Galactic Convoy

I think that Bill has a great dramatic sense in writing for thios series...I heard it on XM and loved the first book and bought the second...I'll get the 3rd and beyond soon...

The second novel in Bill Baldwin's heady sci-fi "Helmsman Saga", Galactic Convoy is an action-packed saga filled from cover to cover with intrigue, deadly spaceship battles, and abiding bonds of friendship forged through troubled times. An upbeat, galaxy-spanning adventure, as thrilling as the futuristic cover art by Hugo Award winning author/artist Ron Miller, Galactic Convoy documents Bill Baldwin as a master of the science fiction action/adventure genre and a welcome read for any and all sci-fi enthusiasts!

As of November, 2003 this book has been published in a new directors cut edition, in hardback. The original book was one of my favorite of all time, and this time Bill Baldwin has greatly imporved the story, cleaning up a few loose ends and fleshing out some of the other parts of the story. I have always felt this was the best book of the series and this version is even better! In this book, Wilf, and his comrades Uris, Barbousse and the rest are in a new starship, helping to guard convoys bringing needed suppies to a giant base in another part of the universe, and both the convoys and the base are under constant attack by Nergol Triannic's evil forces. It strikes me as if based on the British convoys to beleagured Malta in the Med in WWII. An exciting story, lots of combat, a new romantic interest, new shipmates, just a dang good entertaining fantasy/scifi novel!

This was my first Baldwin book, and because of that, probably one of my favorites. I paid 99cents for this book, and it quickly prompted me to find and buy the other books in the series. Baldwin continues to develop the character of Wilf Brim, as well as the universe in which he lives. This development stage quickly levels off in the series, but in Galactic Convoy it's done very well both with the characters and the technology.This book (as would others in the series) does very well as a stand-alone as well. You need not have read the first book to know what was going on. This a great contrast from writers such as Robert Jordan who write one long story. With Baldwin you can pick up any book in the series and it's a whole story, and while you may not get some of the references, it's still an enjoyable read.

In the fine tradition of C.S. Forester, Baldwin begins to flesh out the career of Lt Wilf Brim, Imperial Fleet. Started in 'The Helmsman' Baldwin crafts the tale of Wilf's rise in fortune as a fleet officer. Baldwin builds Brim's character carefully and gives a good leg up on the plot at the same time. Though the plot is simplistic, it reflects the time honored tale of men at sea (or space) going into 'harms way' for the sake of others. Though occasionally laced with mature discriptions of Wilf's love life, the story line is a good balance between discriptive technical displays of flying a starship and living in the Imperial Fleet. This is a good read and a good foundation for the continuing saga of the Helmsman