BIRTH OF FIRE: Amazon.ca: Jerry Pournelle: Books

Product Description

Ingram

Birth Of Fire is the story of Garrett Pittston, wrongly convicted of murder. Pittston faces a choice: life in prison, or near-slavery on Mars. Under the appalling conditions imposed by those who run the mines from Earth, Pittston and his fellow workers start a revolution to wrest their freedom from the penal colony. Display advertising in science fiction publications. Previously published by Pocket Books.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Mars Colonization Novels Ever, Nov 7 2001

By	optimusprimerib (off the grid) - See all my reviews

I had not read any of Jerry Pournelle's other books, when I picked this up years ago. It is an amazingly good yarn dealing with the now cliched notion of the colonization of Mars. The lead protagonist Garrett is given the option to stay in jail in overcrowded earth or get shipped out to Mars on a work detail.
He opts for the latter and gets involved in a revolution to free Mars from the oppressive multinational corporations back on earth. I read this book at least thrice! Great writing. The author moves the action at a good pace. The book felt very believable.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Good story - classic Pournelle, Aug 3 2001

By	Kurt Decoene "Tybo" (Gent - Belgium) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After I read 'Janissaries' I had a 'Pournelle reading frenzy' and this is one of the novels I bought as well.

I like it, it's quite classic. Boy gets to mars 'cause he doesn't have much of a future back home. When arriving on Mars it seems he won't have much of a future there either. But the locals help him out and suddenly he finds himself caught up in a revolution...

classic, not the most complex plot ever, but a good read never the less.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A juvenile in the Heinlein tradition, Aug 30 2000

By	Christian Markus "cjmarkus" (Gruiten) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Garrett Pittson is a youth without a future in a Washington slum. After a fight between gangs he is convicted to exile and slave labour on Mars. There he is picked up by the Marsmen, emigrants and former convicts turned settlers outside the cities and mines governed by companies - and lands in the midst of a revolution in growing. Allegiance to new-won friends and love to a settler's daughter makes him join the revolution and together with the revolution the Project - using nukes to make volcanoes spew out enough water and gases to strengthen Mars atmosphere sufficiently for humans to live without space suits on Mars. Some fight scenes of the Falkenberg quality. All in all a lot like Heinlein's juveniles - in atmosphere as well as in message.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars solid but unexceptional Pournelle
Birth of Fire is an entertaining read with all of the Pournelle elements you would expect. The character of the young protagonist is developed nicely. Read more

Published on May 24 2000 by Leonard Matz

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Sci-fi, almost as good as Jannisaries series
I've read this story 5 times. It is an excellent book as most of his books are. Solid storyline. I highly recommend this for beginning sci-fi readers. Read more

Published on Jun 17 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Pournelle
This book, which incidently was originally released by the now long defunct Laser Books, is definitely classic Pournelle. Read more

Published on April 18 1997

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Pournell and, only 10 years old!
Pournells usual fine mix of har SF and the military genre taking gurrila warfare into a explosive environmet! So good ive read it 3 time already! Read more

Published on Nov 11 1996