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People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang of the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and best-selling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing: a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they're best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color here, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat. Every story in this volume appears here for the first time. Included are: a long novella from the world of his Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, a new tale of "Lord John" by Diana Gabaldon, an "Emberverse" story by S. M. Stirling, a "Forever Peace" story by Joe Haldeman, and a long tale of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original stories by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams. Many of these writers are best sellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable listening.
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 31 hours and 13 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Audible.com Release Date: March 29, 2011
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B004U8N72Q
Best Sellers Rank: #38 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Science Fiction > Anthologies & Short Stories #368 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Anthologies #375 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Anthologies
By the spring of 1945, the Japanese had been driven west across the Pacific by the ever-increasing strength of the American Navy. Okinawa, only 350 miles from mainland Japan, was to be the final battle leading up to the invasion of Japan. Okinawa would serve as a major staging area as well as a base for aircraft. But before these preparations could be made, the Japanese garrison needed to be defeated. On April 1, 1945, the Americans stormed ashore. What laid ahead was the most costly naval battle of the war. Author Robert Gandt describes the naval aspect of the battle for Okinawa in "The Twilight Warriors".I've read several books about the battle for Okinawa, and this one is unique from the previous ones I've read. This book focuses specifically on the naval aspect of the fighting, while only mentioning the land battle in broad terms. Gandt pays particular attention to the kamikaze attacks, the suicide mission of the battleship Yamato, and the numerous air battles that took place in the area. The pilots who flew the planes were called "Tail-End Charlies", due to their status as late-comers to the war. These men also flew at the back of formations, stood at the end of chow lines, and even had their own sleeping quarters called "boys' town".Perhaps the area of greatest danger was the destroyer picket stations. These ships would intercept incoming kamikazes and radio ahead to the main fleet. The Japanese were soon setting out to destroy these ships, and many American destroyers were lost as a result of the kamikaze attacks.I felt Gandt did an especially good job of describing the suicide mission of the Yamato.
The battle for Okinawa was the last great campaign of World War II, a bitterly-fought, duel-to-the death struggle that pitted hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, sailors and marines against Japanese forces determined to save the Empire. As Americans soon found out, the most fearsome element of the Japanese forces defending Okinawa were swarms of kamikazes determined to "body crash" the American ships. Focusing on the U. S. Navy's involvement in the fight for Okinawa, author Robert Gandt interweaves the experiences of the Corsair pilots of VBF-10, assigned to USS Intrepid, against the backdrop of that epic land-sea-air struggle into a fascinating account of men at war.TWILIGHT WARRIORS' storyline begins over a year before the first troops splashed ashore. While Eric Erickson and other young Americans were training to be naval aviators in September 1943, American brass were deciding the sequence of future operations in the Pacific and their Japanese counterparts were trying to devise strategies to stop the oncoming Americans. By the time Intrepid and Air Group 10 departed Pearl Harbor in March 1945, Japanese strategies and most of the the Emperor's fleet lay in ruins, their only effective weapon being kamikazes. The final months of the Navy's war saw hard-fought battles over Okinawa and the Japanese mainland. Air Group 10 and other Air Groups pounded the Japanese mainland, furnished CAP against never-ending kamikaze attacks, struck the remnants of the IJN fleet, etc. When VBF-10's war ended in May 1945, Erickson had won two DFCs, downed two e/a, helped sink BB Yamato and seen a half dozen squadronmates die in combat. In the Okinawa fighting, 12,520 Americans were killed or MIA including 4,907 USN personnel. Some 34 ships were sunk and 368(!) damaged including USS Intrepid.
Warriors is a multiple-author, genre-swapping anthology. The only thing these twenty stories have in common is that a warrior of some kind - a soldier, a mercenary, a religious fanatic, a cowboy, even a serial killer who considers themselves on an important mission - is involved. The stories move between genres, with SF stories followed by crime thrillers followed by fantasy tales followed by historical fiction, the mainstream and the speculative brought together in a manner I haven't really seen before.Warriors is a resounding success. Martin and Dozois' previous editorial collaboration, Songs of the Dying Earth, was excellent but a few stories fell short of the high quality elsewhere. Warriors is notable for not featuring any weak links at all. Some stories are stronger than others, but there is no story that I'd suggest skipping or not bothering with.Things get off to a good start with The King of Norway by Celia Holland, which follows two Viking warriors on an epic raiding mission. A strong, combat-oriented story that moves very quickly. Forever Bound by Joe Haldeman is an SF story featuring a team of scientists learning to fight together by teleoperating cybernetic soldiers, and is another good story with an unusually moving finale. The Triumph by Robin Hobb is set during the Punic Wars, and concentrates on the friendship of two neighbouring Roman farmers, one of whom became a soldier and the other a general. An excellent short story.Clean Slate by Lawrence Block is a pretty savage, contemporary thriller featuring a mentally-damaged protagonist engaging in heinous acts to avenge her destroyed childhood. Powerful and at times disturbing stuff.
Warriors #6: The Darkest Hour (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors: The Ultimate Guide (Warriors Field Guide) Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors Box Set: Volumes 1 to 6: The Complete First Series (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors #1: Into the Wild (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors Manga Box Set: Graystripe's Adventure (Warriors Manga: Graystripe's Trilogy) Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue (Warriors Manga) Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger #2: Beyond the Code (Warriors Manga) Maori Warriors (Torque Books: History's Greatest Warriors) Warriors #2: Fire and Ice (Warriors: The Prophecies Begin) Warriors: Ravenpaw's Path #3: The Heart of a Warrior (Warriors Manga - Ravenpaw's Path) Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha #3: Return to the Clans (Warriors Manga) s & Warriors: Adult Coloring Book Manga to the Max Warriors: Drawing and Coloring Book Trident K9 Warriors: My Tale from the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #2: Thunder and Shadow Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #1: The Apprentice's Quest Warriors: The New Prophecy Box Set: Volumes 1 to 6: The Complete Second Series Warriors: Power of Three Box Set: Volumes 1 to 6
