Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Old Man's War

  • Old Man's War, Book 1
  • By: John Scalzi
  • Narrated by: William Dufris
  • Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,158 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Old Man's War

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £11.99

Buy Now for £11.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

At 75 years old, John Perry is after a fresh start - so, naturally, he joins the army. Earth's military machine can transform elderly recruits, restoring their lost youth. But in return, its Colonial Defence Force demands two years of hazardous service in space. This is how Perry finds himself in a new body crafted from his original DNA. A genetically enhanced and upgraded new body, ready for battle. But upgrades alone won't keep Perry safe. He'll be fighting for his life on the front line as he defends humanity's colonies from hostile aliens. He'll pay the price for his choices, and he'll discover the universe is even more dangerous than he imagined.

©2007 Audio Renaissance (P)2017 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Redshirts cover art
Agent to the Stars cover art
The Collapsing Empire cover art
Project Hail Mary cover art
Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton) cover art
Starter Villain cover art
The Android's Dream cover art
The Kaiju Preservation Society cover art
Decisively Engaged cover art
Little Fuzzy cover art
Into the Darkness cover art
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) cover art
A Town Called Discovery cover art
Columbus Day cover art
The Eden Plague cover art
Into the Storm cover art

Critic reviews

"Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters." ( The Times)
"Though a lot of SF writers are more or less efficiently continuing the tradition of Robert A. Heinlein, Scalzi's astonishingly proficient first novel reads like an original work by the late grand master.... This virtuoso debut pays tribute to SF's past while showing that well-worn tropes still can have real zip when they're approached with ingenuity." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Solid...[Scalzi] sidesteps most of the cliches of military science fiction, delivers fast-paced scenes of combat and pays attention to the science underpinning his premise." ( San Francisco Chronicle)
"Thought-provoking!" ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Smartly conceived and thoroughly entertaining, Old Man's War is a splendid novel." ( Cleveland Plain Dealer)
"Gripping and surpassingly original. It's Starship Troopers without the lectures. It's The Forever War with better sex. It's funny, it's sad, and it's true." (Cory Doctorow)

What listeners say about Old Man's War

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,333
  • 4 Stars
    616
  • 3 Stars
    162
  • 2 Stars
    35
  • 1 Stars
    12
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,334
  • 4 Stars
    479
  • 3 Stars
    122
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,181
  • 4 Stars
    557
  • 3 Stars
    167
  • 2 Stars
    42
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good exciting listen.

A very good listen, the story is action packed and engaging. The only downside is the conversations, too many he said, she said I asked she replied, it gets very very annoying, the narrator must have been really fed up of it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Pretty good and a different spin on the aged.

Started off good and got better. loved the humour not over the top and quite dry.

The only gripe I would have is too much of the "I said" "he/she said"

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic emotional and action packed romp.

I have tried reading this book three or four times with no success. But I am glad I listened to it on Audible. It is a great story, sometimes funny, sometimes sad; the a good dose of action and drama thrown in.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable!

A good simple story well told. A bit derivative at times (Starship Troopers??) but still enjoyable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent book

a great story, lovely characters, funny and emotionally deep. The world building is excellent too. really just a great read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

fantastic book and incredible engrossing story. I highly recommend for those who enjoy sci-fi.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Better than expected

This book appeared on a few of my friends lists. I totally understand why. Great story, excellent performance, deep story that doesn't take itself too serious. It could have gone down the silly or grim dark path but it stays on that fine balanced line that makes an exceptional story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Simple and entertaining




Liked it. Laughed a lot. Touching how John Parry describes his wife. Interesting concept.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really Nice

The concept and the first half of the book are stellar. The second part from the special forces introduction is slower but ok. All in all, I really enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

interesting

An interesting take on aging, war and the galaxy. I wasn't totally blown away but definitely worth a listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!