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Title/Author

The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
The Lost Fleet Book 1

Jack Campbell

Average Review Rating Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)
Book Details

Publisher : Titan Books

Published : 2011

Copyright : Jack Campbell 2006

ISBN-10 : PB 0-85768-130-3
ISBN-13 : PB 978-0-85768-130-0

Publisher's Write-Up

The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century, and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who has emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief. Captain John 'Black Jack' Geary's legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic 'last stand' in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns from survival hibernation and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndics. Appalled by the hero-worship around him, Geary is nevertheless a man who will do his duty. And he knows that bringing the stolen Syndic hypernet key safely home is the Alliance's one chance to win the war. But to do that, Geary will have to live up to the impossibly heroic 'Black Jack' legend.

About the Author:
Jack Campbell is the pseudonym for John G. Hemry, a retired Naval officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. As Jack Campbell, he writes The Lost Fleet series of military science fiction novels. He also wrote the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series under his real name.

'4.5/5 It's fascinating stuff... This is military SF where the military and SF parts are both done rig.'

SFX Magazine

''This is pulp fiction at it best, and it's great fun, with a quality of earnest integrity that comes from its author's real-world experience in the US Navy.'

GQ Magazine
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Reader Reviews

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Review by Paul Lappen (301111) Rating (8/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 8/10
The century-long war between the Alliance and the Syndic (Syndicated) Worlds has been going very badly for the Alliance. Now the Alliance fleet is badly outnumbered, and stuck deep in Syndic territory. But the Alliance has a reluctant ace up their sleeves named John Geary.

'Black Jack' Geary was famed for his heroic 'last stand' in the early days of the war. He was thought dead, but was revived after a century in survival hibernation. He is totally disgusted with the absolute hero worship that has grown up around him during the century that he was in hibernation. He becomes the reluctant commander of the fleet when the former commander is murdered during 'negotiations' with the Syndics.

In their present condition, any sustained battle with the Syndics would be a disaster for the Alliance. Geary takes the fleet into a nearby wormhole to another star system. They are able to replenish their supplies at a Syndic base before the Syndics show up. Mankind does not have faster-than-light travel (or communications); the most frustrating thing for Geary is having to deal with the communications delay. Geary takes the fleet into another star system by wormhole, not taking the route that would get them back to Alliance space the fastest. The Alliance has a couple of weeks before the Syndic arrival, so Geary drills the fleet on flying in formation and basic tactics. Some of the ship commanders are not happy with what they consider constant retreats; for them, the Alliance tactical plan can be reduced to one word: Attack!

First of a series, this book is really good. The characters, especially Geary, are real people, and not just square-jawed stereotypes. It has action, it has believability, it has a good story and the reader will not go wrong with this one.
Paul Lappen (30th November 2011)

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