The Last Centurion - by John Ringo

In the second decade of the twenty-first century the world is struck by two catastrophes: a new mini ice age and, nearly simultaneously, a plague that dwarfs any in recorded history. Rising out of the disaster is a character known as "Bandit Six," an American Army officer caught up in the struggle to rebuild the world and prevent the fall of his homeland - despite the best efforts of politicians both elected and military.

The Last Centurion is a memoir of one possible future, a world that is a dark reflection of our own. Written blog-style, it pulls no punches in its descriptions of junk science, bad strategy and organic farming - not to mention all three at once.

"I am your Centurion. This America shall not fall!"

 John Ringo (born March 22, 1963) is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers. He has over seven million copies of his books in print, and his works have been translated into seven different languages.

After graduation, Ringo joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of Specialist as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. During his four years of active duty, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, reflagged into 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment when the 82nd reorganized its 3rd Brigade, plus two years of reserve duty with the Florida National Guard. Among his awards are the Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada), and the National Defense Service Medal.
After discharge, he enrolled in college and earned an associate degree in marine biology. However, he quickly discovered that marine biology would only "pay for beans"^{[5][self-published source]} and became a database manager to support his wife and two daughters. His life had settled into a fairly sedate pattern when, in 1999, he had the idea for a science fiction story that involved an alien invasion and a military response that became the novel A Hymn Before Battle, the title being a homage to the poem "Hymn Before Action" by Rudyard Kipling.