The Best of the Bolos: Their Finest Hour

Controlled by their tireless electronic brains which were programmed to admit no possibility of defeat, the gigantic robot tanks known as Bolos were almost indestructible, and nearly unstoppable. Their artificial intelligences were designed to make them selflessly serve and protect humans throughout the galaxy and made each Bolo the epitome of the knight sans peur et sans reproche, and often far more noble than the humans who gave them their orders.

Created by Keith Laumer, the saga of the Bolos has been extended by several of the best writers in science fiction. Now, the best stories of the saga are collected in one Omni-Trade volume, including work by New York Times best-selling writers David Weber, Mercedes Lackey and S. M. Stirling, military science fiction grand master David Drake, and Laumer himself, who recount the exploits of the dauntless Bolos in Their Finest Hour.

Cover Art by Tom Kidd

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, 2010

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-10: 1-4391-3375-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-3375-0

Copyright © 2010 by the estate of Keith Laumer
edited by Eric Flint

Introduction copyright © 2010 by David Weber.
"Combat Unit" by Keith Laumer, copyright © 1960 by Mercury Press.
"Lost Legion" copyright © 1993 by S.M. Stirling.
"A Time to Kill" copyright © 1997 by David M. Weber.
"Operation Desert Fox" copyright © 1993 by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon.
"The Last Command" by Keith Laumer. Copyright © 1966 by Conde Nast.
"Little Dog Gone" copyright © 1995 by Linda Evans.
"As Our Strength Lessens" copyright © 1993 by David Drake.
"The Traitor" copyright © 1997 by David M. Weber.
"A Relic of War" by Keith Laumer. Copyright © 1969 by Conde Nast.
"Hold Until Relieved" copyright © 1997 by William H. Keith, Jr.
"A Brief Technical History of the Bolos" copyright © 1995 by David Weber.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

Electronic version by Baen Books
https://www.baen.com