The Mercenary

WHY HAS JOHN CHRISTIAN FALKENBERG
THROWN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ON DOZENS
OF PLANETS INTO TURMOIL?

Because he's given up the brilliant military career he's known since age fifteen to fight on his own.

Because he's a legend to the Earth-bound, a mastermind to his soldiers, an enigma to the politicians who buy his services.

But mostly because he's John Christian Falkenberg.

"THE MERCENARY is more than a good science-fiction adventure yarn.... It's both refreshing and thought-provoking."—Poul Anderson

"A rousing adventure, yet with something to say about the old-fashioned virtues — courage and honor - in the far future"—Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

"A classic of its kind, and a must for sheer enjoyment" —T. R. Fehrenbach, author of This Kind of War

Cover Art by Boris Vellajo

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, February 1977

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

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-0-671-47627-4
ISBN-10: 0-671-47627-0

Copyright© 1977 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
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

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

Baen Books by Jerry Pournelle

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