Redliners and The Tank Lords both by David Drake

Title - REDLINERS

Publisher - Baen Books

Publish date - 7/1/1997

Now can be had free on Amazon or Baen books as a free item. (http://ift.tt/2lVnAOc)

David Drake once said this book (Redliners) was the best book he had ever authored. I'm quite the fan and will have to agree. If you enjoy military SciFi, grab this book now!

The basis of the story is one of possible redemption.

Major Arthur Farrell and his troops had clearly seen too much war. Fighting the alien Kalendru was both brutal and dehumanizing - as is any prolonged warfare.
These troops have too many bad memories to be sent back to combat, unfortunately that also means they are far too dangerous for...everyone - themselves or civilian life.

So, they get sent to 'protect' a colony world. What they wind up fighting has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.

Drake is a Vet of the Vietnam conflict. He clearly has had some experience with so-called trip-wire Vets. You know, the kind of person that is more than trained and more than able to kill you without a second thought if the situation should arise...

Read this with an eye to your neighbor down the street, you know "that guy" - the one that pulled 5+ tours, patrolling almost daily, outside of the wire in Iraq, 'the Stan or some other desert hellhole. He really isn't ignoring you...he's just trying to figure out how to kill everyone in the room with what's on hand. That kind of Vet is what this book describes so well...

Not for pre-teens. High school readers should be okay. It's not that the violence is graphic - it is, but it also so casual. Might be disturbing for readers with a limited amount of real-world experience. I strongly suggest reading the book for yourself - all the way through - before turning it over to the kiddos.

Well written, easy to understand and the story flows well. The story is consistent internally and the characters, as described, make what seem to be rational decisions - based on their past experience. Too bad for everyone else.

Written very much in the vein of Hammer's Slammers, it is a non-stop, "E" ticket ride.

Enjoy!

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Redliners and The Tank Lords both by David Drake