"Hammers Slammers....where to start?" Topic

Ive been convinced by the overwhelming positive reviews of the series here at TMP to pick up one of the books. The problem is, Drake has a large number of books out and I've no idea where start. Any input would be greatly appreciated! It looks like this might be a good place to start?
link

Cheers.

They have just released the first 2 of 3 planned omnibus volumes:

The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volumes I and II

link
link

Yes, it is Wiki, but I doubt even Wiki could get book orders/dates wrong:
link

Then again…

Actually there are three existing books compiling ALL of Drakes work. Here is Volume III. I have and love them all.

link

Volume I (BOTH FROM AMAZON)

link

Volume II (From $144.00) YIKES

link

UK, yes that book would be a good beginning.

The collected works of the hammers Slammers vol II and III in hardback:
link

Baen offers a few of the books for free on thier website. That may be a great place to start, if you like them buy the collections mentioned above. If you don't, nothing lost but time.

baen.com/library

Seach by author (David Drake) and several of his books, inluding a couple Slammers are listed.

Jake

Tank Lords at the Baen online library. Second story is Rolling Hot, one of his best..IMHO.

Downloaded and am reading Tank Lords from the baen Library myself. Fun read – it's not high concept sci fi or litreture, but it's certainly a blast to read.

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking forward to diving in!

Yeap, the 3 Volume Compilation covers pretty much all the Slammer novels and stories and "The Crucible", Handbook/ Rules … will cover all the intel available. I have the complilation and handbook … Get those and you'll know all there is to know about the Slammers … Here's the link to "The Crucible" – link Try Overstock.com, for the 3 volume compilation. That's where I got mine. At a reasonable price …

I dunno, "Rolling Hot" was kind of depressing, if good. Drake certainly doesn't pull any punches when rendering even beloved characters deceased.

He was an armored guy in Nam. I imagine he experienced many such events.

Yes, he was with the 11th ACR in RVN & Cambodia …

Drake's Slammers stuff is certainly 'from the hip'. He writes other material too – space opera and fantasy – that's a little less so, but the Slammers material is very gritty.

I think his writing has got better as he has progressed (unlike a number of other authors, I have to say) so I find his later stories (Paying the Piper for example) easier to actually read than some of the earlier stories (he has refined his craft) but they're all equaly good at pushing my military wargaming buttons.

John T

Gritty indeed … he knows about how troops think, act, talk, etc. Oh … BTW … Armored Cav guys like, or Air Cav for that matter, like to be refered to as "CAV" … I was a "Grunt" for over a decade, back in the day, and those CAV Boys think they are "Special" … Dave in his CAV "T" … picture

All of his collected stories- as well as 3 new stories written specifically for the omnibus collection- used to be produced by Nightshade Books (I bought all 3 in limited edition :D).

My understanding, as stated above, is that they are being re-released as paperbacks. Volume I contains all of the collected slammer short stories, Volume II and III contain all of the novels and novella's EXCEPT for Cross the Stars and The Voyage which are considered major cross over pieces.

The rules set HS: The Crucible provides a great overview and timeline which are all Drake approved and hence considered canon. There is also a (very) short story as a lead in to the scenario presented in the rules.

For a little added filler the Traveller supplement produced by Mongoose (which never sold well and can be picked up for a song) also has some OK filler material in it. However, I am unsure of its Drake approved status- I know Drake was fairly involved with the mini rules. Reading the Mongoose RPG supplement I found some gaping holes and contradictions from canon material so am unsure how deep his involvement was with the RPG supplement.

And legion 4- we have no air cav (at least in the US Army). Air cav went out of phase in the mid-70s. We now have air assault which is a whole nother animal.

Air Cav in vietnam used the helicopters as a "truck" to get to/from battle. The concept for the last 4 decades or so is air assault where we go right into battle via helicopter (which is a completely different concept). :D

I was also a grunt- A Co 5/187 INF (Rakkasans), 101st ABN (Air Assault).

We get cranky when people call us "cav" :D

Ah yes … I know the difference … But when I was in the 101, '79-'83 we still had Div Air Cav, 2/17th, IIRC … And they had Red, White & Pink Tms as well as a "Blues" Plt. And I was a Rakkasan with 3/187 Inf, 3rd Bde, 101st ABN(Air Assault). A RIFLE PLT LDR with Bravo and later the BN S3 AIR … And I have both Airborne and Air Assault wings too, you young whipper-snapper !!

Thread hijack- got EIB?

And I was in from 83 – 87 (85-87 with the 101st prior to that I was down in Panama with 4/20 Mech that became 1/187th)

Yes, I got an EIB … So it looks like we were in about the same time. I was on active duty '79-'90. With the 101, then 2ID in the ROK and finally with the 197th Mech at Benning. [Sorry to threadjack !] But that's what happens when two Rakkasans meet !

The 1st one-'Hammers Slammers is the best start. A collection of short stories that spells it all out. After that, there is no chronology to worry about as long as you know that the Colonel takes Fresia and becomes president. There are a few 'post coup' novels.

The Colonel takes Fresia and becomes president!?

Spoiler!

:-)

Oh and Steuben and Verziger may well be the SAME person. :D

The only problem with Hammers slammers is the same as classic Scooby Doo, once you've read one, you know how they all end. I like the books and I like classic scooby, just wish there was some variation.

Lardie, you have a point but… only to a point!

The three voulume set that was the last iteration of the collected stories has a lot of variation, I would argue: tank and armour combat; infantry stories; special ops team versus drugs cartel; people on a planet who steal a Slammers blower and don't know what to do with it; medieval planet who have no idea what a tank is; monkey lizards who attack blower convoy in suicidal frenzy; interrogating prisoners very harshly before nuking their homes…

There's a fair degree of variation, I would suggest.

But sure, they do involve a lot of tanks.

But then, I do kinda like that…. :)

"And I'd have suceeded if it wasn't for you pesky kids" etc etc

John T

JT, I was meaning and big spoiler here…. they always win, always…. its never really ever in doubt…. just as in classic Scooby it's a bloke in a mask, but as a kid you always hoped one day it would be real. I think Drake's best book is still Redliners….. but future armour warfare is always cool.

Lardie

Yep: even if they take an enormous kicking… I largely can't argue that one!

John T