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Casca #11
The Legionnaire
book
169 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
73 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Barry Sadler
109 books79 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
American author, musician and former green beret.
To the general public he is most known for the hit single "Ballad of the green berets"
After his musical career he decided to write a series of novels centered around the character "Casca Rufio Longinius" Who is cursed for piercing Jesus on the crucifix with a spear and is forced to forever remain a soldier until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
In the mid 1980s Sadler moved to Guatemala City where he was shot in the head one night in a taxi. He spent 7 months in a coma and died more than a year later.
American author, musician and former green beret.
To the general public he is most known for the hit single "Ballad of the green berets"
After his musical career he decided to write a series of novels centered around the character "Casca Rufio Longinius" Who is cursed for piercing Jesus on the crucifix with a spear and is forced to forever remain a soldier until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
In the mid 1980s Sadler moved to Guatemala City where he was shot in the head one night in a taxi. He spent 7 months in a coma and died more than a year later.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 23, 2014
Sadler does a good job of describing the country for obvious reasons. He served there in the SF in the mid 60's & later wrote "The Ballad of the Green Berets". More on him here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sa...
As a seemingly ardent supporter, you'd think his POV would be skewed, but he gives us an excellent look at Bien Dien Phu, the battle that pretty much finished the French in Vietnam. We get a decent first hand view of the politics on both sides that led up to it plus a first hand look at those that died during it.
There is a funny thread featuring Gus from Panzer Soldier & Casca's curse shows up a few times. Another excellent addition to the series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sa...
As a seemingly ardent supporter, you'd think his POV would be skewed, but he gives us an excellent look at Bien Dien Phu, the battle that pretty much finished the French in Vietnam. We get a decent first hand view of the politics on both sides that led up to it plus a first hand look at those that died during it.
There is a funny thread featuring Gus from Panzer Soldier & Casca's curse shows up a few times. Another excellent addition to the series.
April 10, 2023
In this installment of the Casca series (total 57 books so far), Casca finds himself in the midst of the Indochina War, where he is tasked with fighting alongside the French Foreign Legion against the Viet Minh forces. As he battles his way through the jungles of Vietnam, Casca is forced to confront not only the physical challenges of warfare but also the psychological toll that comes with living an endless life of violence and bloodshed.
One of the strengths of the Casca series is its ability to blend historical fiction with elements of fantasy and mythology. In "The Legionnaire", Sadler does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the world of the French Foreign Legion, with vivid descriptions of the landscape, the customs and traditions of the Legionnaires, and the brutal realities of warfare.
At the same time, Sadler also weaves in elements of supernatural and mythical storytelling, with Casca's immortality and his interactions with various gods and supernatural beings adding an extra layer of intrigue to the story. This blending of genres creates a unique and engaging reading experience that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
One of the key themes of the book is the idea of honor and duty, and the sacrifices that soldiers must make in service to their country. Casca is a complex character, torn between his loyalty to the Legion and his own sense of morality and justice. As he fights alongside his fellow Legionnaires, he is forced to confront the brutal realities of war and the toll it takes on both the body and the soul.
Sadler also does an excellent job of developing the supporting characters in the book, such as the hardened veteran Sergeant Major Dupont and the young and idealistic Lieutenant Bouchard. Through their interactions with Casca, we get a sense of the camaraderie and brotherhood that exists among soldiers, as well as the diversity of personalities and perspectives that make up any fighting force.
Despite its strengths, "The Legionnaire" is not without its flaws. At times, the pacing of the book can be a bit slow, with long stretches of exposition and description that can drag on. Additionally, some readers may find the graphic violence and gore to be off-putting, as Sadler does not shy away from depicting the brutal realities of war.
Overall, "Casca 11: The Legionnaire" is a solid entry in the Casca series, with strong writing, engaging characters, and a unique blend of historical fiction and mythology. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy this latest installment, and those who are new to the series may find it to be a good introduction to the world of Casca and the French Foreign Legion.
One of the strengths of the Casca series is its ability to blend historical fiction with elements of fantasy and mythology. In "The Legionnaire", Sadler does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the world of the French Foreign Legion, with vivid descriptions of the landscape, the customs and traditions of the Legionnaires, and the brutal realities of warfare.
At the same time, Sadler also weaves in elements of supernatural and mythical storytelling, with Casca's immortality and his interactions with various gods and supernatural beings adding an extra layer of intrigue to the story. This blending of genres creates a unique and engaging reading experience that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
One of the key themes of the book is the idea of honor and duty, and the sacrifices that soldiers must make in service to their country. Casca is a complex character, torn between his loyalty to the Legion and his own sense of morality and justice. As he fights alongside his fellow Legionnaires, he is forced to confront the brutal realities of war and the toll it takes on both the body and the soul.
Sadler also does an excellent job of developing the supporting characters in the book, such as the hardened veteran Sergeant Major Dupont and the young and idealistic Lieutenant Bouchard. Through their interactions with Casca, we get a sense of the camaraderie and brotherhood that exists among soldiers, as well as the diversity of personalities and perspectives that make up any fighting force.
Despite its strengths, "The Legionnaire" is not without its flaws. At times, the pacing of the book can be a bit slow, with long stretches of exposition and description that can drag on. Additionally, some readers may find the graphic violence and gore to be off-putting, as Sadler does not shy away from depicting the brutal realities of war.
Overall, "Casca 11: The Legionnaire" is a solid entry in the Casca series, with strong writing, engaging characters, and a unique blend of historical fiction and mythology. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy this latest installment, and those who are new to the series may find it to be a good introduction to the world of Casca and the French Foreign Legion.
December 27, 2018
As my journey down memory lane continues, I find that some of these books are great, but others are lagging. Then there are the ones in-between.
Casca the Legionnaire was a nice move forward in the series since my favourite, Casca: Panzer Soldier. This one takes place within a decade of the end of WWII with Casca joining France's Foreign Legion.
There are two interesting points here - first, there seem to be recollections by Casca that this is not his first time in the Foreign Legion. Second, he is reunited with his comrade Gus from the Panzers Corps and his days in Russia.
As this book was written by an author who had served in Vietnam, I was not surprised that Casca said that while he might have fought for the Viet Minh due to their oppression by others, he hated communists.
As usual, the combat scenes are fairly well written. However, the moments between those scenes can drag on, with a man who cannot die spending a lot of time waiting.
There were a few really, really annoying typos that should have been caught - as in a 105 mm howitzer becomes a hundred and five, but there weren't too many. But I go back to what I said throughout my reviews of these books - that the proofreading is generally bad. As a guy who went to high school in the mid-late 1970s, I can tell you that they were still teaching grammar and consistency in writing. Apparently, Sadler's proofreaders didn't attend those lessons. I think that in the drive to push out as many books in the series as possible while the interest was there, many things were overlooked.
I hold the line with my overall review of the series - if you have nothing better to read and have time to waste, these books are a great diversion. If you want something more literary or challenging to read, look elsewhere.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this one.
Casca the Legionnaire was a nice move forward in the series since my favourite, Casca: Panzer Soldier. This one takes place within a decade of the end of WWII with Casca joining France's Foreign Legion.
There are two interesting points here - first, there seem to be recollections by Casca that this is not his first time in the Foreign Legion. Second, he is reunited with his comrade Gus from the Panzers Corps and his days in Russia.
As this book was written by an author who had served in Vietnam, I was not surprised that Casca said that while he might have fought for the Viet Minh due to their oppression by others, he hated communists.
As usual, the combat scenes are fairly well written. However, the moments between those scenes can drag on, with a man who cannot die spending a lot of time waiting.
There were a few really, really annoying typos that should have been caught - as in a 105 mm howitzer becomes a hundred and five, but there weren't too many. But I go back to what I said throughout my reviews of these books - that the proofreading is generally bad. As a guy who went to high school in the mid-late 1970s, I can tell you that they were still teaching grammar and consistency in writing. Apparently, Sadler's proofreaders didn't attend those lessons. I think that in the drive to push out as many books in the series as possible while the interest was there, many things were overlooked.
I hold the line with my overall review of the series - if you have nothing better to read and have time to waste, these books are a great diversion. If you want something more literary or challenging to read, look elsewhere.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this one.
September 5, 2021
I liked this fictional story because it included information about the Vietnam War that I didn't really know about. That is the French battles, like Bien Dien Phu, that occurred before America became involved. Casca joined the French Foreign Legion and fights for France in the jungles against the controlling communist forces. There he is captured, escapes, and then rejoins the fight. The author includes an array of interesting characters like the giant, Gus Biedermann. Casca's nemesis is defeated in the end, but I was disappointed in his manner of death. After hundreds of pages, the antagonist dies or fright! Boo!
October 24, 2017
I dont know if its being set in the modern era (relatively) or the Vietnam War but I really liked this so much more than most of the other Casca books recently. I always enjoy them and believe I learn quite a lot about the historical period they're set in but some are definitely more interesting than others and this book is one of them. Not only was there lots of detail about Dien Bien Phu but also it gave insight into the cause of the 1st Indo Chinese war, tactics employed by both sides and managed to be thrilling at the same time.
March 2, 2020
This was Sadler's eleventh installment in the Casca series with him being placed in the French Foreign Legion after World War II and ending up in French Indo-China prior to the fall of Dien Bein Phu in 1954. Of course, Casca survives, but he has no choice but to do so.
January 31, 2025
Easily the best of the *Casca* novels, with Carl Langers and Gus having escaped from the Ostfront to the Legion in Indochina. As hilarious as Gus was in *Panzer Soldier*, he really comes into his own here.
November 18, 2025
Fun throwback to the previous books and characters. I really enjoyed the Paul Harvey now for the rest of the story style of writing this chronicle of Casca.
April 29, 2015
So you just a soldier doing your job. You shove a spear tip into the side of this supposed messiah, except he is the real thing. He curses you to wander the earth till his return. Not bad right, immortality and all. Oh but he also curses you to be a soldier forever at war, never to know peace. This is the story of Casca the Roman legionnaire that stabbed Christ. Forever wandering the earth fighting one war after another. Great adventure series. Very recommended
September 27, 2016
An amazing segment in the series! Excellent descriptions of training and battles! Sadler hit it on the money when he wrote this book. I am just a little familiar with the Dien Bien Phu, but Sadler nails the descriptions in his novel. You feel as if you are in some of the skirmishes yourself. Of the 14 novels I've read so far, this is my favorite.
July 27, 2010
Good but I prefer the ones set in more fantasy type settings with swords.
June 25, 2012
Great book. I first read it in the early 80s. The details leading up to Dien Bien Phu and the Viet Minh preparations were written on a first rate.
May 4, 2015
As in all the Casca books, they are great stories, if you can get past the writing. This is one of the better ones. Great description of jungle warfare.
February 21, 2019
—Casca: The Legionnaire—
French Foreign Legion is legendary fighting outfit slays more of their enemies than their enemies ever slayed legionnaires and, that is the mark of elite soldiery. Bought for 4.25¢ at ThriftBooks.com for the harder to find titles. I loved the Indochina theme of the tricolour and, the eternal soldiery latched on from the panzer days.
Awesomely written action scenes, bar-none, the late Sadler a master storyteller and, a good songwriter. The adventurer like his protagonist Langers.
Orbital characters like Gus. Mixing in with historical personages of the Marshalate of France.
maps mightn't've been the cherry on top.
fine (̅_̅_̅(̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅()ڪ fine 🚬
French Foreign Legion is legendary fighting outfit slays more of their enemies than their enemies ever slayed legionnaires and, that is the mark of elite soldiery. Bought for 4.25¢ at ThriftBooks.com for the harder to find titles. I loved the Indochina theme of the tricolour and, the eternal soldiery latched on from the panzer days.
Awesomely written action scenes, bar-none, the late Sadler a master storyteller and, a good songwriter. The adventurer like his protagonist Langers.
Orbital characters like Gus. Mixing in with historical personages of the Marshalate of France.
maps mightn't've been the cherry on top.
fine (̅_̅_̅(̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅()ڪ fine 🚬
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews