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Tactics of Mistake

By: Gordon R. Dickson
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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Publisher's summary

It's obvious that Cletus Graeme - limping, mild-mannered scholarly - doesn't belong on a battle field, but instead at a desk working on his fourth book on battle strategy and tactics. But Bakhalla has more battlefields than libraries, and Graeme sees his small force of Dorsai - soldiers of fortune - as the perfect opportunity to test his theories. But if his theories or his belief in the Dorsai lead him astray, he's a dead man.

©1971 Gordon R. Dickson (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about Tactics of Mistake

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

and great sci-fi book I didn't discover till later

I've already read this book a couple of times. and I had to buy it as soon as I saw it was available as an audiobook. i really thoroughly enjoyed the story. I think that it is one of the first novels to consider Beyond just normal tactics for normal warfare. this is an excellent book in asymmetrical Warfare even for a person living today and not in the future times.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The Origin of the Dorsai is fascinating

You never know the time line is in these Dorsai novels. You hope for recurring favorite characters but that rarely happens. What does happen consistently are well thought out stories that are thoroughly enjoyable. Yes, thus far they are very Male based novels and the treatment of women is disappointing but the overall story does make up for that. I am hooked on this universe.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best story Dickson has written.

There is a rash of Dorsai stuff out there, but the Tactics of Mistake should be read in Military College.
Remarkably well written and original, and the undercurrent love story adds to the mystique.
The Man Who Never Missed by Steven Perry and Tactics of Mistake by Gordon Dickson are my two favorite Sci Fi Books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very well written and unique

Fun story, u could see this being a real story. With the main character being augmented in some way. Higher IQ then average,

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Childe Cycle or Dorsai series

These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when Earth's foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.

Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.

"Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries" by A.E. Housman

Unfortunately for us the series is not complete the author died before finishing the series without leaving any notes about his view of Dorsai universe.

This means we will never get the full picture, but it gives us an opportunity to read only the best!!!!

IMHO only two of the books worth reading :
1. "Dorsai"
2. "Tactics of Mistake"
and maybe "Necromancer"

the other books in the series do not match the high standards of these two.

Tactics of Mistake is a Prequel and tells about the time before the Dorsai, the time when the colonization only began and dorsai tactical doctrine and training just began it's long way to be the best.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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DORSAI!!

Always a great read now also a great listen. The DORSAI series is well put together and timeless.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Science Fiction

I read Tactics of Mistake in my teen years. Now in my 60's after rereading it many times, listening to it was a great experience! The book has aged well and is still a classic of Science Fiction. The world building is very sound and complex. The performance was excellent. Highly recommended for anyone that enjoys military Science Fiction. A classic!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

EXCITING AND WELL CONSTRUCTED RATIONAL

I was totally surprised by Dickson. I had never heard of him or his series but the combination of action and deductive reasoning kept me eager to get to the next sequence of events throughout the the book. Always careful of honor, loyality and leadership to win the hearts of those around him.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Tactics of Mistake the book that started it all.

So good to listen to this Gorden R. Dickson classic.
One of the greatest if not the greatest military sci-fi novel of our time. Dickson's writing is surprising on track with much of actual military special ops training and strategy. He was a genius of this type of writing. The narration is well done. Not perfect but good. How is a male narrator supposed to do the female character??? but it is ok. I give this book a deserved 5 stars.

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