The Road to Damascus
John Ringo, Linda Evans
Baen, Mar 2004, $25.00, 682 pp.
ISBN: 0743471873

The ET Volkswanderung has arrived to conquer the residents of planet Jefferson, cut off from the rest of the Concordant. Nothing survives the devastation of these marauding interplanetary travelers once they engage in their usual hostile activities. To battle the Volkswanderung, Commander Simon Khrustinov and his Surplus on Loan (SOL) Bolo prepare for one final onslaught yet they successfully vanquish the enemy.

However, much of Jefferson is in ruins from the war. Infrastructure either no longer exists or so feeble it might as well not be there. To rebuild the planet means a major influx of capital (both money and people), but few are willing to pay the cost. When the unpopular government tries to make tough decisions, it gains no support and collapses. Narrow vision Utopians take over with a special agenda to use the powerful Bolo to ethnically cleanse their enemies, not understanding the moral dilemma imposed on this thinking war machine with a conscience.

This is an exciting military and post military science fiction novel that would make Keith Laumer proud of what John Ringo and Linda Evans has done with his Bolo. The story line is at its best when the audience observes the reconstruction options and the ethics issues, none of which are easy or cheap. At times harsh and condemning those foolish enough to believe that no one besides the soldier and his or her family have to pay for war and its aftermath, readers will get the no free lunch message that there is a price to pay when conflict, even in the case of defense, is deployed.

Harriet Klausner