David Sherman Books

VEEDMEE!!!! Lord Gunny Says "Del Ray this is a darn fine tome, what are you thinking keeping my marines stuck far away from Frangeria???"

A Great story, with Great Characters on a running trek that keeps you turning the pages fast as you can read!

Lord Gunny is summoned to Dave Sherman's fantasy setting, and creates a corps of sea solders called "Marines". The story opens right up when two junior Marines land in the port city of New Bali and discover it has been overun by evil doers. They are forced to escape the city and seek aid from others. This small chore sets them on an adventure across the lands of Bostia, Skragland, and beyond. They encounter magics, mayhem, demons and destruction.

Dave Sherman's Demontech has an interesting twist on Magic. Demons are subdued, conjured, and summoned to be used in various magical tasks. Healing, Warding, Hiding, Destroying, Laboring, and more are some of the tasks they do.The way he employes them is very fun, along with the "demonspeak" they use.

"Veedmee" a demonspeak request, or even demand in some cases that the demons stop their tasks, asking to be fed before they continue.

Haft and Spinners adventures grow as they trek along avoiding the Dark Prince and his minions that are rampaging across the continent.

The Lands, the characters, the battles are all well defined and developed, you move thru the story fast and furious, left wanting.

As Lord Gunny says,"BUY THIS BOOK" you cant disobey orders!! and you wont be disappointed!

When I ran across this book, the premise behind this novel was intriguing - demon 'magic' and Marines? An odd combination so I bought it and read it in a day. I returned to the book store and purchased the other two novels in the series thereafter. An entertaining story line by an author who has obviously been where the bullets fly. I recommend this to any military Sci-Fi fan.

I love this series. I bought all three books at once and read them all in one sitting, only stopping long enough to take bathroom breaks. I want this series to continue. I think it was a lose to the readers of the world when this series was cancelled just because book three didn't sell as fast as the other two. I only picked up this series because I was waiting for the authors I follow to publish something new.
I would keep following this series if someone would figure out it's a good idea to keep publishing it.

The Demontech series is a gripping tale of two marines put in a situation where they must excel or die. Trained in the tradition of the USMC somehow in an epic fantasy setting, these marines rise to heroic proportions. Del Rey has decided not to publish further volumes in the series. If enough people try this book, they will buy the other two written and hopefully Del Rey reverses their decision.

With the Demontech series David Sherman introduces a wild twist to combat fantasy/fiction. His temperamental demons power the "high-tech" weapons in this latest combat novel series. Anyone who has ever used any type of weapon with electronics or moving parts can laughingly identify with the idiosyncracies of the various demons.

Sherman has woven a tale with all of the complexities of culture clashes, the action of a great war novel, and the inevitability of the involvement of my law (Murphy's Law) in a combat situation involving more than one person or using any weapon more complex than a battle axe (which, by the way, one of the Marines wields quite well...).

This book, and the rest of the series, is highly recommended. There is no other work quite like it!

HANGFIRE (4/2001) is the sixth book in the STARFIST 25th Century Military SciFi series, descibing the battles and skirmishes that a company of Space Marines gets involved with on far-flung planets.

This book introduces a new technique of jumping between two completely different storylines throughout the book... one of the storylines is simply to set up the scene for the next two books in the series... the second storyline is a retell of A. Bertram Chandler's MATILDA'S STEPCHILDREN (1979), involving a rogue playground world where Roman gladitorial battles are held in a Colosseum.

As has been the case in the first 5 books in the series, there is virtually no new technology introduced, and most of the military technology used in the books is little more advanced that what we now have in 2008, and some (like UAV technology) is actually behind the times.

Hangfire is the best so far in the series. Good action, good story, and it has a good lead in for the next book. Gives a lot more development on characters who weren't mentioned much or haven't been used much in the last few books. A very good read

Great well rounded charecters who actually CHANGE(develop) from book to book. This is a much better much then the last one and I cannot wait for the next in the saga.

This is the sixth book of the series and it still brings something new to the 34th FIST. The storyline is much different that previous books but it still keeps you on the edge of your seat.

On the opposite, there is always previous information coming from the previous books that is good to know while reading. It puts everything in perspective. Flashback from Elnear, Wandejhar, Society 436 and Diamunde reminds you of the previous missions for the marines.

What's next?? I need to wait for number 7: Kingdom;s Swords...

Even "cushy" assignments have a way of turning out harshly for the men of the 34th FIST. They can't seem to catch a break from the higher brass, their Justice Department, their politicians or even a resort world.

HANGFIRE actually consists of several plotlines, most of which will presumably be hashed out in later books.

The first plot concerns the way the normal duty rotations of the 34th out of the unit (a hardship post) seem to have come to a complete halt. The CO takes it upon himself to investigate this matter for the good of the morale of his men and no one will like the answers. The main thrust of this one is of a senior CO looking after his men. He learns the reasons but it will be left to later books to see how he handles the situation and how his men react.

The second plot concerns the alien "Skinks" first encountered in the 4th volume, BLOOD CONTACT. We see the skins gearing up for some major nastiness against humanity but this is almost entirely independent of the real story being told in this book. Again, it seems to be a matter of setting things up for stories to come. What is incredible is the amount of space dedicated to setting it up since it does nothing to advance the main plot of this book.

The third but main plotline concerns an independent assignment given to 3 marines seconded to the justice department. They are to infiltrate an exotic and expensive resort world run by the mob in order to gather evidence for the feds. Since the Justice department is calling the shots, we are guaranteed that things will be set up so as to put the 3 marines into as much hot water as possible with too little regard for the lives of the marines in question. In that respect, its pretty realistic. The marines manage, as marines do, to come through it all with physical and emotional wounds but with the mission accomplished.

All in all, this is not a bad installment. It seems a bit disjointed at times but I suspect that is less problematical for me since I am reading the series in close succession.

BLOOD CONTACT(12/1999) is the fourth entry in the STARFIST series of Far Future Military "Space Marines" stories. This story involves the Space Marines of 34th FIST being sent to a remote and uninhabited world to discover what happened to a scientific colony of 1000 humans. When they get there, all heck breaks loose.

While there is still the over-abundance and silliness of the 70's Philadelphia Flyers character names, and there are a lot of over-exaggerated character personalities (always seeming to involve "officers", who the authors seem to have a bit of an aversion to), there is enough action and redemption to make this story an overall winner. It is a fun and fast read, and I'll definitely be moving on to the fifth book in the series.

I'd also like to mention that this story returns to the successful theme of "small scale skirmishes" of books I & II of the series. Book III involved a "large scale skirmish" that was short on technology and believability, and was hopelessly out of date 9 years after it was published.

The story is pretty good and does brings something new against Charlie Bass and his men. It is different than the tribal on Elneal or the tank of Diamunde and its brings some action for the marines.

I was unable to put down the book as I was reading since I was waiting for a grande finale. However, once the book was fully read I had some questions about missing links.

Anyway, I am still very pleased with the outcome of the book. I will finish reading HangFire and buy the seventh book Kingsdom's Sword once it is out.

Enjoy

When the book opens the Confederation is facing a new military invasion, only this time it is aliens. What will happen? Who will win? Dean and the 34st FIST or the bad guys. I could tell you but Amazon wouldn't let me, you have to read it to find out.

In this, the fourth of the StarFIST series, the story improves once again in terms of interest. The last book was alright but nothing too memorable. This one is.

The marines are recuperating from their hard fought campaign when they get work of a scientific outpost which has fallen silent. A single platoon is sent to investigate. What they find is what no one expected. Hostile aliens have taken over the place and killed everybody. These are the first intelligent aliens to be encountered in these writer's universe and they are strange. There is no negotiating with them. They are fanatics who fight to the end and immolate themselves rather than let the jarheads take any prisoners, dead or alive. The marines have their work cut out for them and are not helped by the glory hound naval officer who accompanies them.

It is a good read from start to finish. It is not as well polished as some series but it keeps the interest and it portrays the men and their leaders as they should be portrayed. Semper Fi!

In the first Starfist novel, the 34th FIST went up against a bunch of nomadic, "low-tech" tribes. Next, they trained a puppet-police force to stand against rebels. Then, they spearheaded an invasion against an entire mechanized army. What's left for the fourth book, you ask? Heck, ALIENS!

A remote research outpost on a planet a bit too far gone to be accurately called "remote" suddenly disappears. True to form, the bureacracy (sp?) diddles around before deciding to send a single FIST platoon and the Navy's most embarrassing rejects to investigate. Of course, L platoon, 34th FIST, draws the short straw...probably the best thing the powers-that-be could've done. *g* So, how do you makes heads and tails of a planet covered by swamps and impassable mountains, littered with corpses, full of gigantic lizards (some of which want to melt you), and all the while encumbered with the only human survivors, a rag-tag band of pirates? Just put Charlie Bass in charge!

This novel was non-stop from the beginning! Old comrades, new friends, mysterious pasts, enigmatic genocides, and a diabolically sentient race that's next to impossible to track, mindless in its persuit of the destruction of all things human, and simply ingenious in its tactics all add together to make a truely original read! Not your typical "slimey alien drooling on floor grunts a few gutteral noises then whips out a super-advanced weapon and blows the sun up" cookie-cutter beastie, these are coldly calculating commanders with hordes of mindless minions to do their bidding.

This is a very highly recommended book! I couldn't find anything to tick on it for, except maybe Dan Cragg and David Sherman's continual downplay of the Navy forces...which, as an ex-Navy man myself, I can totally understand. All in all, I can't wait for book five and six to come out!

I go to a somewhat conservative boarding school and lent this book to one of my writing teachers, who previously had said that there is no way that a political poem can be heartfelt. This book proves that notion wrong. Normally when people think about politics, they only think about who is running for office, but there is so much more than that in this book. This book should be available in every library in both the poetry and political section. This is an inspiring book that speaks not only to the mind, but to the heart.

As one of the poets featured in Will Work for Peace, one might expect me to be a bit biased, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Most poets work in a virtual vacuum, only tenuously connected to each other by the occasional workshop or shared membership in a 'poetry society'. When Brett Axel first approached me for a submission to an anthology he was considering, the names Marge Piercy, Lyn Lifshin, Moshe Bennaroch and so many others were abstractions to me as a fledgling poet. I knew these tremendous writers were 'out there' somewhere, beating down doors with their words and keeping a struggling artform alive. But to think that someday I would ever share a credit with these dynamic modern poets would be a pipe dream at best. It is through the sincere efforts of Brett Axel that many newer voices like mine have an extraordinary opportunity to appear with Pulitzer Prize winners and other poetic heavyweights. By way of an honest review, however, I will say this- not everything in this book will be to your particular liking. I myself came across some works that did not move me in the way the author may have intended. Some imagery can be raw and visceral, using shock value in place of craft at times. But to ignore those voices would be an even more shocking turn of events, so praise be to the editor for not sacrificing his vision to a senseless conformity. As Pete Seeger so aptly put it in his quote, trying to read all these poems at one time would be like trying 'to swallow Manhattan whole'. I say to you- buy this book, read this book, but understand that it's what you do after reading this book that will ultimately define who you could be. Poetry is alive and well, and lives in the blunt pages of Will Work for Peace.

This book has been a long time coming. Brett Axel has really contributed to the poetry world in a way that is noticed, rather than swept into a corner. Many of the poems are good, some are great. Not all the poets are famous, but most of them contributed good work. I liked Amy Ouzoonian's and Brett's poems, as well as "Pinaud's Tonic" by Michael Pollick. I recommend reading that one. The only criticism I would have of the book is of the extreme scatalogical nature of some of the poems, which do not seem to fit with the theme of the anthology, and would, perhaps, be better in collections by that particular poet, rather than in such an anthology. But, overall, it is a great work.

I liked this book. It has some of the best poetry I've ever seen in it. I especially liked the poems by Marge Piercy, Antler, Diane di Prima, and Susan Griffin, but all of it was good. I think there was only one or two that I didn't like at all and they were short. I'd give it 5 stars but the type was kind of small and I'd rather it be easier to read. My eyes aren't what they were when I was 30.

Just amazing start to finish! I like the disregard for fame used in putting the book together. That great poems got in even if they were writtenby nobodys. Look at Roger Bonair-Agard's poem on page 74. Shortly after Will Work For Peace came out he won Slam Nationals, becoming Slam Champion of 1999, which will be getting him lots of offers. But Zeropanik Press didn't need to be told he was good by an award. They could tell by his writing! Good for them and good for all of us because Will Work For Peace is a literary milestone. It's a new standard for all future anthology editors to try to live up to. Thumbs up to Brett Axel and Thumbs up to Zeropanik Press for their guts and integrty.

Haft and spinner have picked up a small band and are being pushed across the land by the armies of the Dark Prince, entering the lands of Zobra as they trek looking for a sea port to take them back to their home port of Frangeria to get help.

Silent, a giant from the Northern steppes, out on an adventure to see the known world.

Wolf, a beast that moves in stealth watching and warding from afar and eventually befreinds and joins the group.

The Golden Girl, spiteful and course, having Spinner beguiled, and hating him and haft for taking away her musician.

Doli, love struck tavern girl, who was freed from slavery by Our Marine Duo.

Flecher and Zweepee, a married couple also freed from slavery and joined the escape from the dark minions.

The small group grows into hundreds as they move thru the lands, they encounter a town beset by bandit gangs, as they run from the Jokapcul armies ravaging the lands behind them.

Demontech weapons are discovered and employed by their new magician, Xundoe. He teachs the company how to use Demon spitters and other weapons. He sets off Phoinex eggs and fire salamanders as they battle and struggle against their old and new foe's.

The reader is introduced to the concept of the Rally point, a place where people go when the fog of war gets out of hand.

Great Battles, great charcters, running adventure, page turning fun, like Lord Gunny says, "Buy this book too, you cant go wrong!"

I love this series. I bought all three books at once and read them all in one sitting, only stopping long enough to take bathroom breaks. I want this series to continue. I think it was a lose to the readers of the world when this series was cancelled just because book three didn't sell as fast as the other two. I only picked up this series because I was waiting for the authors I follow to publish something new.
I would keep following this series if someone would figure out it's a good idea to keep publishing it.

I read this book awhile ago and just recently reread the series. I am not a big fantasy fan, but this is a great read. If you are looking for something that is exciting, fun and a page turner, read this series, you will not be disappointed.

The second book in an excellent Science Fiction/Fantasy series, it continues building on the concept of what the impact of USMC training and tradition would be on the inhabitants of a low tech society. I found it to be a well written book with entertaining characters and a good story line. I highly recommend this book along with the others in series.

The first book in the DEMONTECH series described how 2 marines managed to flee the invasion of the country their ship was visiting and gather a small following of fellow refugees in the process. This second book expands on that. They are still wandering and looking for a way to catch a ship back to their home but it is becoming harder and harder. The bad guys are after them and route after route is blocked. They are also picking up more refugees and stragglers.

Most of the refugees are just that. They are helpless women and children but they are also picking up the occasional soldier of defeated armies. Sometimes they have to fight. That leads them to a singular position in this world. These are the only guys to fight the bad guys and WIN. That makes them hero and attracts more followers. That is also how privates Haft and Spinner become "Lords" Haft and Spinner.

These guys are the stuff of heroes but they don't have the training to lead large bodies numbering in the thousands. That they succeed and even save a town makes them more heroic.

There is more yet to come. The wandering is still not at an end and the BAD guys are still expanding their empire. I look forward to more.

This book helped me get my federal disability claim on my 2nd try. The author, a former federal employee for the Social Security department, explains in good detail the best way to file for your claim.

He explains that the reason many filers get denied even though they have a valid claim is because they didn't have the right kind of documentation. What is the right kind of documentation? First of all, it must meet the medical wording guidelines of the Social Security Department. Has your medical provider written up your diagnosis clearly with enough sufficient detail?

Keep in mind that not all doctors are good at written communication. They tend to be busy and so might write up your description in the briefest language possible. You might also have a doctor who is just plain careless and sloppy with word choice usage. (We've all heard about the stereotype of messy doctor's writing.) Make sure you ask nicely (preferably in writing) that the doctor write according to federal standards. If you have access to the Internet, then you can check out their writing guidelines online.

Secondly, make sure your medical records department send copies of your medical documents promptly. Again, a nicely worded and toned voice mail and/or letter should do the job.

The other interesting fact he mentioned is that some federal examiners tend to grant claims at a lower rate, while others tend to grant claims at a higher rate. You have the right to find out who your examiner is and what their denial rate is. Some work faster than others. There is currently a backlog of claims, so don't be surprised if your claim can take as long as over one year to be decided on. In my case, I was very fortunate to have my second claim granted within one year of filing.

Not all true disabilities are accepted by the federal government. Check out their website for the latest medical definitions. I met one woman in Seattle who told me she was filing her disability claim on the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, even though her true disability is Disassociative Identity Disorder (otherwise known as Multiple Personality Disorder.) This is because one of her alters actually does have bipolar disorder. I haven't seen her since but I do hope her claim was granted. (This conversation took place about three years ago, when the feds didn't recognize DID/MPD.)

Even some skin disorders are accepted as disabilities if they prevent you from working full time.

Once you get the disability claim granted, you are allowed to supplement your disability income by almost $900 per month as of 2008. This maximum amount goes up per year according to cost of living increases.

According to federal guidelines, a disability is a condition that prevents someone from working full-time in any capacity they have the skills, knowledge, and experience for.

This is an excellent book of the whole area of Social Security Disability benefits and how to fill the forms out completely, when to seek an attorney for appeals etc, and a rather extensive section on what the term disability means to Social Security and what diseases, conditions etc qualify and which do not. The only area lacking was disabled spousal Social Security Disability coverage, which a spouse under age 50 with no minor children must file for in the same way the working spouse who becomes disabled would have to do. I plan on donating my copy which I bought via Amazon.com to my local public library.

Filing for Social Security Disability benefits is not easy. This guide explains EVERYTHING in easy to understand terms. I wish I had ordered it before the first denial. I am using this book while filing a reconsideration. The suggestions provided have really opened my eyes to the process. I highly recommend this book to people who want a little extra information on the SSA's thought process when going over your application.

Not at all helpful if you are filling out an application for SSDI benefits. More than 3/4 of the book is on the appeal process and social security system jargon. You can tell it is written by a lawyer, its worthless.

This book is invaluable for anyone contemplating a disability claim or for anyone seeking to preserve benefits. The authors explain the elements of a claim; namely the severity of an impairment and its impact on the ability to function in a work environment or setting. The MINE claims are predefined by the law. These are "Medical Improvement Not Expected". i.e. a number of debilitating arthritic diseases or diseases of the musculo-skeletal system

The 20CFR 404 provides an impairment list of conditions. The basic question is whether or not you can do a prior job or another similar one. The criteria will consider factors including
exertion, posture, manipulation, vision, communication,
environment and symptomatology. Major joint disfunctions are
an important marker for disability, as well as, loss of spinal
motion. Obstructive breathing disorders may qualify for disability, as well as, inflammatory conditions and chronic
digestive conditions which interfere with work.

This book will prove invaluable if you are dealing with the
government on a claim. The details of the evaluation process
are set forth in an easy-to-read format. The volume is worth the
price if you intend to apply its contents dispassionately.

The newer research on the Civil War suggests that it was won in the west and that the action in the east is not what caused the end of the war. Vicksburg was the crucial campaign in the west and while this book can get bogged down in details it does a very good job of providing information. The challenge of taking this city on a hill and the importance of the navy are all well explained here. A look at what happened to the south as the war progressed is not readily apparent but if read in between the lines it is easy to see what happened. The analysis about the importance of opening up the Mississippi to union forces is very good and brings new light on a subject that needs a lot more exploring and debate.

Mr.Ballard's book is another popular history,it contains little if any new information excepting a defense/excuse of the CS commander Gen. Pemberton.

US Gen.Grant is given considerable credit and deservedly so. The various Union naval commanders; Farragut, Porter etc get much attention also. Mr. Ballard does do a fair job of placing credit on both side's better commanders and lambasts CS Gen. Joe Johnston constantly. He lists the manuevering and prior failures of Union forces throughout the Mississippi region but successfully does so without losing the reader.

However, detail is lacking and the writing style itself is tepid and uninspiring. Contrary to some of the other reviewers, I found the maps poorly drawn and overly cluttered. Done in one color, roads and streams litter the maps; competing with arrows listing advances and retreats and unit markers do not differ between CS/US, infantry or cavalry...an attempt to clarify this on this small maps lists various brigade/division unit commanders but without listing what side is what. Numerous misspellings imply either poor editors or poor research. He consistently describes units as "crack" outfits to the point of the reader wondering, were there any "normal" units present? Any force smaller than a battalion or regiment is listed as a patrol or roadblock. His handling of first person history, the best aspect of recent military writings, is slipshod and often generalised. Few regiments are listed and in general, brigades get the most mention in combat descriptions.

A bright spot was the emphasis on the various naval movements in and about the Vicksburg area. Union naval ability and the Confederate lack of, gets serious and well deserved attention.

Mr. Ballard's theme of the Western Theater being the war winner is well supported by many other current works. Overall, this book is no masterpiece nor is Ballard a Pfanz as a writer. Well read students of this theater will not be well served by purchase of the book but it is a fair one for general or new readers to the subject.

This is a good book for anyone interested in studying on the Civil War. As the author mentions, this campaign to capture Vicksburg is a rather unknown period of the war and this is a good book on this campaign. It has its plusses and its minuses. On the positive side, it covers the campaign in detail with a number of human interest stories. The experiences of the citizens and soldiers who lived in Vicksburg, e.g. living in caves, the casualties, the experiences of soldiers in the hospitals (for example, he goes through the procedure that a doctor used to remove a leg - interesting although somewhat gruesome but it highlights the suffering). He is an apparent fan of Pemberton (although he recognizes his mistakes well) and not a fan of Joe Johnston (but I haven't found a Civil War writer who is...). He covers them well and also the top Union generals: Grant, Sherman and McClernand, including Grant's supposed bouts with alcohol and the feud between McClernand and Grant. This is a balanced coverage. On the minuses side, I found myself getting confused at times about what was really happening. For example, the coverage of the battles including the maps which are very confusing, which ramble about this unit and that unit going this way and that. The early book with this Confederate general and that Confederate general doing this and that is also confusing and may cause you to get you to get frustrated with the book, but stick with it. At one point, he has Pemberton in Vicksburg and needing to go to Vicksburg in the same paragraph. So, I read it again, and... huh. But then the story picks up when Grant tries one approach versus another to reach Vicksburg and decides on approaching it from the South. This is very interesting showing the chess moves between Grant, Pemberton and Johnston which Grant ultimately won. This is a good book, on a period that should be covered more. It may be confusing because unlike Gettysburg, where each writer can read the other books and build on them, there are few sources. So, I recommend it.

I like this book for several reasons.Number one, Mr Ballard is very sincere and called everything by its name.When it comes to describing generals and soldiers on either side of the conflict,he tells it like it is.Number two, the way Mr Ballard describes the military campaign in all its details it's terrific which helped me understand the imporatnce of every battle and the strategies involved.The only flaw in the book is really a minor one which is that sometimes the author gives too many details in things that i dont think are not that important.BUt ,in general, it's a very good book!

Dr, Michael Ballard has written an excellent book on the Vicksburg Campaign. Ballard has had good mentors in his study of the Mississippi River City which fell to US Grant in July, 1863
He is has been guided by Terry Wenschel the National Park Chief Historian; read the massive three volume work by Mr. Civil
War Ed Bearss on the campaign and is a lifelong native of Mississipi who has visited Vicksburg since his youth.
Vicksburg was a complex campaign pitting the inept Northern Born Confederate General John Pemberton against the aggressive and brilliant US Grant. Grant's Union Army worked well as a team.
Even though Grant did not like McClernand he used him well in launching the blue horde against the city on the bluffs. Grant
worked well with Sherman and McPherson, Logan and others as they tried many ideas to conquer Vicksburg. Grant and David Dixon Porter worked well on coordinating army-navy operations.
Grant succeeded when his forces crossed the Mississippi to
Bruinsburg, Ms. Union victories at Port Gibson, Jackson and
most importantly Champion Hill (May 16, 1863) led to a 47 day
siege of Vicksburg which fell to Federal forces on July 4, 1863
Vicksburge the key to victory in the Western Theatre was then
put into Mr. Lincoln's pocket. The fate of the Western Confederacy was sealed.
I am surprised how little many Civil War buffs seem to know little about the Western Theatre of the War. Those whose approach has been "Virginia-centric" will find much to explore as they gaze at the Western Theatre.
Grant emerges as a tough, imaginative, never say never commander while the Confederates Pemberton and Joe Johnston wee weak and indecisive leaders. Grant's star rose in the West as Lincoln discovered the man who could beat Lee and win the war!
Ballard's book is well illustrated; the maps are clear and
easy to follow. Ballard has done his homework as the many pages of bibliography attest to his acumen. While dealing with the battles he also quotes the thoughts of civilians of Vicksburg and Misssippi who saw their society rent asunder by the blue
hordes from the north.
Ed Bearss is still the dean of Vicksburg scholars but Michael Ballard has also contributed greatly to our understanding of this vital, complex, too often overlooked campaign. This book
can be read by the buff or the neophyte with equal pleasure. Thank you Dr. Ballard for your work!

Sorry to rain on the other reviewers' parade. Yes, it was a page-turner, and I did read it through to its Hollywood ending. That's why I gave it 3 stars, BUT the book has some major flaws. First of all, Arturo has the world knowledge, vocabulary, and diction of a college graduate -- he doesn't come across as a high-school dropout, Chicano ex-con raised in East Los Angeles. Second, Murphy as well as every other character in the book is a cardboard cutout with no deeply-drawn relationship to real personhood. Yes, they do human things, but it's all on the surface. The author points the way, but he doesn't take us there. Third, the author dwells in boring length on the interior furnishings and layouts of houses and other buildings the way some women authors dwell on the hair, jewelry, and clothing of their women characters. And lastly, the final solution is a cop-out (no pun intended). How can one believe that Roy, a retired police chief from a small Wisconsin town, could be the "RL" to whom DiMarco delivers payoff cash in a Hollywood hotel? How could the diabolical, detailed machinations of "RL" be managed in Los Angeles from far-off Wisconsin? Simply not believable.

To sum up, I believe that the present reviewers as well as those cited in the book itself have done Raymond Chandler a great wrong by evoking his name in connection with this book.

One never knows where great writers will pop up. David J. Sherman has dabbled at a variety of vocations, from truck driver to record store owner. He turned to writing full time in 1998, starting with short stories, and joined all the writing organizations. The Dark Side is his first published mystery. Originally hailing from Racine, Wisconsin, David is now a Southern California resident with his wife, daughter, and black Lab named Emily.

Jack Murphy is a private investigator, having gone through one of the most painful experiences in his former life as a cop...accidently shooting a kid. His wife has left him for greener pastures, but still enjoys needling him. His secretary and he have a sexually charged relationship, and anyone on the outside can see they are mad for each other. Raymond Sanders hires Jack to find his missing daughter. This is Jack's first missing persons case, but it doesn't take him long to figure out that Carrie Sanders has become a sex slave to a high profile scumbag. His investigation leads from a child pornography video operation to the exportation of young girls to parts unknown:

"His eyes seemed to puff out and get redder than they already were. 'Look, I graduated from the New York Film Institute. I'm a real producer.' 'Why not get a decent job, then?'

Mike dropped his stare to the desktop. 'DiMarco runs some card games around town and I got into him deep. He told me I had a choice. I could either pay off my debt, or work it off.'"

Told from the traditional first person, private dick with Arturo "the muscle"as his sidekick, the plot of The Dark Side is old hat. However, David J. Sherman manages to infuse new life into the L.A. Confidential type of plot. Jack Murphy comes across as a guy with a lot of heart who needs taking care of by his tatoo decorated side kick, Arturo, who provides muscle and also a lot of heart. The twist is, in this case, the prominent businessmen are the true vultures and the struggling private eyes are the true heroes. Sherman's characters sparkle with emotion, as his plot draws the reader in for a ride that establishes a higher notch for right and wrong, justice and injustice. Sherman has produced a well-conceived and well-executed story that breathes new life into the concept of what has gone wrong in the world. An exciting and satisfying read.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

A missing teenage girl disappears from a small town in Wisconsin and a desperate father pleads with Jack Murphy to find her. Jack normally doesn't handle missing person's cases, but after finding out the PI hired to find Carrie was murdered, Jack becomes intrigued.

What happens next is a page turning ride right to the very end of the book.

If you like a heart pounding, Raymond Chandler type of LA noir with a twist of compassion, read THE DARK SIDE.

You can tell just by reading this book that David Sherman loves the classic PI novels. You can almost feel Chandler in the background. It's well written and well executed. Hip, modern and enjoyable.

I heard David Sherman speak as a member of the Mystery Writers of America's panel at the prestigious Santa Barbara Festival of Books. I'd planned to see Ray Bradbury receive a lifetime achievement award, but Mr. Bradbury arrived late. I settled for the mystery panel, and I wasn't disappointed.

David Sherman spoke extensively about his on-the-spot and in-the-field research for his debut mystery, THE DARK SIDE. His research shines through in the novel. It marks the debut of Jack Murphy, an LA detective of today. The plotline involves Murphy being hired to find a missing teenager. Complications arise, and Murphy struggles both to find the girl and himself. The book features believable villians and fascinating secondary characters. This work represents the best of noir fiction being written today.

SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA 1864: ATLANTIC TO SAVANNAH by David Smith tells of a grueling march - nearly three hundred miles - in which the army lived off the land and destroyed all war-making capabilities of the enemy. Photos, maps, and art examines the major participants, strategies, and campaigns of the last months of the Civil War, making for a top pick for any military collection strong in Civil War history.

David Smith in less than a hundred pages provides the best short volume available regarding "Sherman's Renowned March To The Sea". Providing a short biography of each key player, the reason behind the campaign, including Grant's fear that it would fail, Smith writes in a very readable fashion. I recommend it for the beginner or the seasoned reader who wishes to understand the impact that Sherman had on ending the American Civil War. Further, while Sherman did not invent "total war", he brought it to the United States. The lesson of the "march" is timely for today, especially the fact that war involves civilians, no matter how one attempts to paint the issue otherwise.
The book reads like a well-crafted novel and should be purchased without resveration.

In Osprey's Campaign No. 179, Sherman's March to the Sea 1864, author David Smith describes Sherman's campaign across Georgia and Hood's campaign across Tennessee in late 1864. This is a phase of the American Civil War that often gets short shrift, due to the lack of `popular' large-scale battles, but it was nonetheless decisive in determining the outcome of the war in the West. Smith manages to deftly weave together the two campaigns into a coherent narrative that nicely adds to our understanding of this crucial phase of the war.

The opening sections on the origins of the campaign, opposing commanders, opposing armies and opposing plans are good. Smith's section on commanders provides capsule bios of 6 Union and 3 Confederate leaders, while the opposing armies section details the forces in both Tennessee and Georgia. The campaign narrative proper is sub-divided into two chapters on Sherman's march across Georgia and one on Hood's invasion of Tennessee. Graphically, the volume is complemented by five 2-D maps (After the fall of Atlanta, September-October 1864; March to the Sea, Part 1, 15-26 November 1864; Hood's Tennessee Campaign, November-December 1864; the Battle of Franklin, 30 November 1864; and the March to the Sea, Part 2, 28 November - 21 December 1864), two 3-D BEV maps (the Battle of Nashville, first and second day, 15-16 December 1864) and three battle scenes by Richard Hook (the Battle of Allatoona Pass, 5 October 1864; a Union foraging party; and Fort Mcallister, 13 December 1864). The volume also has rather lengthy orders of battle for both campaigns, totaling 7 pages. Notes on the battlefields today and bibliography are short, but adequate.

Southern readers may find Smith's description of Sherman's march to be a bit anti-septic, in that it seems to downplay the harm and injury inflicted upon Georgia's civilian population. Sherman's march was an emotional, gut-wrenching experience for the Confederacy to witness a Union army moving unmolested through the heart of its territory and the psychological damage was complemented by a vicious scorched earth policy. Smith's account is lucid but lacks some of the emotive weight that provides the historical context for this campaign. Even Sherman realized that his operation was far more than a mere march or a plundering raid, but a deep stab into the South's vitals. Indeed, Sherman's march was an early example of a new philosophy of warfare, that held that attacks upon regular military forces was merely a precursor to the execution of decisive attacks against an enemy's civilian economy (e.g. Julian Corbett a few decades later). It was also interesting to see the author's discussion of the Confederate use of buried land mines outside Savannah, which posed a threat not unlike the IEDs in Iraq today.

The author also covers Hood's campaign effectively and avoids any pre-determination that the campaign was foredoomed. Indeed, the author suggests that under better conditions, Hood's invasion of Tennessee might have succeeded in diverting at least part of Sherman's forces (but for how long?). Readers thirsting for action while find their appetite sated by the sanguinary battles of Franklin and Nashville, which ended any chance for the Confederacy to retrieve something from this campaign. Overall, a good volume.

STARFIRST: FIRST TO FIGHT (1997) is a great book, which is fundamentally flawed by naming too many of the Marine characters after Philadelphia Flyers players from the 1970's... I'll get more into this issue later, but first the rest of the book...

The is Military SciFi akin to David Drake's HAMMER'S SLAMMERS series - which focuses on space-going Marines rather than Mercenary Brigades, and provides a more detailed look into the individual soldier's lives, the technology they use(other than the futuristic tanks, which have already been covered in depth in HAMMER'S SLAMMERS), and the subtle inter-actions between the ranks.

I especially liked the coverage of the new UPUD combo radio/motion detector/GPS/air strike computer... I'm sure a lot of ex-soldiers enjoyed the part when Gunnery Sgt. Bass knocks out the "sleazy contractor's teeth", after the UPUD is pushed into service too early, and ends up getting men killed... the UPUD Mk II makes a return later in the book, and Staff Sgt. Bass (busted down for knocking out the contractor's teeth) looks for any reason at all to SLAG THE 'Piece of ****".

I also really enjoyed the boot camp passages, and the soldier's visits to town.

Anyway, as I said, this book would have gotten 5 stars, but for the fact that a whole slew of 70's Philadelphia Flyers player's names are used for the Marines... Clarke, Dornhofer, McLeish, Shultz, it goes on and on... when the platoon's chief UAV man is named "Cowboy" Bill Flett, about 2/3 the way through the book, well that clinched it, I knew something was up ("Cowboy" Bill played for the LA Kings from 67-71, and we used to get the Kings games on Channel 5, even down here in San Diego - probably the last place you would think there would someone who would read this book and recognize the names)... I hate to say it, but it took away from the believability of this otherwise great book... but my gosh, where were Lacroix and Bernier?

I'm looking forward to reading more of these books, but are we going to have The Philadelphia Flyers around throughout the series? Look, I LIKED the 70's Flyers, and always wore a Flyer jersey when I played pickup hockey - but this idiosyncrasy is distracting... and "The Flyers" characters never seem to get killed off, only the "no names".

I would like to start this review with a clarification. I am rating this book as well as the next two (which is as far as i have gotten in the series). I would like to give a higher review, really I would! Let me give the good news first:

1.When it comes to writing about tactics, action and the day to day of Marine life, Sherman and Cragg are simply fantastic. I found myself instantly drawn into the world of the 34th FIST. I found myself indentifying with and rooting for the characters much faster than I anticipated, whithout having to wade my way through too much artificial character development. That's part of the genius of their writing, they develope their characters largely through the writing of action, rather than long exposition.

2. Action is not the only strong point in these books however. There are signicant amounts of writings focusing on the general social, economic and political affairs of the universe and for the most part the world that Cragg and Sherman have created is compelling. It is futuristic without being too far removed from the familiar. The world seems quite real in many regards. There are political and social issues from humanity's past that have been overcome (racism, medical advances, social reforms) and yet there are still personal and societal obstacles to be overcome which are reminiscent of many we face today. This is not simply a utopian world with an omnipotent and flawless military that can do no wrong. Cragg's and Sherman's world is populated with real people with real problems and real flaws.

Now here comes my biggest problem. There are almost no (with less than a handful of minor exceptions) female characters of note in any of these books. There is the ocassional ambassador, politician and of course copious amounts of un-named and barely fleshed out prostitutes. But what bothers me the most is, where are the women Marines?
While it has been established that many of humanity's social problems, racism (to use an example), have been largely overcome (either through direct social manipulation by politicians or just the organic evolution of a society tackling with the challenges of expansion into space and a larger universe) sexism seems to have been calmly and quietly written into the history of this world.
I'm not necessarily expecting to see a fully integrated Marine corps. Sherman and Cragg are obviously writing about their own personal experiences in service and at the time they served I would assume there were almost no women in the military, and today even though woman are more common, they serve in un-integrated non-combat units.
There is no mention of the role of women (except for one mention of the mere existence of "female naval personel")in the future millitary, though women seem to play a nominally equal role to men in every other aspect of this universe. This, to me, points out a glaringly obvious and sadly regrettable sexism inherent in the opinions of the authors themselves. Rather than take a stance one way or another on the issue they seem to have simply decided to "pretend it doesn't exist" which I believe is an overall loss for the series. Apart from this one issue, Sherman and Cragg are unflinching in their social commentary on everything from racism, fiscal policy to the future of environmentalism, why so quiet on this one glaringly obvious and extremely relavent issue? It makes me question the seriousness of their other social commentary and relegate it to simple filler to spread out the action which will sell their books and make them money. A disappointing outcome, i must say.

a scifi shoot-em up in the far future! good reading! beleiveable backgrounds! Mr Cragg & Mr Sherman makde me feel like I was there al over again! Very much worth the cost. Bought the whole set!

I was disappointed in this book. I expected something more like "Armor" or "Starship Troopers", but it read more like the 1970's Philadelphia Flyers join the Marines. There was Dave "Hammer" Shultz, Bob "Hound" Kelly, etc. Not a terrible read, but very foumulatic.

An earlier reviewer talked of military cliches, and how everything seemed the same, that the writers couldn't imagine huge societal changes that will obviously have taken place by the time the 25th century arrives. That there will be changes is true, but it will be more along the lines of changes in the trappings of civilization. Over the millenia, since humankind has learned to fight in groups, very little has changed. Strategy, tactics, and technology has evolved of course, but one thing has remained constant. To succeed in war, a belligerant must take and hold ground. It's sometimes almost as valuable to deny ground to the enemy, but in the end it must be taken and held. Cavalry couldn't do it all, aircraft can't do it, tanks can't do it, and in the future whatever takes the place of these won't be able to do it, either. It has always been up to the ground-pounder, assisted by the other arms, sure, but only the ground-pounders can prevail in the end.


This first book in what has become a highly entertaining series is remarkable in its devotion to the ground-pounder, and especially the ground-pounder who makes it all happen: the guys at the sharp end, both enlisted and non-commissioned officers.

I highly recommend this saga, if you want realism at the small unit level. And if you're interested in what other Starfist fans are saying about the books of Sherman and Cragg, there's now a fan website available at http://www.starfisthq.org. Discussion forums, news of future books, and you can also make contact with the authors who do participate from time to time.