West of Honor

INTRODUCING JOHN CHRISTIAN FALKENBERG
—THE MERCENARY

Sooner or later, all civilizations age and decline, grow senile and die—either by conquest from without, or from internal rot. The final days of Western Civilization are signaled by the joining of the USA and the USSR into a ruthless and imperial state that spans first the Earth and then the Solar System. But, because it fails to hold the loyalty of its soldiers, it falters at the stars.

As well as carrying the CoDominium Future History into the galactic period, West of Honor introduces Jerry Pournelle's most important and influential character, John Christian Falkenberg.

"A military novel of the future as it ought to be told—by a man who knows not just the military and the future but the great art of storytelling."- Gordon R. Dickson

Cover Art by Wayne Barlowe

Paperback
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, August 1987

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-0-671-65347-7
ISBN-10: 0-671-65347-4

Copyright© Copyright 1976, 1978 by Jerry Pournelle

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

A Baen Books Original
Baen publishing Enterprises
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Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

Electronic version by WebWrights
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To Junior Officers Everywhere

Chronology

1969

Neil Armstrong sets foot on Earth's Moon.

1990-2000

Series of treaties between U.S. and Soviet Union creates the CoDominium. Military research and development outlawed.

1995

Nationalist movements intensify.

1996

French Foreign Legion forms the basic element of the CoDominium Armed Services.

2004

Alderson drive perfected at Cal Tech.

2008

First Alderson Drive exploratory ships leave the Solar System.

2010-2100

CoDominium Intelligence Services engage in serious effort to suppress all research into technologies with military applications. They are aided by zero-growth organizations. Most scientific research ceases.

2010

Inhabitable planets discovered. Commercial exploitation begins.

2020

First interstellar colonies are founded. The CoDominium Space Navy and Marines are created, absorbing the original CoDominium Armed Services.

2020

Great Exodus period of colonization begins. First colonists are dissidents, malcontents, and voluntary adventurers.

2030

Sergei Lermontov is born in Moscow.

2040

Bureau of Relocations begins mass outsystem shipment of involuntary colonists.

2043

John Christian Falkenberg III is born in Rome, Italy.

2060

Nationalistic revival movements continue.