Bartley's Man

1632 Stories #1

by Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett

Not every hero stands at the forefront of battle, chopping up, or gunning down the foe. Johan Kipper, an old and worn mercenary who had done more than his share of chopping up and gunning down, finally found his hero, his liege lord, not in a great captain, but in David Bartley, a fourteen year old boy who was just trying to make sure his family could get by. A lad who was trying to protect his family by making rather than taking, by building rather than destroying. And, more, a lad who didn't need to knock Johan down to feel tall or make Johan afraid to feel brave.
Never in his long life of war and hate had Johan met someone courageous enough to be kind.
This is the story of Johan Kipper, known across the Germanies as Bartley's Man. How he went from down-and-out mercenary to, well, you know what he became. Everyone knows what he became. Bartley's Man.
Bartley's Man Started out as several stories in The Grantville Gazette. We, Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff, were filling in the gaps just for the fun of it. Later, we were asked to rewrite and add to it so that it could stand alone as a novel. This expanded edition of Bartley's Man is written expressly for Eric Flint's Ring of Fire Press which sadly passed with Eric. But it’s still a good read and introduction to Eric’s 1632 universe.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2022

Reviews

[x x x · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

Talking through the ring of fire and the melding of the two different time frames seems to me to be a little bit of a stretch, but no more of a stretch than the old space operas made. Kind of fun exploration into what the advanced knowledge of possibilities does to the social fabric.

[Loren Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kipper's! Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!

Delve into the rise of the Higgin's Sewing Machine Company, Other People's Money, the Judy's & Beckie's, and how it ALL hinged on a fleeing mercenaries view!
It's Time to Man Up, Master David!

[Michael Annis · Rating 5 out of 5]

magic read

Loved this addition to the Grantville Canón. It’s so sad to have lost Eric but his legacy lives on in this expanding world and I hope to hell that the torch is picked up and kept lit. Too much has gone into this to be dropped. Desperate plea from one of many fans.

[Crystal Fortner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting view...

So this collection of stories put together in narratives of alternative views of events that took place at other 1632 books. Interesting tales.

[Henry Cosgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing spinoff

The Ring of Fire series was and is a top line alternative history. Great new characters that help fill in gaps.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done.

Lots about manufacturing, commerce, economics and trade balances. Within the canon, but requires a slow pace and occasional rereading to follow the storyline.

[BH Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different way of looking at some of the main storyline events with a much longer timeline look than the main series.

[IMHO · Rating 5 out of 5]

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