Stark's War

By: Jack Campbell

Narrated by: Eric Summerer

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

The United States of America reigns over Earth as the last surviving superpower. To build a society free of American influence, foreign countries have inhabited the moon, taking advantage of the natural resources to earn their own riches. Now, the U.S. military has been ordered to wrest control of Earth's satellite from their rivals. Sergeant Ethan Stark must train his squadron to fight in an airless atmosphere at one-sixth normal gravity against a desperate enemy. Ensuring his team's survival means choosing between which orders to obey - and which to ignore.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author Jack Campbell.

Stark's War was originally published as "by John G. Hemry".

Battle stations! Listen to more in the Stark's War series.

©2000 John G. Hemry (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Mutiny

I have listened to Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and got hooked. After finishing the series and listening to the off shoots books I looked around for more books by Campbell. This series appears to be a bit different from the other military Sci Fi have listened to in that this story is about army forces fighting on the moon and so far it has been all land battles. The story has a world run by corporation telling the government what to do and a big schism between military and civilian population. The troops are being killed in useless attack created by a General without regard to the lives and safety of the troops until Stark lead a mutiny. Now I have to listen to the next book to find out what happens to them. Eric Summerer did a good job narrating the book.

All too believable

At first I was a bit repulsed by this book as it portrayed the US soldiers as mindless idiots commanded by moronic officers. Then you realise that what you are reading is the logical extension of today's technology to combat operations where officers away from the battlefield start giving tactical orders because technology allows them to, with missions chosen by large corporations. What develops is a very entertaining tale of how the experienced combat soldiers take control back and begin to fight using their own skills. The main characters have to learn to control divisions rather than squads, and find themselves up to the challenge. The translation of combat issues into low-gravity operations feels well thought out and consistent. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

loved it!

I have really enjoyed Jack Campbell/John Hemry's works and even though this was his first series it has a great story line and is an interesting topic. Be sure to listen to his comments at the beginning - even he notes that he would change things now, but I'm glad he didn't. It is fun to see his writing style develop as the characters do. Be sure to listen to the rest of the series as well!

Stark, a Must for Action Sci-Fi Fans

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For any friends with interests common to me would enjoy the Science Fiction Story. While more story than Science, it keeps your attention for the long haul. While not concerned about the survivability of the main, character, you were always concerned that supporting characters might not make it to the end of the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Stark's War?

The most memorable part of the story is the final offensive. The twists and turns through this battle led to a conclusion to the story that I was not expecting.

Have you listened to any of Eric Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first offering of Eric Summers that I have listened to. I found the narration captured the spirit and atmosphere of the story. His character portrails, were exceptional for the male characters but not as convincing for the female characters. I would love to hear him read some of George MacDonald Fraser's work.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This book was not a one sitting book for me as I can't find that amount of time. But if I had, I could have done it in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This is a great tail of leadership and military tactics. It could have just as well been set in vietnam or Afghanistan as there is not much science in the content. But I wanted it for the action and that is what I got.A book worth listening to.

Great story & narrator

Just listened to this book again. This is one of my favorite authors/books/series. I relisten to it several times a year LOL A great military story that focuses on the people & their character. Has great bits of strategy & futuristic technology. Narration is excellent & does a great job with character voices & the emotions of the story. Excellent author. Excellent story. I felt like I was there, a part of the story. I love this book.

Heavy-handed

You get the gist of this story within the first hour, and then get beaten over the head with it over and over and over for the remainder.

Corporate entities have co-opted government, armies have been privatized, and the soldier on the ground is endangered more by bureaucracy than by the enemy. It's a good premise, and not horribly executed, but...it lacks subtlety. It's pretty preachy at times.

The sci-fi stuff -- the military parts -- are good, though not up to the standards of Campbell's Lost Fleet books, and they play out like interludes between the preaching about how the officers don't know anything and the non-coms should be able to run the army without oversight.

Good Book

What did you love best about Stark's War?

You can tell the author has a military background - as a former Army person nothing makes me "cringe" more than getting basic military stuff wrong.
Good story does not follow basic story lines like you think. Well worth the listen.

An interesting view of the corruption or purpose.

What would our world be if the Military conflicts become a form of entertainment? Where the corruption of our politicians turns the military into a tool of large corporations. A reminder that individual freedom is only kept by those who take personal responsibility.

Good fun with our Moon as a backdrop

Would you consider the audio edition of Stark's War to be better than the print version?

Reading or listening, this book is just fun. The listening experience gave an increased sense of fun to a light read. It extended the pleasure over a longer period than I would ordinarily have experience. I read quite quickly and would have ripped through this book in an evening. The audio version gave me more time to savor the story. Even a light story can be enjoyed this way. This is one of the primary selling points about audio books.

What other book might you compare Stark's War to and why?

This book is similar in tone to the Honor Harrington or John Ringo. It has a fast pace with one problem after another. It differs in that the enemy is never really shown or defined except as perhaps the Establishment. Characters are sketched and too often killed. There is no love interest, sex, any sort of objectionable reference., It does have a definite political overtone as do many of the books in the genre. It is lighter than Honor Harrington and less violent than Ringo.

Have you listened to any of Eric Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first experience with his narration. He had a good pace, voice, and diction.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

War in Low gravity is the New Frontier for the Corps. One where Stark leads one shot at a time.

Any additional comments?

It's a good series, light and funny, I recommend it on that basis.

Awesome!

This was a great story, realistic and sticks it to the system!