Laumer, Keith

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classic tales of multi-universal hopping
Great classical SF multiversal yarn

Imperium
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743499034

Book Description

Three complete novels of cross-time action and suspense by Keith Laumer, grand master of science fiction adventure. Brion Bayard was an American diplomat . . . until he was kidnapped on the streets of Stockholm, and thrust into what he thought was a truck. At first, he was relieved to find that his abductors were very apologetic, and very British. Then they began speaking about nations and leaders which Bayard had never heard of. That was understandable, they told him, because they were from Earth, but not his Earth. There are millions or more parallel Earths, each different in some slight way from the other, where history has taken every possible turn, where the heirs of Napoleon rule Europe, where King John tore the Magna Carta to shreds and executed those who had presented him with it, even one where the ancestors of Homo sapiens lost the evolutionary struggle to another upright ape, who became the dominant intelligent lifeform. But mostly there are uninhabitable worlds, destroyed by the discovery of the technology to travel from one parallel Earth to another and the misuse of it. The Earth of the Imperium is at war with another parallel Earth and Bayard can stop the war by killing the ruler of the aggressor Earth and replacing him-because the ruler is a parallel version of Bayard. But when Bayard goes on his mission to the alternate Earth, things don't turn out to be quite that simple. And that was only the beginning of Bayard's adventures as he defends his new homeworld, both from internal enemies and invaders from the other side of time, becoming the staunchest and most resourceful defender of the Imperium! Publisher's Note: Imperium has previously appeared in parts as Worlds of the Imperium, Assignment in Nowhere and The Other Side of Time. This is the first unitary edition.

Customer Reviews:

classic tales of multi-universal hopping.......2007-03-09

This book reprints 3 classic stories by Laumer, about alternate history and a multi-universe spanning organisation. If you have read and enjoyed the works of H Beam Piper and his Paratime universes, and Poul Anderson's Time Patrol, then Laumer's stories will be a great treat.

The first story of the book starts off the series, explaining how an American diplomat in our universe, in the years after World War 2, gets kidnapped by the Imperium, based in a Sweden [!sic] that benignly rules another Earth. The stories are now some 40 years old. But they hold up well. Plenty of action, without drowning you in the cyberpunk pervasive computing of more recent science fiction. Laumer had a gift for combining the spy novel with high technology in a fluid synthesis that sweeps the reader along.

The only pity is that Laumer never wrote many stories in this series.

Flint and the publisher are to be thanked for bringing these stories back into print for a new generation of readers.

Great classical SF multiversal yarn .......2006-08-07

I just love tales of parallel universes and time-travel, and this classic by Keith Laumer is one of the best of the genre, rich both in action and in daring speculations. Intriguing as Paratime by H. Beam Piper and Time Patrol by Poul Anderson. A must have for the transdimensional SF fan!

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Get ready to Rumble!
mother, friend, brother, and a hell 'ov alot of firepower
Bolos: lancelots of the future III
Two for the Ladies.

The Triumphant (Bolos, Book 3)
Keith Laumer , David Weber , and Linda Evans
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 067187683X

Customer Reviews:

Get ready to Rumble!.......2002-07-29

This one contains the classic Bolo against Bolo; Wriiten by no other than David Weber. Simply captivating, obsorbing and exciting! Imagine a Bolo Novel by Weber? Buy it, read it, write a review. Enjoy!

mother, friend, brother, and a hell 'ov alot of firepower.......1997-12-09

This is probably the best bolo book, why? Supose you had a friend or mother who could recite poetry, play wargames, explore the meanings of the univers and kick out megatons of damage!! that is a bolo and in this book you will see that even a "dead" bolo can figure out a way to get the job done. An interesting point in this book is that in all but one of the stories the bolo is either massively damaged or modified to the point of being considered combat ineffective and not all stories are happy. the technical readout in the back is a great bonus. A must for any bolo fan, and anyone who believes in the power of the heart be it a Bolo, a human, or a dog gone pup.

Bolos: lancelots of the future III.......1997-07-01

This is undoubtedly the best collection of Bolo storied collected to date. Only four stories, half of themm are stories you'd find in the other anthologies. The other two shine like the sun. Little Red Hen is the story of the pioneering attempts of humanity to create a complete AI that feels emotions, and they have succeeded. I will not tell you what the main happenings in the story are because you have to read it to comprehend how masterfully it is constructed. Towards the end I actually found myself CRYING. Impossible, i tried to think to myself. It's got to be onions or mabye i stepped an a tack, but inside i knew exactly what i was crying for: LRH unit 1313 , bolo mk. 21,I(special). Miles to go is another example of the line of distinction blurring. Thee main Bolo in this story is an experimental mk 23, eighty years old. However, she packs a huge suurprise: he former Commander was a psychotronics tech and , for lack of better words, souped up the crud out of her. She is the first Bolo to mount a brain box, an integral part of more modern bolos. Her new Commander, however han one major failing: he is in love with her. Nice problem. Read tese two if you like just about any sci-fi- you wont be dissapointed

Two for the Ladies........1997-06-10

This collection offers two extremely potent and touching explorations of the "female" psyche and combat(Little Red Hen and Miles to Go). That these psyches are housed in duralloy and packing infinite repeaters makes it all the better. These two stories in particular represent some of the finest SF I've encountered, ever

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Bolo, the Ultimate Fighting Machine.
BOLO power!
Keeping the faith with unit honor and history.
One of the best Sci-Fi reads ever.
for the honor of the regiment

Honor of the Regiment: Bolos 1 (Bolos)
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671721844

Customer Reviews:

Bolo, the Ultimate Fighting Machine........2002-01-27

Bolos: Book 1, is the first in a series of books based on the fighting machine created by Keith Laumer. The idea was that tanks would develop not only better weapons and stronger hulls, but would also have computers build into them which would allow it to perform certain duties without a crew. By the time Bolo Mark XXX was developed, human strategic thinking was no longer required. Book 1 and the rest of the series are short stories done by some of the best, including David Drake, S.M. Stirling, Mercedes Lackey and more. Bolos may be machines, but the ones in the stories show heart.

BOLO power!.......2001-04-18

I had never read a book that is a collection of works by different authors on the same topic. I was not sure I would like it. As it turned out I liked it very much. I am an avid sci-fi reader and this book really satisfied me and I found myself ordering book 2 before I even finished book one.

If you absolutely insist on full character development this book is not for you. Each of the stories are fairly short and really only tell a comprehensive tale when taken together. I was also longing for much more of the story from the POV of the BOLO than was given.

Keeping the faith with unit honor and history........1999-01-23

"Bolos Book 1: Honor of the Regiment" (ISBN 0-671-72184-4) is a collection of stories written by several of today's best science fiction-fantasy authors and edited by Bill Fawcett, continues the history of the Bolo, huge, self-directing and self-aware combat vehicles, first penned by Keith Laumer. Honor of the Regiment is a title, I feel, was developed from Keith Laumer's story "Field Test," which tells the story of the first Bolo, named Denny, to use the full capabilities of self-directing and self-aware computer circuitry. Denny's unknown capabilities and the fear by his creators of not being able to control this powerful war machine also prevent him from being deployed to fight off an invasion of his creators country. When Denny was deployed there appeared to be no chance of stopping the enemy advance, even with his added firepower and other capabilities. Denny does the unexpected, instead of doing a fighting retreat against a superior force he charges towards the enemy's lines. This charge eventually breaks the enemy's invasion and forces them to retreat, but the victory came with a price. Denny, in human terms, was going to die from the many wounds he had taken in his charge, and there was no way to save him. Just before Denny dies, his Commander asks "Why he had continued his charge, when he knew he would be destroyed?" Denny's last words were "For the HONOR OF THE REGIMENT." Each of the stories in "Bolos Book 1: Honor of the Regiment" continues the story line penned by Keith Laumer. Further, after serving my country during a twenty-year naval career I can relate to the ideal of self-sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds and to maintain the history and traditions of my unit and branch of service. I highly recommend the book to all science fiction readers.

One of the best Sci-Fi reads ever........1998-01-14

One of the few books that I have read were I found myself cheering out loud for victories, and tearing up over the loss of friends. Truly a well written work. Causes empathy for our mechanized warriors. All of this series are must reads.

for the honor of the regiment.......1997-12-09

now that I have finished the book and have to catch up on all the things I put of for fear of tearing my eyes away from the paper (things like food, sleep, s-x) I feel that I should tell you one simple thing. READ BOLO BOOKS they are plain awsome they are stand alone but each builds on the whole univese so you do not have to read them in any order. And when you are driving to work imagining that you are a hellbore blasting, infinite repeating, morter spewing incarnat of destruction, just remember that you are supposed to protect all those buggers who cut you off. (the life of a bolo aint easy)

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A long struggle
This was a Bolo Book?
Another Bolo story... read it twice!
Pure Excitement

Cold Steel: Bolos Book 6

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ASIN: 0743435494

Customer Reviews:

A long struggle.......2003-01-10

I've read all of the Bolo books since day one and have fond memories of the stories - some being better than others. However this book was a real, real struggle to finish. Not enough about the Bolos, too much on the humans and creatures they were fighting. Could easily have been condensed to 20 - 30 pages. Get it to complete the set but don't expect too much from it.

This was a Bolo Book?.......2002-12-31

They weren't needed in this story - the Concordiate could have sent a few dozen grav tanks to fight the Tersae.

The novel starts out smooth, a once peaceful world, is smashed by war, and Bolos and their commanders risk their existence to fight the attackers. But the novel's most touching plot line of a Bolo modified for a mining colony ends in the middle of the book. The novel then concentrates on the warfare that erupts around the humans, that evolves into almost trench warefare, or Korean war style conflict.

Bolos do arrive in the nick of time and save the day, but a couple dozen grav tanks could have done the same thing it seems. And - the humans did as much as the Bolos to save themselves. More hellbore shots were made to get a bolo unstuck from the mud - than there were in anger. If this novel was to demonstrate that a Bolo can do more than fight in thermonuclear environments, and fight jungle warfare - it was done in a poor manor. Having read many of the Bolo books, it was downright dissapointing to see the hellbores fired only four or so times against enemy targets.

The plot line went into a major 40-60 page deviation about a scientist making first contact with the Tersae. But this was drawn out far too long. And if you are a Bolo book fan, you always know how many pages there are until you get to the italics.... 20 pages into this muck of first contact, I finally skipped the other 40, and it had no impact on the rest of the story.

As a novel, it is _good_. But as a Bolo novel, it was dissapointing. I had to decide hard between a one star and a two star. The touching story line of the mining bolo earned it a 2nd star.

Another Bolo story... read it twice!.......2002-12-20

This is Book 6 in the Bolo series, originally created by Keith Laumer. The action takes place on a remote mining colony world that has an... indigenous population of a sort... that no one knew existed previously.

When things go sour, the colonists enlist the aid of the bolos... one of whom, Dirk, is an obsolete hulk that has been converted to a strip mining machine, and another, Senator, who is an upgraded antique who does not have proper control over his weapons systems.

For those not familiar, a bolo is a self-guided tank of sorts, though they are much more massive and powerful than any tank currently in use by anyone... it would be more accurate to say that they are land-going battleships on treads... though even that analogy is flawed. Bolos... at least the later marks are self-aware and there are not many forces that can stand against their might.

As badly prepared as these particular bolos are, the massive metal soldiers do their best and inspire the efforts of the Human colonists as well. The Humans are down to using WWI marble throwers, longbows, and a Sharps breech-loader... but they hold their own against an enemy that is not the real enemy.

With Humanity embroiled in a dispute with the Deng, not much effort can be spared to defend the colony. This book also introduces the Melconians to the time-line, with whom Humanity is destined to have another Galaxy-wide conflict that will leave both races barely enough genetic material to survive.

Like all the bolo books, this one is worth reading twice. The self-sacrifice and dedication that these living machines display will inspire the heart of any desk-bound warrior. Go ahead and buy it, if you like action-adventure, and/or hard science fiction, you won't be disappointed.

Dale A. Raby
Editor/Publisher
The Green Bay Web

Pure Excitement.......2002-08-05

There are two types of AI(Artificial Intelligence)that stand out very favorably in my extensive reading and viewing of sci-fi books and TV. One is Star Trek's Data, who, other than his presumably deceased evil twin, Lor, is literally in a class by himself. The other is a gigantic, self aware battle tank called a Bolo. Bolos are numerous, evolving over the course of decades, even centuries into different classes and types. Of the two, I have found the Bolo to be the most compelling. Why? Picture a war machine endowed with enough firepower to glaze a planet,yet embued with the soul of a poet. This incongruity is all the more remarkable in that there is nothing remotely anthropomorphic about these machines in the physical sense. Unlike Data, whose resemblance to humans makes it easier for audiences to identify and sympathize with his desire to be human. The Bolos featured in the four books I've read so far, have no wish to be any more or less than what they are. However, they have all demonstrated the best qualities of human nature: honor, loyalty, integrity, duty,even humor. Their abilities to speculate and philosophize on matters unrelated to their programming makes them more than self aware, that designation, in my view, being a diminishing one, but sentient in very humanlike sense. The stories in Bolos: Cold Steel, continues in that fine vein of portraying not only the destructive capabilities of these facinating machines, but providing us with their thoughts in delightfully rendered first person sequences. The setting is a volatile planet called Thule, which is being exploited by the Confederation, a human dominated entity. The planet is rich in the type of deposits important to the Confederation's war against a hostile species. Suddenly, Thule's colonists find themselves under attack by natives whose existence escaped the notice of Confederation surveyers. The indigenous population is Stone Age primitive, but armed with hi-tech weapons and using them to devastating effect. Confederation reinforcements, including Bolos are sent to the rescue. There's a lot of great action in this book, not all restricted to Bolo combat. The non-Bolo characters, I'll call them organics, are interesting and suitably complex. But it's the Bolos who are the stars of the show. There was one minor, but persistent problem that the writers of each story shared: their referal to Thule's natives as aliens. If a population is indigenous to an area, it cannot be alien. Other than this redundant mistake, Bolos: Cold Steel, is a worthy contribution to the Bolos' ongoing saga.

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Mindless Entertainment
good book written in the tradition of the Bolos!
One of the best Bolo books!
Pleasing!
Fighting against the odds and political inertia

Bolo Brigade
William H. Keith , and Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 067187781X

Customer Reviews:

Mindless Entertainment.......2007-01-10

This is not particularly great space opera but it was an enjoyable way to waste a day sitting home sick.

The story is of a young officer who has been exiled to a distant post because of his brashness. He gets the job done in spite of incompetent leadership higher up. He is assigned to command two BOLOs which are well past their prime. He has trouble from day one because his new bosses do not appreciate his past talent for making them look bad and neither do they trust the sentient armored vehicles (BOLOs) assigned to them. He has to try and cope with laziness and a maintenance unit that sees no point in working hard when nothing much happens in that dist reach at the edge of the galaxy. Also troubling is the fact that the two BOLOs seem to be quite a bit more self-aware than should be expected for their model numbers.

Meanwhile, a new set of aliens has decided to invade. These are vaguely like carnivorous dinosaurs and have the same sort of table manners. Their biochemistry means that they cannot eat humans but that does not take the fun out of hunting them. Their civilization depends upon conquering others and looting refined metals. Their fleet is huge and they are without mercy.

It is all up to our young hero to stop them. He has two aging tanks at his disposal and will have to fight his own command authority as well as the aliens.

Other BOLO books have been better but this one did provide a few hours of enjoyment. It is worth reading and will even be remembered for a while.

good book written in the tradition of the Bolos!.......2007-01-09

This book was a very enjoyable read. Bolo fans will notice that instead of being several short stories about different Bolo marks, this is actually a novel about two "obsolete" Mark XXIV Bolos who were thought to be past their prime. While I'm normally very fond of the short story approach, this novel was well written and held my attention through the entire story. A "must read" for any Bolo fan!

One of the best Bolo books!.......2003-11-10

Bolo brigade is a well crafted, actioned packed story in the universe of Keith Laumer's Bolos, giant sentient tanks that are humanity's most stalwart defenders.

In Bolo Brigade, a bolo officer with a dead end career winds up posted to a backwater planet that is about to become a raging battleground. The Malach, a race of reptile-like aliens appears from the depths of space and invades the planet. The only force that can stop them are two old bolos and whatever forces the planetary government can muster.

Bolo Brigade thunders to a crescendo of action that is glittering in in its intensity and at one point seems to literally roar with the fury of battle. The bolos display courage and humanity that goes far beyond the call of duty, and the ending may even leave you with tears in your eyes.

Sometimes authors just nail it right on the head and William Keith excels with Bolo Brigade.

Pleasing!.......1999-04-20

This is one of those books you can read again and agian. Entertaining to the last. Believable characters and an extrodinary setting. I really wish (hint HINT) that a followup would come along one day.

Fighting against the odds and political inertia.......1999-01-22

William H Keith, JR's book, "Bolo Brigade" (ISBN 0-671-87781-X), is his second contribution to Keith Laumer's Bolo story line. On the edge of the galactic arm and human occupied space, known as the Concordiat, lays the Strathan Cluster Confederation. The Confederation consists of thirty-six human inhabited worlds that gained their freedom from the direct control of the Concordiat, but still maintain an alliance with that larger human political body. Part of the alliance between the two governments is the deployment of sixteen very old, but still powerful ground based war machines, fourteen Mark XVIII and two Mark XXIV Bolos. The Mark XVIII Bolo , was almost the last design to be equipped with only the most advanced super computers of their day, while the two Mark XXIX Bolos, named Freddy and Ferdy, were fourth generation designs using a self-direct and self-aware computer. Lieutenant Donal Ragnor, a Bolo Tactical Officer of the Concordiat, has been transferred to the Confederation as liaison officer as punishment for bucking the Concordiat military chain of command. Soon after Donal's arrival on Muir, the capital world of the Confederation, he discovers the Mark XVIII Bolos have been deployed to fourteen different worlds and that he will be the commanding officer for both Mark XXIV Bolos stationed at the capital. Further, prior to Donal's arrival two member worlds have fallen silent and several starships have disappeared from the space lanes within the Cluster. The Cluster's central government assumes that the loss of communications is due to equipment malfunctions and that the some of the lost ships have been captured by pirates, while others are being reported means of committing insurance fraud. However, the government does not send out investigation teams to verify their theories. After Donal's arrival, Muir receives a garbled message from the world of Wide Sky, near to the edge of the cluster, about an invasion, before communications abruptly cease. Lieutenant Ragnor, Freddy, Ferdy, and Alexie Turner, Wide Sky's Deputy Director General, have to fight off the invasion of an unknown intelligent species on Muir. William H. Keith, JR brings the reader another well-balanced story in Keith Laumer's Bolo saga. This book is another gem for the reader who likes the writings of William H. Keith, JR and Keith Laumer.

Bolos II: The Unconquerable (Bolos, Book 2)

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More BattleTech than Bolo. Shame!
a bolo a day keeps the deng away.
Bolos: lancelots of the future IIII
A must read- this book will be glued to your hands til read!

Bolos II: The Unconquerable (Bolos, Book 2)
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

More BattleTech than Bolo. Shame!.......1998-04-20

A friend of mine who was "into sci-fi" convinced me to read a "BattleTech" book. Cheap fireworks for understimulated teenagers; a complete waste of time. But long before this pulp a master of the Golden Age wrote the best-ever stories of this genre', the Bolo stories. Keith Laumer's Bolo wasn't just big guns incidentally slaved to a good computer. It felt pain; passion; dismay; hope; joy; and above all else desire. It spoke with cold logic, never wasted a word. But its nanosecond thoughts were lavish with emotion. As with tales of soft-spoken heroes of the martial arts or the Old West, they think much and speak little -- and only then carry a big stick. Honor and desire, not mere power, are the Bolo's allegories. The authors of "Unconquerable" have insipidly shifted the focus from guts to guns. Laumer's passion and vision extinguished in these stories, they might as well carry the "Power Rangers" brand name -- it would be just as relevant, and more apropos.

a bolo a day keeps the deng away........1997-12-09

Bolos are awsome. There are very few things even in fiction that I can think about and say that is just the ultimate. A previouse reveiw leads you to beleive this book is not good. that is not the case it was rated a 7. what it is is that the bolo series is so good that this one had trouble reaching that peak. its like saying the superbowl is not that big, well thats true when you compare it to the Olympics but that dosn't make the super bowl any less enjoyable. If you like bolos read this, if you dont know about bolos read this and you will love them.

Bolos: lancelots of the future IIII.......1997-07-01

Tis book was a little dissapointing: it tried to concentrate on the technological aspects of the bolos, but got many , many things wrong. Dates, times and other small details are not correct, and two of the stories have said the the Bolo's main weapon, a hellbore energy cannon, uses shells. This is not a bad book, but none of the stories are especially outstanding

A must read- this book will be glued to your hands til read!.......1997-04-13

Anything with the word Bolo and Laumer is going to be very good, the type of book you save for reading that is special. This book reaches deep and connects .... you will really enjoy it!!

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A satirical poke at diplomacy
Diplomacy Saves the Galaxy--Sort Of
Best book I've read in a month!
Diplomacy as it ought to be
Undiplomatic Diplomat

Retief!
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

A satirical poke at diplomacy.......2005-02-04

Keith Laumer was able to pull off those rarest of gems -- humorous science fiction, especially in his short stories, although THE MONITORS is one novel in which he was able to sustain the tone. Here, in this book of short stories, Laumer pokes fun at diplomats and politics. He clearly has a low opinion of both, but never descends to meanness. "Lightly" is his motto. This is funny stuff, and there's not a bad story in the bunch. If you're interested in slavering-but-incompetent would-be world-conquering aliens, and their equally inept Terran counterparts, take a look at this book.

Diplomacy Saves the Galaxy--Sort Of.......2003-03-29

Keith Laumer is among my favorite writers of "light" sf, and these three books, the first in the long series (13 volumes that I know of, counting each original volume as one) of Retief adventures, show why. Filled with sharp pokes at government bureaucracy (Laumer himself was connected with it for many years and knew whereof he wrote), they follow the wild adventures of Jaime Retief, a member of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne with more than a touch of James Bond in his makeup. Constantly redeeming his superiors' blunders, usually by making an end run around the "accepted" way of doing things, he bounces in and out of serious bodily peril and thwarts at every turn the machinations of the Groaci, whispering five-eyed aliens with a penchant for torture and a thirst for universal domination. (The books were originally published in 1963, 1965, and 1968, in the very heart of the Cold War, which suggests that these villainous beings were intended as an analogue of the Communists.) Yet the stories never take themselves too seriously, and very little happens that couldn't safely be shared with a child. I've collected Retief religiously, and joyously, for some 30 years, and I don't regret a bit of it. You won't either.

Best book I've read in a month!.......2002-05-05

This book was so enjoyable, funny, well written, entertaining, and compelling that I read it in one sitting. Then I walked several miles to the nearest used book store and bought every novel by Keith Laumer they had. Didn't even have to feel guilty, since all of them were out of print. But this book is so much worth the price... it's just funny! Unfortunately I think it's sometimes too close to home, especially the story about "Retief of the Mountain of Red Tape".

Diplomacy as it ought to be.......2002-04-26

Most SF readers have heard of Laumer's Retief series. Many of them have read some of them. There've been compilations, sets, and short stories release for years. This time, however, Baen and Mssr's Flint and Drake have done a wonderful job compiling some of the best (and hardest to find) Retief stories in one place.

If you've never read Retief, try it - you'll like it. And this is a great way to get your feet wet.

Undiplomatic Diplomat.......2002-04-15

I first came across the Retief stories in Analog/Astounding in the early '60's. They were greatly enjoyable then, and still retain their pleasure.

Unfortunately, we can see from current events that diplomats still screw up international relations, which makes these stories topical today.

Retief is a very junior diplomat when these stories begin(as edited and arranged by Eric Flint) and they follow him through his career. He never rises very high, because he is more concerned with results than appearances. As a result, he gets the job done, but never finds approval of his superiors, who are only concerned with how it looks.

Laumer's foreign service experience makes these stories quite effective. I only wish we had more diplomats like Retief, instead of what we have.

His characters act believably, even if the situations are somewhat unbelievable. Then, I remember the history of the second half of the 20th century, and the situations become quite believable. They are both enjoyable as stories and as satire, and the humor is quite good.

Old Guard: A Bolos Anthology: Book 5
Average customer rating:

Send in the Bolos!

A look into the future

No, no, no, no, no. This should not be!

Lancelots of the future V

Not as good as previous books in series

Old Guard: A Bolos Anthology: Book 5
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671319574

Book Description

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

The onslaught of the Melconians was not the last conflict that humanity's interstellar Concordiat would have to face. For now the Kezdai -- a newly encountered species with war at the center of their philosophy -- have taken to arms against the Concordiat and its colony worlds. For war, the Terrans have only one answer:

<B>Break out the Bolos!</B>

Self-aware robotic tanks, the Bolos have fought bravely and well since the days when humans fought each other. Now they battle across the stars to defend us all...and though the times are perilous, we've never been in better hands than those of our old metal guardians: Keith Laumer's greatest creation, the Bolos.

Customer Reviews:

Send in the Bolos!.......2002-12-31

I enjoyed the three stories contained in this book. having not known that before I read the book, it was interesting to discover it. I believe the stories gave an impression of the flow of war, and that Bolos provides protection, or at least a menance to the Concordiate's enemy on all fronts.

The Bolo's and their commanders see alot of action in and around the Delas system by a horde of attacking Kezdai - creatures that resemble bird-like reptiles. Hellbores away! Infantry, tanks, and and full scale battles rage over the planet systems. And the book shows that Bolos should be left alone to do their jobs - to protect humanity.

The book earned a 4 stars instead of 5 stars because the first story - seems like it was cut off. 3 characters were introduced, and two at great length, but each had no impact on the story's ending. It seemed the story was cut off. In the second story, a Concordiate Officer ignores his Bolo, and the result is death and and some destruction to a Concordiate task force. The commander, supposedly academy trained, is told to "just forget about it" and to get back into the war because "he did a good job" because he came up with a good idea prior to his terrible orders. Only one sentence was givin to a possible court martial. I wanted the character to be punished, not patted on the back. I believe the first two stories dragged a little when they went into the Kezdai personal worlds, except for one plot line.

The third story, the shortest - was marvelous. And the final moments of the the battle should have been made into artwork for the book cover with the vivid descriptions of the battle.

A look into the future.......2001-09-18

This book is a compilation of short stories by different authors. What I found uniqe was the fact that all of the short stories take place on the same planet. A look at the future of AI and future applications in war. The star of the books, of course, are the Bolos. A self-aware robotic tank with a long distinguished history. Some of the story lines move to fast, so as to not be developed to my taste. But I assume that is the problem with short stories in this series....

No, no, no, no, no. This should not be!.......2001-09-11

I am sure that the Bolos books were a good read. It is unfortunate that I happened to begin with the dregs of short stories written by different people. This is obviously an attempt to captialise on what must have been a good series.

This book does not stand on its own. As far as I can tell the Bolos are just very big tanks that can do a bit of thinking for themselves. After that it's a case of bang bang flash, ten year old kid's stuff with ray guns. No characterisation, no empathy with the characters, who they defend or the "dreaded" enemy. Nothing. This is cheap thin cardboard and is just the kind of rubbish that should not be published.

Whoever the editor and publisher are - shame on you. There are too many good books waiting to be published to put this trash on the shelves. Go hang your heads in shame.

There is so little substance in this book, it is impossible to really attack it. How can you attack something without substance. I want my money back!

Lancelots of the future V.......2001-08-04

Time changes all things, and the latest installment in the multi-author universe of the Bolos is no exception. As the books have become either more popular or more prized, a certain sense of community seems to have developed between authors: all of the short stories in this book, unlike its predecessors, are woven together by tales of the same planet, and the same conflict.

This has obvious advantages and disadvantages- first and foremost, the line between authors has blurred. Part of the fun of the series was recognizing the times and places each author chose to put themselves in, usually by creating an entirely new conflict in which they make the rules of the plot. However, with the setting concretely agreed upon, that freedom was lost. Also, by creating a singular time in which to play, the authors didn't have a chance to tinker too much with the machinery or sentience of the Bolos themselves- which, aside from the Bolo soul, are the essence of the stories.

That said, the book was, to me, enthralling. I'm a Bolo finatic, what can I say? And the connectivity of the plot did make the anthology feel much more like a novel than previous editions- but all in all, my favorite Bolo book remains undisturbed as Book 3.

Not as good as previous books in series.......2001-02-17

Readers of the previous books in the series, take note: you may be disappointed. I was. Much of this book may not be up to the standard of quality that you're used to. Be prepared for weak storylines, relatively shallow development of human characters, a lack of character development in the bolos themselves, a *striking* (and very irritating) lack of consistency with previous books, a weak understanding of the setting, and, well, grammatical errors (sigh). This is not one of those books that's hard to put down; if anything, it's hard to pick up again. Earlier books in the series accustomed me to the casual, easygoing excellence of authors like David Weber, Linda Evans, Mercedes Lackey, David Drake and others. I don't know what happened to this book, whether it was the authoring or the editing, but much of it just doesn't "feel" like the quality work I enjoyed in the previous books. The major exception is the last story- kudos (and thanks!) to William Kieth, author of the last story (and, incidentally, author of two complete bolo novels), for the only story that reminded me of previous Bolo books. If you're a bolo fan, I'm not recommending that you not buy this book; I'm simply recommending that you be prepared to be a bit disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Bolo short stories that must be read
Lancelots of the future IV
This book was action packed and seat binding from page one!
Another excellent collection of well written tails.
Bolo Smash

Last Stand: Bolos 4 (Bolos, No 4)
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671877607

Customer Reviews:

Bolo short stories that must be read.......2001-12-11

The Last stand is a compilation of short stories written in the world developed by Keith laumer. I enjoyed them all. You will not want to put this book down. You see Bolo's as they were meant to be seen; in battle. One even turns on its regiment and is pursued by another bolo. Must read.

Lancelots of the future IV.......2000-02-22

Though not as potent as the previous installment, Book 4 consists of a more balanced mix of the two themes of Bolodom: Guns and Glory. Book Three obviously is the emotional peice of this anthology, Book 4 delivers some touchy-feely stuff as well. The terror one feels in The Traitor as the reliable Bolo succumbs to damage is a shade away from compelling, but still a darn good read. The most technically engrossing as well as touching (and, I believe, the best) account of this book was the yarn of team Shiva. All in all, a good book.

This book was action packed and seat binding from page one!.......1999-07-09

This book was a giant step forward in the evolution in the great story line of the bolo series. This book is action packed but still lets you unfold a relationship with the characters and even the Bolo itself! I would reccomend this book to anyone that has every picked up a Sci-Fi book!

Another excellent collection of well written tails........1998-01-14

Once again a perfect read. If you enjoy heroism, honor, and characters you miss when done with a book, this is one for you. The Bolo series is one of the best for any genre, and THE best in military sci-fi. If you liked Hammer's Slammers you will love the bolos. This series has an addictive quality, don't start it before final exams, or tax return time!! Mechanized warriors with traits we should all strive towards. I wish I were a Bolo.

Bolo Smash.......1997-10-23

Bolo's are basicly what tanks will become if they are not skiped over by other technologys in the future. They are fortresses on treads that in their later desighns are self aware and massivly powerfull. In this book you learn alot about bolos over a wide span of time and will see the absoulute power and rage of a bolo. though the books are obviously fiction you will find you self memorizing all the detales of their weapons, personalities and variose designes and you will no doubt find you self comparing bolos to every thing thinking "Yea thats cool but it couldn't stand up to a mark XXV!"

Average customer rating:

First Laumer, but not the last

Legions of Space
Keith Laumer
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743488555

Book Description

Two complete novels, and a host of novelettes fill a large volume by the master of science fiction adventure. In the first novel, A Trace of Memory, a drifter named Legion is hired by a millionaire who claims to be centuries old, but has nearly complete amnesia. He can only remember that something is hunting for him, and Legion's job is to protect him. The job turns out to be more than Legion bargained for when he finds himself and his employer on a prehistoric starship hurtling into the unknown. In Planet Run, Laumer joins forces with SF legend Gordon R. Dickson in a novel of two ancient heroes who are going to trade the rest of their lives for one sweet year, and the chance to solve the secret of the last unexplored planet in this sector of the galaxy. Plus four short novels of exciting interstellar action and adventure. With an introduction by Joel Rosenberg, author of the best-selling "Guardians of the Flame" series.

Customer Reviews:

First Laumer, but not the last.......2006-12-09

This is the first book (well, technically, set of stories) I have read by Keith Laumer, but it won't be the last. Written from the late 60s into the early 70s, many of these stories still seem fresh today. Space exploration, coming of age, alien invasions - all of these and more are covered in the stories in this excellent book. Although sometimes the writing jumps between scenes without warning, it is for the most part crisp and clean and very enjoyable. Eric Flint did the editing honors and there is a foreword by Joel Rosenbaum that helps to set things into perspective. All-in-all, highly recommended by this reviewer.

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