Favorite Commanding Officer--of all time

[Mikey]

Yes, and the first few are available in omnibus editions, comprising several novels in one publication. In order, they are:

"The Founding" - First and Only, Ghostmaker, and Necropolis.
"The Saint" - Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith, Straight Silver, and Sabbat Martyr.
Traitor General
His Last Command
The Armour of Contempt
Only in Death
Blood Pact

Every single one of them is extremely well-written - Dan Abnett is far and away the best WH40k author. In addition, the feature both intense action and phenomenal characters. Abnett's writing is strong enough that when I read the death of some characters, I was upset enough to be kept up at night.

Gaunt is hard as iron and has balls of solid brass. He's been willing to go nose to nose with as high-ranking officers as anyone in the Imperial Guard is ever likely to have even heard of if he feels it necessary for the good of his men, and at the same time will dispose of his assigned duties with an iron will. He leads a band of men who are universally disrespected as well as being fearsome killers, some of whom would slice him open as soon as talk to him.

One of the Ghosts - the Tanith First-and-Only - named Oan Mkoll once stared down a monster. Literally, the thing weighed about 1600 lbs., had steel teeth approximately 5 - 6 inches long, had a lasrifle (the typical Guard longarm, equivalent to an assault rifle, I guess) emptied into its open mouth and through its palate and just got mad, and actually disabled the engine of a truck with its howl. As its Chaos masters were recalling the monster to sleep away the day, Mkoll basically told it, "Next time I see you, I'll kill you." I don't have the exact quote to hand.

[Reliant121]

I'm reading my first WH40k novel, a Dan Abnett. I cant remember the name, and its not in order, because my schools library has only a limited number of WH books.

[Mikey]

I'm reading my first WH40k novel, a Dan Abnett. I cant remember the name, and its not in order, because my schools library has only a limited number of WH books.

AFAIK, it has to be one of the following: a Gaunt's Ghosts novel; an Eisenhorn or Ravenor novel; Brothers of the Snake, a Space Marines novel; or Double Eagle, a book about airmen.

[Reliant121]

I was incorrect, it's First and Only. mightily enjoying it so far. I found the psyker in the fighters...fascinating.

[SuperSaiyaMan12]

The geniuses Yang Wen-li and Reinhard von Musel from Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

[Deepcrush]

You need to pick one from the list.

[Mark]

We have a tie. Definetly not the two that I would have expected

[Tyyr]

No we don't, Zapp-motherfucking-Brannigan bitches!

[Captain Seafort]

Who?

[Sonic Glitch]

No we don't, Zapp-motherfucking-Brannigan bitches!

Now we do.

[Captain Seafort]

No we don't.

[Sionnach Glic]

Quick! Everyone else change your vote to Zapp to screw with the poll!

[Mark]

BAD DINO-SANTA!!!

[thelordharry]

Where the hell is Benjamin Maxwell? I liked his 'f*&k the lot of you, I know I'm right and I'm going to make the bastards pay' attitude!

[Mikey]

Where the hell is Benjamin Maxwell?

Apparently, he's exactly where he was when you decided not to nominate him.