 5 stjärnor.

[H. R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 'codominiun universe', created by Pournelle and at its best in The Mote in God's Eye, is detailed across roughly 30 novels and anthologies. Go Tell the Spartans is part of a series containing:
- a 'breakthrough' of sorts in Stirling's maturity as a writer. Stirling is now somewhat of a modern-day heir to Ruyard Kipling, both in prose and political orientation.
- a political parable, where 'king and country' reign, and the authors suggest unconstrained democracy is as reckless as communism.
- military fiction using the toolkit of Tom Clancy (and quite effectively).

There's a very strong theme of self-determination, the dangers of welfare, the privilage vs the right of citizenship.

I enjoy 'some' of the political orientation, love re-reading this series, but find the 'political solution' glossed over and simplified, reading like a 'boys tale' and therefore diluting the political message. What if Pournelle and Stirling rewrote the series with a third collaborator, E.L. Doctorow orJoseph Heller? That would place some needed scuff marks on the military shine.

[Gerhard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line is cool, but the 'war' scenes are a bit of a mystery at times without a map to give you a better idea of where the action is taking place. Loved the 'dark' beauty rebel leader, can just see her in the movie with her Caribbean accent! :) At times it is actually a mystery as to who the 'lead' character is. So in the end I think it's a good story but a bit confusing at times.

[John Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

With much more interest villains and battle scenes, this novel has been the best of the series. I have consistently been impressed by how well done the battles have been framed in this book series. I can now add that I am almost equally impressed with the characters and their interactions.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent continuation of the Falkenburg stories. This book has scholarly essays on the structure of the Co-Dominion that are quite good. The ending is an excellent speech that foreshadows the books to come.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one sat around for a bit - started, stopped, started,....etc. finally picked it up and sped through the last pages - skipping the expositionary bits. While the edition I have is from 2014, the original story/book is from 2002. While I've enjoyed individual works from both authours, and with this one I can see flashes of a good plot and writing, the story as a whole just didn't do it for me. Sorry Jerry P. & S.M.S.

[AJS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+, just not as solid as previous. When the main character focus turns from Falkenberg I find that the story dips. Strong rebound into the military scenes.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

These are all great books for fans of military sci-fi. From these, to the War World Books, King David's space ship, and the Moties.

[David Elsholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

One of the best in a series of outstanding episodes in the story of falkenburgs legion. Throughly enjoyable and fascinating.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book to me marks a shift in the series - the story line - always about the people and their surroundings take a more personal level. Before you were seeing the preparation of the fall of Earth and the attempts to limit the chaos that would follow. Yes you got to see it played out in the interactions of people but you knew in the back ground Falkenberg was working towards a greater good (even if at times he let his personal agenda take centre) Here however the focus draws in to a smaller scale but one with an equally important prize. Sparta- is home to power play between the authorities and the people - however each side are being backed or at least manipulated by outside conflicting forces. The shift in narrative and I guess a drawing of the focus to a single location and conflict makes it all feel more personal and for me closer to home. Also I like how the fact that opponents from previous conflicts are now working together and if anything make a stronger force, one which is needed in this situation.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pournelle's books are ever so much better when he has a co-author. In this case, Stirling - a favorite of mine when solo - helps immensely with the characters and dialog, making this a far smoother and more entertaining read than the previous two in this series. I'm still not bumping up to 4 stars as it still lacks anything truly spectacular, but I am enjoying the background on the CoDominion and the Mote universe.

PS: I read this out of order. "Prince of Mercenaries" is supposed to be first. This is only marginally problematic. Lysander and Ursula are major characters in "Prince," but they are so much better developed here that it's not a huge deal to have missed that background.
Moreover, events at the end of "Falkenberg's Legion" (actually book 1 and advertised on Goodreads as book 2) are occurring simultaneously with events in this book, so it's not like the timeline is being rigidly adhered to in any case.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well-written with tense plot development and reads as almost a primer in the step-by-step development of a small scale guerrilla war into a full-blown armed insurrection. My only hesitation comes from the jingoistic genre of the book - military science fiction. My own experience with war makes me hesitant to say that technology, even the well-developed science fiction weaponry of this series, makes a might-means-right scenario the only possible solution. Read it for fun, but use it as a tool to develop your sense of right and wrong.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story steps away from the earlier main character, Falkenberg, and fleshes out the evolving universe. Very well done, and a great read, with well-developed characters. Note that I read this book as part of The Prince, which compiles the 4 main books of the series. Before this 3rd book, The Prince includes what seems to be a short story called Sword & Sceptre. Not sure if it's part of Prince of Mercenaries. But it's important. I recommend people read this series in the form of The Prince, for completeness.

[Howl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I can hear Stirling's developing style showing up here more than the previous books in the series. There's also fewer badly incorrect historical items, probably due to the later publication date.

Both the protagonists and the villains get more characterization which is to the good and the climactic battle is one in which small things matter, there are no brilliant tactical strokes or clever tricks upon which the victory hinges.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is where Falkenberg's legion are looking for home as the Codominum is dying. Sparta is on the verge of whether or not to look for the empire. A tale of how the guerilla war could take down a "good" government.

[Keira F. Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The CoDominium universe is vast and rich, and I always get a little frustrated at some of the books as I want to know MORE about the setting and how they got there. Anyways, decent romp at the "end" of the reign of the CoDominium and the start of the Spartan Empire.

[Lynn Calvin]

baen ebook

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great military science fiction

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Co-Diminion Military SF book - 3rd of the Falkenburg books - series best read in order

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

[Alastair McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but I recommend readingThe Prince to get all of these in order.