Weber/White Books (contains SPOILERS)

On Wednesday, September 03, 1997 3:38 PM, Rodrick Campbell
> [SMTP:rcampbell@mail.usachoice.net] wrote:
Perrhaps
> spend our time and computer memory constructively?

I think there were a lot more about Cal-Tex :-D, I wouldn't dream of
going on vacation without setting NOMAIL :-0

> Has anyone out there read David Weber and Steve White's

I just finished "On Death Ground", I haven't read Insurrection and Crusade

SPOLIERS SPOILERS SPOLIERS SPOILERS

SPOLIERS SPOILERS SPOLIERS SPOILERS

On Death Ground

Its quite a good read actually but leaves you on the most dreadful cliff

hanger which is really really annoying as the next book won't be out for

another year yet.

The title is based on a quote form the "Art O War" AOW by Sun Tzu, I couldn't
actually find anything remotely like it in my copy of the AOW?

Basically the humans are up against the Bugs, arachnoid, homicidal (gourmet)
maniacs. They start off a bit low tech but quickly catch up. The actions are
mostly all either missile duels with anti-matter or nuke warheads or
fighter engagements. There is a bit of beam weapon stuff but its in the
minority.

The bugs come up with nasty gunships which are difficult to stop as a
resposne to fighters. It the later stages the bugs have anti-matter
kamikazes and huge moniters, bigger than an SDN. There are also lots of warp
point assaults using SBMHAWKs, forts, ECM, drone spoofing etc.

The battles get a bit tedious after a while as they are a little formulaic and
the every growing bug hordes make any tactical victories rather pointless.
After the humans win their 5th battle against overwhelming odds, BUT then more
overwhelming odds appear, it starts to get boring.

Not a bad book 7/10. You get a lot of battles for your money, lets hope
the follow up finishes off the thread.

sincerely

> Has anyone out there read David Weber and Steve White's
[spoilers deleted]
> [quoted text omitted]
[...]
> The title is based on a quote form the "Art O War" AOW by Sun Tzu, I

In my copy, a 'Shambhala Pocket Classic', translated by Thomas Cleary, there
is a chapter called 'Nine Grounds'.

The closest that he comes in my version of the book is as follows:

"According to the rule for military operations, there are nine kinds of
ground. Where local interests fight among themselves on their own territory,
this is called a ground of dissolution.

"When you enter another's land, but not deeply, this is called light ground."

[and so on and so forth until...]

"When you will survive if you fight quickly and perish if you do not, this is
called dying ground."

"So let there be no battle on a ground of dissolution, let there be no
stopping on light ground,... on surrounded ground make plans, and on dying
ground fight."

For what it's worth.

Mk

> On Sat, 6 Sep 1997, EPICS: Self-Guided Wilderness Tours wrote:

> "When you will survive if you fight quickly and perish if you do not,

This term has been alternately translated into death ground, deadly ground,
dying ground, and desparate ground. Having the actually Chinese version,
personally I'd translate it into "deadly ground". But anyhow, the idea is the
same, it's territory where you must fight or die. So it's a good idea to
fight:)