I have just started reading the Ashes aeries and I am now on book 4. I just ordered book 5 and 6 but while I wait for them from kenisington, should i read a few of the others or is it best to wait so I can read them in order to follow the story?
Thanks, John

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Disabled American Veteran
USMC 1985-1989

I'd read them in order, there are enough flashbacks to get the big picture even if you skip around, but you miss the little details that make it better. I have read the first six and am waiting on number seven currently.

Agreed... read them in order. One leads up to the next. I'm reading 6 and anxiously awaiting the rest. I MAY have to go back to some westerns of Bills, to kill time until more come out and I collect the next 6, so I can read like mad again. It's been like one huge movie in my head. Egad, but it's nice to have a 3-D and Technicolor imagination!!

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Dale

I agree, it makes for a better understanding of the story line, because of the number of flashbacks and developing characters. You can add to the enjoyment by having a US Road Atlas so you can trace the travels, as you read. It makes an interesting way to learn the Geography of the US too.

JIM (maninopsman)

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Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is intense effort applied toward a meaningful end. Dr. Thomas Dooley

I think it makes for better reading also if they are read in order. I also have an Atlas and I also picture it as a movie. I read Preacher, Smoke, Frank and Matt and Sam in order so far. I am just now reading Ride for Vengeance. I have yet to read any of my Eagles series yet.
I wish Kensington would publish a few more at a time. I have been looking on ebay for the Ashes I dont have and man are they expensive.

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Disabled American Veteran
USMC 1985-1989

Yes.. they are expensive...one at a time. But if you add up $6 a book times 32, that's pretty spendy too. I just saw a whole set go for about $80 or so, I think. I gotta go that route soon... I'm half through 7 as I type...lol.. and wondering what I'm doing here, when I could be enjoying Ben's Rebels kickin' some Mooslim bootay!!

Bye, bye... book... where was I? Oh yea.. right there..

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Dale

It’s Sunday the 7th of September and I am reading Volume 9 “Valor in the Ashes”. I just got to the part where Ben is standing in front of and talking about the roof top restrant of the World Trade Center. Flashbacks of September 11th, 2001 went trough my mind. I’m sure a lot of us had friends or knew someone who had family or friends in that building that fateful day, or at least saw it on TV. People from many nations were lost in that building that day. It’s been 7 years, yet it seems like it was yesterday. Let us not forget what can happen when we let our guard down. This September 11th, fly the flag and remember those who lost their lives, and promise your self “Never Again”.

JIM

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Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is intense effort applied toward a meaningful end. Dr. Thomas Dooley

I too just finished Valor, and when I got to the part about the WTC, it brought me back a ways.
I was just in sixth grade, and we had just came back to our classroom from English I think it was.
We all walked into the room, our teacher was sitting behind her desk with her back to us, and when she turned around, we could all see that something was wrong, and that she had been crying.
Someone asked here what was wrong, and she told us that planes had been flow into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon. This was sometime between 10am and 11am centeral time.
Only a few of us in the class had any idea where the World Trade Center was, we were all from a small town in South Centeral Wisconsin. But every single kid in that room understood that something really wrong had happened.
A little later we learned about United Flight 93, you could look around the room and see people openly crying, guys and girls (in sixth grade, guys don't cry).
Come lunch, someone had brought in a TV and put on some news channel, which was showing replays of the Towers comming down, of people crying, and of the field where Flight 93 had crashed. But then it went to the front of some building (I didn't pay much attention to which one) and it showed some of our nations leaders crying.
Then someone started to say the Pledge, and one by one, everyone of my classmates (about 150 total) stood up and said it with them. After that they did the National Anthem, and everyone did it with them again. Even kids who had never done it before (That I can remember) were standing as one, united, for our country.
For thoses of us in that small school in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin, that started the slow process of healing.

Today, at 19, I am joining the Air Force, probably shipping out for Basic in October. Ever since 9/11 I have wanted to serve, somehow. Here's my chance.

Guys and Gals, please what ever you do read them in order. I have all 35 of them, there's 34 books in the series plus one called America Reborne. I keep rereading them all the time. When Jo askes me to do a review for her I sometimes have to go back and reread them in order, just so I can get a "feel" of what has happened up to the point of that particular book she asked me to do a review on. So all you ashes fans read on and enjoy.

That was a very touching story Hankidan. Thank you for sharing it with us.

So many of us have tucked the emotions of that day away, and as a young man you have kept it in your heart and thoughts for over seven years now, and I am sure as you serve, it will never leave you.
I applaud you and your class for your patriotism and you, for wanting to serve our country.

Godspeed!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

I think that Vol. 9 “Valor in the Ashes” as well as some of the posts here have brought back a lot of memories for our members’

I was the operations supervisor for a very large county 9-1-1 Center, which included not only 9-1-1 but also the dispatch sections for the fire and EMS departments and both the sheriff’s and police communications. That day I was scheduled to work the 3 to 11 shift at the Center. It was September 11, or if you will 9-1-1 day. A day that was set aside to honor emergency communications workers. Every year we would decorate the break room and have food out for those who were working and support staff. To our staff it was a very special day, until 11 September 2001.

I was at home working on a report and thinking about getting ready for work, when my wife called me to tell me that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City.

We tuned into several of the Cable Channels and followed the story. When the second plane flew into the towers, I quickly dressed and kissed and hugged the wife good bye (maybe with a lot more feeling then I had in years) and headed to the Center. I was not scheduled to be in for at least 5 more hours, but when I got there, I found that our personnel from all the shifts, those who may have been scheduled or even on their day off were coming in to help out. None of them had been called into work. They pitched in answering overflow phone calls and giving breaks to the operators and dispatchers. We manage to borrow several TVs to keep everyone up to date on what was happening. The food that had been prepared set untouched and people had to be forced to take breaks. Because I was management, and had contacts with other 9-1-1 Centers in other counties and several other states, I found that it was happening everywhere. Off duty police offices, firefighters, EMS personnel both paid and volunteer were going into their stations too, most had not been called into work. Many as time went on had to be made to go home to rest; they did not want to leave. The frustration felt by all emergency personnel was deep.

The number of Emergency Personnel lost in the building collapse, hurt everyone in emergency services very deeply, but it also put steel in our resolve to never let it happen again. Today you will not find many liberals left in any branch of emergency services. Many people are not aware that many of the people who work in emergency communications centers are also volunteer firefighters, paramedics and reserve police officers. We will never forget!

Hankidan:

Thank you for wanting to serve your Country. You have selected a great branch in which to serve. Be sure to take advantage of all the education opportunities the Air Force offers (i.e. The Community College of the Air Force). Your actions show all of us old timers, there is hope in the form of our young people.

Jim (an old Air Force Vet “Any Place, Any Time, any Where)

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Dedicate some of your life to others. Your dedication will not be a sacrifice. It will be an exhilarating experience because it is intense effort applied toward a meaningful end. Dr. Thomas Dooley

I have just finished "Valor" and as usual it was a great read, but the way it was left off at the end is cruel and unusual punishment.
There, in my opinion, is no other way to read a series like this. It should be read from the first book on so that you may enjoy learning about each new situation and character that comes up.
I served my country for 10 yrs from 1979-1989, and just to add something else to this post, I am really nervous about the Russian Bear reawakening.

Ya, Russia has had me on edge a little bit for a few years now, after the Georgia thing, I've really started paying attention.

These are such great reads I just do not understand why Mr Johnstone's ideas could'nt be used in today's world.

I just hope that the next president will have the strength to keep up the pressure on these scum that are out using others as human bombs to futher their own agenda's, because it is certainly not about religion.

I read the first book while in college and never got around to reading any more of them. Last year i remembered the book and searched for more of them. I started with # 21 and finished the series. Except for the last one. When the book were released again i started from the beginning. I would agree that its best to start at the beginning and work your way forward.

hankidan- thanks for your service!