Books about mercenary life.

[shades_o_grey]

I just finished reading "The Deed of Paksenarrion" to my kids, and my son really got fired up at the battle parts, and loves the descriptions of mercenary life in them, however short they may be. Does anybody here know of any good books that aren't too bloody, but feature either a member of a mercenary company, or a mercenary company as a main part of the story? Actually, go ahead and recommend the bloody ones too, I enjoy it as well 

 

[Archonsod]

Heart of Darkness. Though he might be a little disappointed in the lack of glamour. Should be suitable though, we covered it in English Lit when I was thirteen or so.

 

[Aesthetic]

I'll be writing one of those here soon.

 

[shades_o_grey]

Cool Aesthetic, let me know when it's done . I also let him read him some of the stories off of here, his favorite is Reggio Perino,  http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,67826.0.html, he always wants me to find him in the game. 

 

[Lyze]

If I remember correctly, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad isn't as much a novel about a mercenary as it is about someone else. I can't remember the specific aims of the protagonist, but it didn't strike me as being of a mercenary's desires.

 

[Archonsod]

He was a "Gentleman adventurer", which is pretty much a mercenary by the standards of the time.

 

[Josef_the_Pretender]

For a slightly different take on it, Aubrey sails as a privateer in The Letter of Marque; the whole series would keep you guys going for quite a while.

I haven't read any of these but they may help:

Mercenaries in popular culture

 

[Lord Burgess1]

Karl Penta A Mercenarys Tale

Tells you lots of stuff about the weapons as well.

 

[Sibilance]

Heart of Darkness. Though he might be a little disappointed in the lack of glamour. Should be suitable though, we covered it in English Lit when I was thirteen or so.

Yes. Listen to this man.

Though it's not the first-person account you were looking for, go read Machiavelli's famous treatise The Prince if you haven't already. Some great ruminations on mercenaries and some lovely cynical insights into human nature, which would probably suit your fancy just fine. You can get the whole thing in text or audio on the Internet, it's not too long, and it's one of the great works of the human spirit.

 

[Janus]

I'd recommend the Black Company series, but not for the kid. Too dark and gritty and too many shades of gray. It's fantasy, if that matters.