A Hymn Before Battle

Legacy of the Aldenata

By: John Ringo

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans - for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!

©2001 John Ringo (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

A genre book, but top of its class

If you like military SF, then this is near the top of the class. If you don't like the genre, you will not like the book. It's that simple.

Military Science Fiction + Political Intrique

Any additional comments?

The Posleen are like battlefield locust, eating their own dead and wounded as well as their enemies’ bodies and any other organic materials. They have cut a swath through the Galactic Federation, and their path is leading straight towards Earth. The Galactics are so completely nonviolent that they have a hard time even discussing violence. With no history of conflict, the Galactics are leery of any species capable of violence – including humans. However, the inevitability of defeat drives them to strike a bargain: if the humans will provide the personnel, strategy, and tactics, the Galactics will provide the technology necessary to defeat the Posleen. Together the two groups may be able to stop the Posleen. The Earth military personnel let their imaginations roam free to design weapons and tactics, and the Galactics delivers. As the series progresses, the risk multiplies. Even if the humans manage to stop the Posleens, will they be able to survive the Galactics’ manipulations?

An awesome ride to Valhal with a scifi soundtrack.

A truly enjoyable contemporary war saga with an interesting scifi backdrop, engaging character development and kick ass story arcs.

Good, exciting, violent fun!

This isn't fine, subtle literature. It's action-packed, violent, gory--not at all nuanced. Like a summer blockbuster movie--fun, but totally non-memorable.

Good vs Evil

This is the first installment of a great series by John Ringo. It is where John Wayne meets Tom Clancy to kick baddy butt.

Wish it was longer

I like the narrator of this series and the author makes a good story and a good hero. the only thing is the amount of rank and sir's you have to endure in all his books. but i had allot of fun listening to it and have listen to the whole series.

Great - Miltarty Sci-Fi with lots of action

Lots of action,with a well thought out story line.

I found this series to be really entertaining - especialy if you like powered armor suit combat; Think Startship troopers on steroids. Lots of battles, lots of bad kinda evil non-humans to kill, lots of great ways to kill them.

I espcialy like how each book uses tends to use real geographic features and logistics. I found myself using googlemaps and listening to some of the well thought out battles.

I also liked the Prince Roger series that John co-authored,


Legacy of the Aldenata

Airborne! Great Military Sci-Fi

If you remember the joys of the 'fun run' and scatological marching cadences still make you snort with laughter, you will revel in John Ringo's books. The plots and characters are non-stop thrills, but even better for military veterans, the tactics, situations and people all ring true to what we lived with. Smell the cordite and taste the MREs again, without having to live in a tent.

Excellent all around Sci-Fi

An excellent Military Sci-fi story. gets bogged down just a bit by jumping back and forth but still deserves 5 stars. Narrator is first rate.

Ringo at his best

John Ringo knows soldiers and how they think and feel. This story fits the bill. Highly recommended.