Readers United Book Reviews | Dragonflight and The Art of War

In this installment, Fritz Legaspi '18 returns with two books that are as interesting as they are timeless.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

Dragons. Arguably the number one discussed topic in fiction, dragons have been a part of myths in human history for millennia. Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight, however, sets itself apart from the typical knight’s quest to hunt or conquer an evil dragon. Instead, our main character, Lessa, is the sole survivor of the ruthless takeover of her family’s “Hold” by the power-thirsty neighboring Lord Holder, Fax. The vast majority of Lessa’s planet, Pern, reside in these Holds.
On Pern, society is largely based off of the threat of thin, silver organisms that periodically fall from the sky, dubbed “Thread” due to their appearance. Upon contact with a living organism, Thread immediately consumes it, growing at an extremely rapid rate. Despite the fact that Thread die very quickly without sustenance, the mere rate of virtually instantaneous consumption causes their presence to be an extraordinary threat.

The importance of dragons lies in their ability to to combat these Thread. On Pern, suitable humans can Impress, or bond, with a dragon, becoming psychically linked. Such dragonriders live in massive habitats, such as extinct volcanoes, or sides of mountains. These habitats are called Weyrs. Each Weyr is in charge of protecting a number of Holds from the Thread, by riding out into the sky during Threadfall and using mechanical flame throwers, as Thread prove to be highly flammable.

After many years of disguising herself as a lowly servant, Lessa is beckoned to come to a Weyr when she is found during a search among the Holds for potential dragonriders. Lessa manages to Impress a queen dragon hatchling, and she becomes the sole Weyrwoman of the Weyr.

Throughout the book, we follow Lessa and her adjustment to sudden life as a Weyrwoman, and the difficulties she faces. All the while, the looming threat of an upcoming Threadfall pressures Lessa to look to all possible sources for assistance. Uniquely based off of the point of view of a young woman, this book is the first of a science fiction series that masterfully breaks away from the mold of male-dominated storylines. Published nearly fifty years ago, the slight difference in language makes the text all the more believably otherworldly and entices the reader to delve into the world of Pern.

Verdict: In this initial book, McCaffrey masterfully introduces a new world while still depicting the epic struggles of a young woman thrust into a position of power. Enthralling and exciting, I would highly recommend this book and entire series to anyone open to falling into a whole new world.

The Art of War, by Sun Tzu

No matter how hard you try, at one point or another, you are bound to end up in some form of conflict or fight. The Art of War by Sun Tzu (or Sunzi), absolutely the most influential strategic text of all time, makes this very clear. Aside from countless ancient military leaders, this text has had influence on even more recent tacticians such as Mao Zedong and General MacArthur. Through this text, one can learn much about confrontation, and the information is not necessarily solely applicable to war.

Exploring the reality that confrontation is inevitable, Sun Tzu describes the fundamental basics to all engagements throughout his work. Sun Tzu begins by laying out the pure elements that are key to any success. The following chapters, though some more relevant to today’s world than others, dive into the intricacies of engaging in a fight and how one should think, plan, react, and so much more.

Due to the wide influence of The Art of War, many modern day sayings regarding conflict derive from its text. For instance, the sayings, “All warfare is based on deception,” and, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” The Art of War permeates modern life to an astounding extent. For example, the lyrics from "Lesson Number Two" from Disney movie, Mulan 2, echo the words of Sun Tzu: “Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain."

Sun Tzu sets up an interesting dynamic with his work, creating a very engaging read. Many statements written are highly applicable to aspects of life today, and they can be very useful when internalized and utilized. Even if nothing is taken personally from this text, it is interesting to analyze and understand the thought process of a Chinese military strategist from millennia ago and the similarities between then and now.

Verdict: If you are at all interested in a guide on how to approach life and its confrontations, this book is simply a must-read. There are interesting phrases and many teachings to be learned and adapted for daily life and its struggles. At the very least, this text provides the entrancing thought process and inner works of a war-hardened tactician from thousands of years ago.