Book Description
"First let me say that I would not recommend joining the French Foreign Legion to anyone."
With that disclaimer, author Evan McGorman begins a fascinating, first-person account of his French Foreign Legion experience, from the "pure, heart-pounding rush" of his first day at Fort De Nogent, to his days in Sarajevo at the height of the war, to his final day of service five years later.
Beyond McGorman's personal experiences, this definitive handbook covers nearly every aspect of Legion life including where to go to enlist, what to expect during boot camp, how to make friends (and avoid making enemies), how to survive, and two chapters dedicated to desertion.
"Most of your fellow hopefuls will be down to earth and have their heads on straight, like yourself," says McGorman. "But you will also be in the company of many criminal minds, fly-by-night dreamers, kooks, and loonies from whom you should definitely try and keep your distance."
Customer Reviews:
For when you get tired of the cubical farm........2007-06-07
This is a one-of-a-kind manual for the alienated or adventurous youth of the world an utterly fascinating read.
If you're thinking about joining, or just want to know more, this is the most practical book you'll find on the subject. It should help dispel any illusions that you have of romantic days spent marching mile after mile through the desert. Be prepared for a life of Spartan confines and discipline.
But it's more than that. I can't really tell you how many times I've picked up this book just to have something to read. But it says something about a book when you return to it over and over again. I even emailed the author a few questions and was pleasantly surprised by receiving an answer.
The book even caused a minor controversy with my parents as the author explained some of the finer points of "telling people off" in French. Apparently, my rather sensible French mother didn't quite understand the totality or extremeness of some internationally known gestures or expressions. Needless to say, my father and I had a good laugh over this.
I left this book on my desk at work in 2004 just before going on vacation in Europe. Oh, how the rumors started to fly!
A Good Manual for Wanna-be's .......2007-02-12
This is a great book for anyone contemplating joining the Legion and it's a great read for anyone remotely interested in the Legion. I think the author is very honest in his assessments of the Legion and its ventures.
Life in the French Foreign Legion.......2007-01-09
Good intro to the Legion life and what to expect.
A must read if you have any idea that the Legion is for you.
FFL 2eme REP.......2007-01-04
This book is set up almost like an instruction manual (like the title implies). It's an easy read that isn't too much like a dry term paper. I thought it was very interesting. When I was younger I entertained thoughts of being a paratrooper in the French Foreign Legion and I wish I would've had this as a reference. I definitely recommend this for anyone who has ever even thought about joing in the Legion. It may encourage you to make a decision that would surely change your life!
Look Inside the Hype.......2006-09-20
Very good nuts and bolts look at day to day life in the Legion. Well worth reading (I don't automatically give 5 stars). One thing I noted. Training at the small unit level seems to be OK but with seemingly an over-arching emphasis on physical fitness over tactics. Training at the battalion level and above seems to be scarce. Combined arms or joint training seems to be totally lacking. What this means is that in the legion (and maybe the whole frog army) you have units who can't shoot, manuver and communicate at a level above (perhaps) company. Combat isn't totally or even primarily a PT test. Not reassuring if we ever have to depend on them on our flank in a pinch, granted an unlikely scenario. And who could ever depend on the french anyway??
Book Description
Following her defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Spain shifted her colonial focus to her Protectorate in northern Morocco. When Spanish conscripts began to fight and to die by the thousands, political fallout forced the government to create a new unit of professional soldiers. This unit would serve the dual function of providing fighting men for Moroccan service, while sparing the lives of conscripted men. Under its founder, Jose Millan Astray, and his deputy, Francisco Franco, the Spanish Foreign Legion would quickly become the spearhead for Spain's army in Africa. This is the story of the creation, organization, and combat role of the Legion in its formative years from 1919 to 1927. Based upon archival sources in Madrid, Segovia, and Ceuta, this is the first and most complete history in English or Spanish of the early years of the Spanish Foreign Legion. The unit was instrumental in crushing Abd-el-Krim's rebellion against Spanish colonial authority. When the Riffians annihilated the army of General Silvestre at Annual in 1921 and were poised to attack the Spanish enclave of Melilla, it was the arrival of the Legion that pacified its panic-stricken citizens. The force would be in the vanguard of all major offensives undertaken in recapturing the territory lost in 1921, and its amphibious landing at Alhucemas Bay in 1925 marked the beginning of the end for the Rif Rebellion.
Customer Reviews:
Splendid Scholarship.......2006-10-24
Dr. Alvarez made unprecedented use of orignal archival sources to chronicle the exploits of the Spanish Foreign Legion in the Riff.
His detailed analysis will be of particular interest to students of counterinsurgency operations and scholars with an interest in the region.
a solid work .......2004-10-25
Part unit history and part campaign account, this is a solid, if uninspiring work. But it's a welcome addition if only because an English-language history of the Spanish Foreign Legion has been long overdue. Spain's campaigns in Morocco are rarely mentioned in the literature on African colonial conflicts. Why? It's not as if Spain was a newcomer to Africa: the city of Ceuta in Morocco had been a Spanish possession since the 16th century.
Francisco Franco, who began his military career in the Legion, emerges as a dour, serious figure dedicated to the task at hand. Those interested in the Spanish Civil War, especially fans of Nationalist Spain, will enjoy his portrait here, and perhaps understand how such a man achieved so much. Franco's alleged involvement in the plot to overthrow the "wet" Primo de Rivera in 1923, described here, foreshadowed the events of 1936.
Incidentally, readers of Christopher Balfour's recent work, The Deadly Embrace, marketed as an expose of Spain's use of poison gas against the Riffian tribesmen, may be interested to note that there are plenty of references to it here. The use of poison gas by Spain may be deplorable, but hardly shocking. Although war can bring out the best in men, it also brings out the worst. Perhaps Spain's decision to resort to gas may seem understandable in light of the atrocities carried out by the Riffian insurgents against Spanish civilians, particularly at towns like Nador (pp.51-52).
The Spanish are a proud, civilized people with remarkable achievements to their name, of which the Reconquista and the Conquest of the New World are just two examples. The West owes Spain a considerable debt of gratitude. Although the military reputation of Spain has suffered much in the last century, the Legion, as one of the world's elite forces, is an apt reminder of the former grandeur. Viva La Legion!
El Tercio.......2002-03-05
Excellent book about the first years of the Spanish Foreign Legion, also known as El Tercio (for Spanish infantry units which ruled European battlefields in the XVI and XVII centuries). It catches the spirit of the first Banderas (batallions), which were the fer de lance of the Spanish army in the Spanish Maroc Protectorate in the first quarter of the XX century. Afterwards, it took an active part in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), in the Russian front in the Second World War, where it fought together with the Wermacht, as well as in the Spanish Sahara in the late fifties.
Currently, and since Spain does not have colonies any more, the Spanish Foreign Legion is deployed in Spain, divided into four Tercios (regiment-type units) stationed in Ceuta, Melilla (two Spanish cities in northern Africa), Ronda and Almeria. It has seen action in Kosovo, and some companies will be probably sent to Afgahnistan in the near future. Always the crack unit of the Spanish army, the Legion is considered one of the best (if not the best) units within the NATO, comparing favourably with famous units such as the British SAS in field exercises and peace (?) missions in former Yugoslavia.
A VERY DETAILED, METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED HISTORY........2001-05-01
Dr Alverez has written an extremely detailed, comprehensive account of an important unit and era in Spanish military history. This is, by far, the best account of the Spanish Foreign Legion in English, and his worked does much to bring their story to a wider public.
Superb!.......2001-03-03
The little known Spanish Foreign Legion forged a well deserved reputation for valor and professionalism during Spain's early 20th century struggle in North Africa. Unfortunately, very little has been written in English about this extraordinary force. Dr. Alvarez has written a superb account of the formation and early history of the Legion capturing the unique Spanish elan of both its leaders and men. Here was a tough, truly elite military force in the best Spanish tradition. This book fills an important gap in military history which I hope will encourage other historians to explore the role the Legion played later during the Civil war.
Book Description
This powerful look at the French Foreign Legion explores the authors' experiences with the brutalities, adventure, destruction, danger, and criminal encounters over his five years of service in this dehumanizing regime. Well known as the most notorious, bloody, and ruthless band of mercenaries in the world, in 1998 the Legion accepted Tony Sloane at the age of 18, inviting him as an elite member of this secret and mysterious fighting force. The legend and the myths of the Legion captivated Sloane and he quickly learned that life as a legionnaire was not just about physical training, but also about pledging mind and soul to the missions and operations.
Customer Reviews:
The Naked Soldier: A True Story of the French Foreign Legion.......2007-05-08
Great book for those of us who thought about running off to join the Legion. Very sobering for the hopeless romantic.
Very real stories from his experiences; no Rambo tales.
A great read.
The darker side of willpower and the combat mindset.......2007-05-04
This is an interesting book, if nothing else because of a fascination with the idea of the legion. But let's just say, if you aren't interested in the darker underside of civilization this book isn't for you. It can best be described as a walk on the wild side. At worst it's an example of minimalist behavior on the part of hardened men. If you can't handle that then don't read this book. Reality, isn't found at a StarBucks coffee house.
I can understand, due to some of my own past, some of what these men seek. You'll never be more alive when you are close to death. You'll never understand the meaning of brotherhood until you've stood with other men like a stone wall.
We should be grateful for the knowledge these men go where others would not dare. As George Orwell said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
Je ne regrette rien.
Making Monsters.......2007-03-29
A straightforward, apparently factual account of how a naive British youth joined the FFL, endured unbelievable physical hardships, emotional abuse and cruelty, lost all of his innocence, and became a hardened soldier.
The world may need soldiers -- to fight other soldiers -- but releasing these kind of people back into the real world outside the army seems like a bad idea. Sloane's summing up in the last chapters is chillingly cold-hearted and inhuman, and the fact that he returned to fighting for other armies (in the UK and in Desert Storm) only goes to prove his statement that he became "inept for civilian life."
The book was well-written (probably ghost-written) although there is almost no analysis of any of the political situations mentioned above (by reviewer Dimitrios). This is most definitely not a book about world politics or even the French Foreign Legion; it's strictly the story of one self-centered little bully and how he was turned into a self-serving militaristic monster.
Brilliant - Must Read Book.......2007-03-24
The Naked Soldier is a must read book, for everyone who has a little legionaire inside themselves, or if you just want some REAL action! The book is rather easy to read, and I asure You, that from the first page, you can't put it down. Buy it, read it and make up your mind. It's worth it all.
Captivating!.......2006-12-31
After reading reviews on various other foreign legion books, I decided to get my husband this particular book for x-mas. He's not much of a bookworm but he can't put it down! He says the writing is great and the story flows very nicely. It HAS to be interesting for my husband to get so involved with the story.
Book Description
Since 1831, the French Foreign Legion has been a renowned symbol of discipline and solidarity. Made up completely of volunteers, the Legion gives men a new lease on life-and a chance to test their limits both physically and mentally. And in 1999, the Legion was just what American Jaime Salazar was looking for.
From the harrowing physical rigors of basic training to his posting in the 2e REG outside of the tiny village of Saint Christol, from his fierce competitiveness and pride to his ultimate disillusionment with the Legion and dramatic desertion, this is the story of Salazar's quest for honor and sacrifice. Legion of the Lost is a compelling, first-hand account of the contemporary French Foreign Legion, sure to dispel myths while, at the same time, add to the legend of the finest trained army of mercenaries the world has ever seen.
Customer Reviews:
a fun dumb book.......2007-10-10
This book is an account of a well-off american in the French Foreign Legion. Its really got nothing new to say about the Legion that has not been said endlessly in other sources. But its a fun "lite" read. Lots of stories about getting drunk, the absurdities of military life in peacetime and the charcters that are part of a force like the Legion.
Don't expect any excitment though. What you get is an account of garrison duty in the france during peacetime. About the closest there is to any action is when the author deserts the legion and he deserts fast.
Salazar (the author) doesn't come across as a very likeable character in the book. But he has a casual style in writing that made me forget all the things about him that were not all that great.
Yuppie made a worng turn in his BMW'r.......2007-05-07
Who would want to read a book that was suppossed to be 5 chapters but all you get when you pay for it is 1 chapter. The guy quit and ran after 1 year of service in the Legion and then had the nerve to tell everyone? If that had happened in the U.S. Army he would be in Leavenworth. This author is a coward , plain and simple, and not worthy of reading let alone purchasing.
Legion of the strange.......2007-04-10
The French Foreign Legion? It is an (in)famous group of foreign soldiers doing dirty jobs for France. The Legion has historically attracted less than savory characters although several gentlemen-soldiers (it has always been all men except for maybe one)have joined over the Legion's 200+ year history. Regardless of its sometimes checkered past the Legion has fought heroically for France throughout its existence. This book gives a good recount of several instances.
This book tells the story of an educated American who joined the Legion in the 1990's. The author and main character is a mechanical engineer and 'thinking man's soldier' in the Legion. He does not fight in any battles or see any exotic places outside France. However, what is nice about the book is that the author has an excellent writing style which gives vivid descriptions of his fellow Legionnaires, all of his training and all the b-s he has to endure. The BS is so bad he daringly escapes back to the safety of the USA. This is not a war story but it is a rich life experience journal which tells the tale of a young American who joins a foreign army in a foreign land with a band of lost souls and the frolicking and hardship he endures along the way.
Farting, drinking, getting punched and getting laid.......2007-01-20
Although well-written enough to want you to turn the page for potential adventure, it never comes. Jaime talks about guy bonding via farting, drinking and getting laid while in town. The book never gets exciting to the point of combat, and that's the purpose of the French Foreign Legion. Why didn't Jaime just enlist in the US army for a tour or two or three to Iraq or Afghanistan? I'm sure he could have come back with excitement, gore and extreme physical and mental challenges to last a life time. I got the impression Jaime just joined the Legion to see if he could pass basic training, and then to write about it later. I read the first 150 pages but got bored and quit...just like Jaime.
A Chip Off The Old Block.......2006-09-20
This is a very good read that treats the reader to many humorous situations and a blow by blow account of what FFL basic training is like. Salazar takes the reader around France and to London. He is a gifted writer that can make you laugh while reading or flinch with suspense. I enjoyed the vivid detailed accounts while he was on leave. I just wish that the book would have included a glossary. I don't know if the hardback does, but the paperback does not. Thanks to Salazar I am going to visit the FFL museum in the future.
Average customer rating:
- Makes Conrad's Heart of Darkness seems like child's fairytale
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With the French Foreign Legion in Syria
John Harvey , and
Martin Windrow
Manufacturer: Greenhill Pr
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ASIN: 1853672122 |
Customer Reviews:
Makes Conrad's Heart of Darkness seems like child's fairytale.......2007-07-02
When Harvey joined The Legion he thought he had a chance to become an officer and a gentleman. But he was lied to. He had little chance of becoming an officer and no chance of being a gentleman. He had little chance of surviving the next five years and his colleagues were the most contemptible lot since The United Nations was formed.
Harvey has little good to say about the legion or the misplaced youth of Europe he served with. In fact he describes them as scum, those wanted by the law, Russians who escaped the Bolshevik revolution, and the rest comprised of people who were products of less than quality inbreeding. Their only redeeming quality was they could die for France.
His commanding officers went well past brave and into the world of fatalistic But the stories of how they ate horse flesh, served with a handful of rifles and almost no ammunition, engaged Arabs in saber duels, only serves to displace any romantic idea that anyone other than the suicidal should consider joining the legion in the 1920s. After all, they made death seem like a better deal than an escape attempt!
Perhaps Harvey found himself on this twisted decent into hell because his WWI head wound had failed to heal properly and he found himself a refugee from reality.
The writing style in this book reminds me of McBride's A Rifleman Goes to War. While some of the stories found within this book can be verified by a number of sources, other can't. That is not to say that they didn't happen, but that they are difficult to verify. In that way it reminds me of Guy Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier.
Quite frankly, you would think the book is a work of fiction by Robert Conrad, only darker and richly devoted to the bleakest existence imaginable.
Book Description
This classic book now makes its first appearance in English. Long out-of-print this study is one of the few books dedicated to the history of the infamous Legion Condor, the German volunteer unit that fought with pro-Franco forces during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. Many of the tactics and strategies of the Luftwaffe were first formulated and used during operations in Spain. Also, various aircraft were tested and used, such as the famous Ju 87, Do 17, He 111 and Bf 109 - all stalwarts of the later Luftwaffe during World War II. Many Luftwaffe pilots received combat training in Spain; Werner Molders and Adolf Galland first earned their wings as members of the Legion Condor. Renowned Luftwaffe experts Karl Ries and Hans Ring have brought together over 480 photographs, including aerial reconnaissance photos, detailed unit insignia, and action shots. The history of the Legion Condor is discussed in great detail, including the many personalities, thorough battle analysis, and technical aspects of the weaponry. The result is a superb historical study of the early Luftwaffe. Karl Ries is the author of many books on the Luftwaffe including Luftwaffe Rudder Markings 1936-1945 with Ernst Obermaier, available from Schiffer Military History. Hans Ring is co-author with Werner Girbig of a unit history of JG 27., 8 1/2" x 11"
Customer Reviews:
True History, Long Overdue.......2006-04-25
The Spanish Civil War began in 1936. This conflict is examined in the book "Legion Condor," the name that the German Troops gave to their organization in Spain.
In the 1936 elections, the Spanish leftists achieved a very slim majority. Then, the government embarked on a purge. Priests, monks, nuns, members of right-wing parties, businessmen and the well-to-do were given typical communist treatment. Private property and money were eliminated.
Next, Russian generals arrived. Red volunteers and French war material streamed into Spain from France. Russia mobilized the entire communist world to send 50,000 volunteers to fight for the Red cause in Spain.
German volunteer pilots faced off against Russian pilots, and the German Me 109s were vastly superior. Maximum strength of Germany in Spain was about 5,000 at any particular time, mostly in the air corps. German army ground personnel in Spain never exceeded 600 men at any time.
This book examines the story of Guernica, a key piece of propaganda.
World press coverage of the Spanish Civil War was lopsided in favor of the communists. Those backing the government were deceptively called "loyalists" by the media. Of course, "communists" would have been a much more descriptive and accurate term, since they were only loyal to the ideals and orders of Moscow.
This book is essential for anyone who wants to know what really happened.
Book Description
“A pleasure to read and nearly impossible to put down.”
–Army Times
“Embodies an experience that many have enjoyed in fantasy–few in reality.”
–The Washington Post
The French Foreign Legion–mysterious, romantic, deadly–is filled with men of dubious character, and hardly the place for a proper Englishman just nineteen years of age. Yet in 1960, Simon Murray traveled alone to Paris, Marseilles, and ultimately Algeria to fulfill the toughest contract of his life: a five-year stint in the Legion. Along the way, he kept a diary.
Legionnaire is a compelling, firsthand account of Murray’s experience with this legendary band of soldiers. This gripping journal offers stark evidence that the Legion’s reputation for pushing men to their breaking points and beyond is well deserved. In the fierce, sun-baked North African desert, strong men cracked under brutal officers, merciless training methods, and barbarous punishments. Yet Murray survived, even thrived. For he shared one trait with these hard men from all nations and backgrounds: a determination never to surrender.
“The drama, excitement, and color of a good guts-and-glory thriller.”
–Dr. Henry Kissinger
Customer Reviews:
Voir la vie autrement.......2007-05-29
This book is a great read about a man who decided to throw caution to the wind and join the French Foreign Legion and became a legend. The book is very well written, and a classic in the limited field of first person legion accounts. It remains an excellent personal account of the war in Algeria as well. It also does a fine job of explaining how the legion adapted and changed after the war in Africa and Indochina.
In a previous review of another book I mentioned comrades as priceless and something you only find when men are pushed to their limits. Murray proves my point repeatedly. If you've ever served, then you'll understand, ultimately you fight for the man standing next to you. He captures this brilliantly.
There is some excellent information about combat mind-set, marksmanship and discipline found within these pages as well. I really began to admire how hardened these men were and to watch them develop into razor's edge. In the end, Murray had become a warrior.
Ultimately, it's a real life adventure story. Much like Kon Tiki, only vastly more deadly and with lots of wine, whiskey and women. Either way, few men have the balls to take on something like this.
Legionaire: Five years in the French Foriegn Legion.......2007-05-07
While this book is now dated it does not detract from the stark reality of life as as legionaire. Simon takes us through his service life with a no holds barred acount. I enjoyed the read.
A superb overview of life in the legion.......2006-07-31
This is a well written story of Simon Murray's life during the five years from 1960-1964. The good, the bad, the cruel and the emotional parts are clearly presented. It certainly strips away any romantic notions one might have about life in the Legion. Very good reading.
Five Years in the French Foreign Legion.......2006-07-19
A great read - Anyone who has been in an active armed service will relate to the adventure. It is a book that I wouldrecomend to any young person starting out - a book that you can't put down and when you are finished reading it you will wish you were 21 again just to go in search of a similar adventure.
This is modern history - written in away that it is suitable for school reading.
When is the next Simon Murray adventure coming to print.
A Good Read.......2006-06-18
Murray is obviously a very intelligent man with a good memory and tells an interesting story. The Legion of his day was probably not as brutal as the U.S. Marine Corps Boot Camp of the 1950's (I know) but the difference was that the Legion was always in Boot Camp mode whereas the Marines spent 3 months in that hell and then lived like normal human beings. I also don't think the Marines could have matched the Legion's constant marching. My favorite Legion book is Memoirs of the Foreign Legion by Maurice Magnus. A much shorter book that portrays the Legion as it was 45 years earlier than Murray's Legion, it is not as detailed but more colorful.
Book Description
Originally announced as 2nd Foreign Legion Paratroop Regiment back in Fall of 2000, this book never came out.
It is now available and readers will see unprecedented detail and information on one of France's premier special forces units.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book.......2007-07-19
I just got this book in the mail the other day and it is great. It covers in basic detail the entire history of the paras starting in Vietnam. It has many very good photos as well. My only complaint would be the sometimes poor translation from french. But the book is well laid out. From the start it tells of each war/battle/operation that the paras have been in after that it lists all of the specailist units within the paras as well as all of the weapon systems employed by them. Another detail I found interesting was the break down of the countries of orgin and number of men in the paras as of 2001. Over all a very good "table" book.
FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION EXCELLANCE.......2006-03-28
THIS BOOK IS A DEFINITE FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR GREAT PICTURES AND GREAT INFORMATION ON THE 2 REP OF THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO READ, AND I'M SURE THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION AND THE ELITE TROOPS OF THE 2 REP WOULD BE PROUD OF THIS BOOK.
The 2E Rep FFL.......2005-07-25
Great book, great pictures, great detail of operations of the 2E Rep....
Book Description
Resoundingly acclaimed, this brilliantly detailed historical account vividly presents the famed fighting force.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read--- worth every page.......2005-06-04
Douglas Porch's inside view of the Foreign Legion in great detail keeps the reader enthralled through every page. It's about time this legendary fighting force got the credit it deserves. From campaigning in colonial Africa to the jungles of Tonkin through two World Wars, the Foreign Legion needed someone to tell of their bloody, honorable, and glory-filled history.
A Lot of Legion Here: Really a Social History of the Legion.......2004-12-01
If you are looking for a complete history of the Legion with almost every hopeless engagement listed and the details of "faire Cameron" (the propensity of the legion to battle in hopeless battles to the death, then you may be a little disspointed. I say "a little" because this book is really a great read, but it is NOT a military history.
It is strong on some aspects of the campaignes such as the early ones in Algeria, Spain, Madagascar, Mexico and latterally in Indochina and Algeria, but it does miss whole parts of campaigns in French North Africa and is a little sparse on WWI and WWII in my opinion(especially the sterling actions of the French and the legion at Cassino in 1944).
This book is really a massive social history of the Legion. Its place in the hearts and minds of the French People, the legionnaire, and how the legionnaire was viewed by those whose lands he soldiered in and fought against. As such there is a very clever interweaving of the statistical information on numbers of recruits, dessertions, composition of forces. Porch uses the very much reoccuring theme of dessertion in La Legion to such an extent that dessertion in a sense defined the legion -- you were not considered a true legionnaire until you had tried to desert at least once.
He analyses the mentality of brutality that seemed endemic in this force and although he finds it repugnant at times he does see it as necessarily standing outside the experiences of French Line Regiments.
Another theme is the supposed reason for enlistment. For the majority of recruits over the entire time of La Legion, the main reason for people joining was to mainly for escape and the espirit du corps. This was augmented over time after recruits got in and they fought really only for the sake of fighting and protecting the name of regiment. In times like WWI and WWII when ideals motivated recruits, the traditional mindset of the legionaire often came into comflict with those of idealists. Therefore the effectiveness of the recruits may become compromised.
I particularly enjoyed the frightening detail of the massive sweeps in Indochina and the feeling of absolute hopelessness in the horrific infantry battles in the jungles. Whole regiments getting wiped out in forgotten battles.
This is a massive read. Porch is a solid historian and writes very well. I would read other of his books gladly.
the fighting force.......2004-11-12
nov.11,2004
I like the french legion
because most of the individuals are outcast
criminalshiding from theircountry
afightingforce
Rody
MOVIE LEGGIONAIRE.......2004-11-11
nov.11,04
The LEGGIONAIRE, van damme escape fomhis country
as a fugitive and join the french legion
he landed in morroco and was trained
the moors/rebels invaded their garrison
kill allthesoldiersand burn
he was only left alive.AmovieIsaw yr1999
butwhat I read in the book the legion
was foundedin march1831
bykinglouisphilippe
Rodrigo T. Vicente
BSCmanagement march2003
urioscollege
butuancity phillipines 8600
hope I can read the book
One of the best.......2004-09-13
I've read 3 books on the French Foreign Legion. Of the 3, this one was the finest. It had good info, captivating narrative, and good editing (no mistakes). Since I've read Porch's book, I ordered the other 2 Legion books, but they did not measure up. I'll be reading Mcgorman's book soon and I'll write a review on that one. This book is an excellent buy and very entertaining.
Average customer rating:
- Disappointing
- Enjoyable set of stories by several authors
- Foreign Legions
- Drops you into battle and plays you out with music
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Foreign Legions
David Drake ,
David Weber , and
Eric Flint
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0671319906 |
Book Description
Lots of Soldiers Work for Civilians
They don't Like,
but these Romans had It Worse
than Most --
Their Commanders were
Blue-Skinned Aliens!
The guilds of star-traveling merchants had strict rules to prevent their technology from falling into the hands of the natives of planets they were exploiting: military operations had to be carried out with weaponry no more complex than swords and bows.
That was no handicap to merchant princes with a galaxy to scour for military slaves to do their fighting for them. Some came to Earth for soldiers and returned to the stars with the best the planet had to offer. For over two thousand years the aliens thought they'd succeeded brilliantly -- but then things changed!
Set in the universe of Ranks of Bronze, masterful new novellas by
David Drake
Eric Flint
S. M. Stirling
Mark L. Van Name
and David Weber
explore the bleeding edge between human courage and the science of alien slavemasters. The right man with a sword is just as deadly as a technician with a laser --
And not all the blood spilled is red!
YESTERDAY THEY WERE THE BEST
INFANTRY ON EARTH-
NOW THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ON THE
WHOLE GALAXY.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2007-07-11
David Drake seems to be recycling a lot of his work and Eric Flint and Weber become more and more verbose. Incidentally, Weber's story reads like a ripoff of a story that Poul Anderson wrote for Analog many years ago.
Enjoyable set of stories by several authors.......2006-09-22
overall this was an enjoyable read. comments on individual stories/authors follow
ranks of bronze (short story version) - you can see why this was so intriguing drake was pushed for a novelization.
sir george and the dragon - it seemed a bit dull, probably because in great part it is a re-run of the original novel with another set of humans.
lambs to the slaughter - dry drake story, he didn't show any occupation-force/pacification activity in original story, wonder if this is an afterthought.
a clear signal - interesting concept, though half the story being flashback to establish relationship between protagonist and antagonist was dull as dirt. this could easily have been a generic SF story ported to the ranks of bronze universe by simply changing the nature of the aliens, there is really nothing else involving drake's concept here.
the three walls/32nd campaign - roman legion in another battle, with familiar characters. written pretty much in character, straight military story
cartago delenda est - the most interesting of the stories - what happens after the legion returns to earth, and the guild figures out where they have gone with the missing ship. overall flint does a good job with this, though i am baffled as to why he needs to have a 'funny' character in his stories. In this case clodius afer becomes the 'funny' character, with his wailing and moaning during one battle sequence. I do think the conclusion could have used some more expansion (despite getting the historical reference to the ending of the third punic war, something the title gives away anyway with cato's famous mantra), but what do i know...
Foreign Legions.......2001-12-13
Liked some of the concepts, Good writeing, Would have liked to see more, highly recomend this book.
Drops you into battle and plays you out with music.......2001-05-23
One of David Drake's earliest stories (and one of his best known), is "Ranks of Bronze", which leads off this volume of tales. "Ranks" dealt with a short, ugly campaign by a group of bought-and-paid-for Roman Legionnaires, the survivors of Crassus' utterly disastrous Parthian campaign. To the aliens, the primitive humans are useful puppets who can be used to conquer other primitive worlds. But THESE puppets have swords, which can cut strings... and their masters' throats.
The stories in this volume range from non-stories like S. M. Stirling's "Three Walls", which is a fairly dull run-of-the-action description of a battle, turned into a story only by a throwaway moment at the end which warns of what is to come in the final story.
There's also "A Clear Signal", which doesn't really feel as if it fully belongs in this book, since the political circumstances described don't match anything else, nor do the Romans even get mention. It's not a bad story, but it really belongs elsewhere.
Drake himself contributes "Lambs to the Slaughter", which I'd call the sprightliest tale in the book, being how one underofficer, known to all and sundry as "Froggie", manages to outwit both his masters and his enemies. I laughed like hell at the ending of this one, and Drake doesn't usually do that for me.
David Weber contributes "Sir George and the Dragon," which serves both as solid entertainment and as a reminder that humans are dangerous, whether they be Romans or English, and a tribute to what has probably been the finest weapon of battle ever created, the English Longbow.
Finally, Eric Flint's "Carthago Delenda Est" is the treasure of this volume, and it was worth getting this volume for this story alone, even without Weber and Drake's work. I don't want to spoil it, but read the other stories first, then read "Carthago." The beauty of this one is that you have to read the story to understand both why and how it ends, and in my case, it took me a few seconds to puzzle it out, but the reward for doing so was to know true joy.
Well worth the time invested.
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