Amazon.com
On Basilisk Station (or "HH1" as it's known to the faithful) is the first installment in David Weber's cult hit Honor Harrington series, which has charmed the socks off schoolgirls and sailors alike. Honor--the heroine of this fast-paced, addictive space opera--is a polished, plucky bulldog of a naval officer, part Horatio Hornblower, part Miles Vorkosigan, part Captain Janeway, and with a razor-clawed telepathic cat thrown over her shoulder for good measure.

The series' kickoff puts a giddy Commander Harrington at the helm of her first serious starship, the HMS Fearless. But her excitement quickly fades--political maneuvering by top brass in the Manticoran navy has left her light cruiser outfitted with a half-baked experimental weapons system. Against all odds (just the way Honor likes it), she still manages a clever coup in tactical war games, a feat that earns her accolades--and enemies. The politicians she's offended banish her to a galactic backwater, Basilisk Station. But that outpost soon proves to be a powder keg, and it's up to Harrington and the Fearless crew to thwart the aggressive plans of the Haven Republic. A perfect mix of military SF and high adventure--if you enjoy your tour, re-up with HH2, The Honor of the Queen. --Paul HughesBook Description
Honor Harrington in trouble: Having made him look the fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens. Parliament isn't sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling, the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called "Republic" of Haven is Up to Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn't work to police the entire star system. But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They've made her mad!

This special limited edition includes an excerpt from the next Honor Harrington best seller, At All Costs (hitting bookstore shelves November 2005)!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (139)

I wanted to like this book
I love military scifi and space opera. I really wanted to like this book.
So, I trudged thru this book hoping it would get better. It never did.

The story has an interesting premise...Honor Harrington gets command of a the "H.M.S. Fearless". The ship has just been rebuilt with crappy armament.

The book bogs down with the descriptions of armament, the Royal Navy, and politics. I don't mind the details, but please at least make them mildly interesting. I found myself skipping 2-3 paragraphs at a time. Character development is also very shallow. Dialog wasn't that great either...Weber illogically shifts between characters. Sometimes it's hard to tell who's talking.

I recommend Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy over Weber's borefest. Two stars for the good ship names and for the treecat.

An incredible Beginning
At first glance, there seems to be nothing extravagant or illustrious about this book. But if you assumed that, you would be horribly wrong. This is the initial book in a series which spans (at present) ten volumes. There is a reason so many people love these books, and this is the one which started it all.

This book, in my mind, is one in which Webber managed to perfectly balance the political intrigues of the Honorverse with the strategical excitement of the military engagements, as well as the development of who Honor Harrington is.In some of the later Harrington adventures, the story has a tendency to get bogged down in the political maneuvering of the different sides. But in Basilisk Station Webber perfectly balances the political intrigues with the action, using the lulls between action to create the conflict and tensions, all of which weave together masterfully to the climax.

I don't want to set your expectations too high, but just be prepared for quite a ride. Webber draws you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. And at that point, you don't want it to end. And the best part is - it doesn't!

So do I recommend this book? Absolutely! This is a great introduction to Science Fiction for those who have never read any, and for those who are already into the genre, they won't be disappointed.

Hooked from volume 1
Honor Harrington, assigned to Basilisk Station almost as a disciplinary action, rises to the challenge. She takes charge of the situation and when the station becomes the center of an enemy plot to sieze the strategic zone she steps forward to save the situation... regardless of the cost to herself or her crew.

A great book that left me wanting more!

Honor Harrinton Number One
This is one of the best Sci-Fi,Space Opera books that I have ever read.Be warned the Honor Harrington books can be addictive.

Highly recommended for Weber fans.

GunnerOctober, 2007

A Fantastic Military Sci-Fi story!
From the beginning the plot and the pace of "On Basilisk Station" was set and the story picks up and never stopped holding my interest. Honor Harrington is assigned to a large space command. Basilisk Station is the end of the line in the Navy - only those that have brought discredit to the Navy are sent there. But in Harrington's mind, all she believes is that she is being punished for doing her best in a very difficult situation. I was expecting a so-so read, not a great book, but was I pleasantly surprised, for this novel was fabulous - I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy military Sci-Fi I would recommend this book. So Long.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Slid to rock bottom.
In Enemy Hands [7]

Slid to rock bottom.

Honor is captured; of course the good Havenites treat her with absolute respect while the evil ones torture her.

After her capture she promises that her treecat will not cause problems.However after Harrington attempts to use her treecat to kill Ransom, the good enemies forget this fact and are automatically sickened by Ransom's actions.

The good enemies also aid in Harrington's escape without considering the future actions that may result.At the end of the book Harrington remarks how the Havenites are outnumbered (and will be defeated) because she and her crew have the moral superiority.

Weber needs to write that genetic engineering is not evil.Genetic engineering has always been portrayed as causing people to become/stay evil.He has never written about the evils of cybernetic surgery.The ethics of genetic engineering have always been written in good-and-evil terms.Cybernetics have been written as being irrelevant to a person's morality.

The things that Honor Harrington can do without failure
----tactics
----strategy
----martial arts
----duels using a gun or sword
----hang gliding
----politics
----leadership
----character judgment
----emotional control
----ethical behavior
----moral behavior
----bravery
----courage
----integrity
----honor
----common decency
----non biased actions

If you want excellent writing with the correct shades of gray/grey then read the books by Tom Clancy, Patrick Robinson, Joe Buff, and John Ringo.

Expect this style of good-and-evil writing in all of the anthology short story collections.

One of the best in theHonor series
A bit predictable at times, but reads well. Weber tends to think for the reader too much -- filling in background/motive with characters thoughts, instead of letting the reader come to his/her own conclusions.Still, the story is fun and interesting.

Exceptional!
Another exception book by David Weber in the Honor Harrington series. I love the female heroine, which is not common in the sci-fi genre of this type, and she is totally believable, totally relatable, and simply amazing! I have read each and every book of this series and except for one, I found them all to be equally compelling. Now, I want one of those cats! (read the book to find out what I mean!)

Weber does it again
Honor Harrington returns for a seventh installment in David Weber's bestselling series with In Enemy Hands.Honor is now in command of a joint squadron of both the Manticoran and Grayson naval forces.When she and her crew are ambushed by a Peep squadron and find themselves outnumbered and outgunned, Harrington must choose between fighting to the last man and seeing her crew oliterated, or surrendering her crew (and herself) to the People's Navy.Honor chooses the latter and finds herself imprisoned, tortured and humiliated (not to mention sentenced to death) by the Havenite State Security force.With Harrington out of the action, that allows charactaers like McKeon and Harkness to step up to center stage.Weber gives a delightfully cold-hearted villain in Cordelia Ransome, the PRH head of publicity.The Manicorans escape with the help of a renengade, but find the only place they can go is the Havenites' secret prison planet.This is a story that is "to be continued" into the next book.Altogether, In Enemy Hands is a great read and a great entry in Weber's excellent HH series.And I am currently reading (and enjoying) Book 8 in the Honor Harrington series, Echoes of Honor.

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat...At a Price
It had to happen eventually. Honor's luck had to run dry at some point and the Peeps had to find someone competent. These two facts collide horribly with terrible consequences for the grand Dame Honor.

Honor and some of her top people get captured in this one. That's bad enough. What makes it worse is that one of the head commissars is in the area when she is captured and has an axe she wants to grind...on Honor's neck. There is virtually nothing she can do about this situation either. That leaves it up to her loyal subordinates to get her out of this one. They do but pay a terrible price in doing so. No one is immune from damage in this one.

This book was nice in that it further developed characters on both sides of the war. Honor, while still prominent, takes more of a backseat and lets some of the other shine. We get to see courage, stupidity, sacrifice, venality and, yes, honor.

This is a fine book in the series. It is not my favorite but I still had a hard time putting it down. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

David Weber keeps the Bolo tradition alive
David Weber writes another wonderful installment in the Bolo universe.Unlike most Bolo books, which are usually several short stories, this is one long novel.Capt Trevor, of the Dinochrome Brigade, checks in off of convalescent leave after being severely wounded on Chartres.Indeed, she is the only human survivor of her battalion.She is teamed with Lazarus, the only surviving Bolo from that battle, on a special mission that could be humanity's only hope for survival.This book is full of gripping science fiction combat, and the characters are developed especially well.Plus, there is a pretty good surprise ending.All in all, Bolo fans will NOT be disappointed!

Fast-paced military fantasy.
David Weber's OLD SOLDIERS tells of one Captain Trevor, the sole survivors of a battle - and a Bolo companion who also has survived the destruction of his own unit. The doctors have put them both back together - yet healing remains, and the two must serve again, together, against impossible odds in this fast-paced military fantasy.

A Bolo doesn't just fade away
The best part about "Old Soldiers" (the second Bolo-novel written by Weber, in the universe created by Keith Laumer) is that in this 372-page paperback novel, Weber doesn't have the space to "bloat" his story like he has done in other recent works. Instead, it forces him to focus on all-out action - something he excels at writing! The story clips along at a furious pace, dragging the reader with it like he/she's being hooked behind a Bolo travelling with the pedal-to-the-metal.
Complex tactical strategies, as viewed in detail from both sides, will have you scratching your head as you try to figure out how our heroes will be able to beat the vastly superior 'Dog Boys' when the remnants of the Concordat and the Melchonian empire finally start butting heads with all guns blazing.
Minor drawback is, that for the better part of this novel most of the characters are no more than standard cardboard-cut out people that don't really come alive, except for headliners Maneka Trevor and Unit 28/G-179-LAZ, a.k.a. "Lazarus". It's only when battle is fully joined that characters (especially the bad guys!) really start to "breathe".
I am not going to spoil it by telling what happens, but the ending is somewhat surprising (not standard "Hollywood"-fare so to speak), although it is surprisingly suitable to the overall theme of this novel. So, for everyone who enjoys an action-filled, roalercoaster-ride of a read, buy this novel!

Frank C. Dayton
I have a standing order for anything David Weber writes.I am amazed at the number of books he has put out.Not a klinker in the lot. The only problem I have found:I have to plan when I start reading one of his. I will probably not get any sleep until I am done. They will never be long enough.

One of the Best Bolo Novels
I have read all of the available Bolo Novels and this is by far one of the best. Weber really caught the tone and atmosphere of the last days of the great war between Humanity and Melconians. He brings out the desperation and fatalism of both sides in the last stages of Operation Ragnarok.

I hope that Weber does more novels in the Universe. The only other author that really bring the Bolos to life is William H. Keith, who has written the most full length novels in this series.

If you are a fan of the Bolo Novels and Short stories or if you are a new reader to the series, you will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
The Royal Brat is in Trouble

Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock didn't understand.

He was young, handsome, athletic, an excellent dresser, and third in line for the Throne of Man...so why wouldn't anyone at Court trust him?

Why wouldn't even his own mother, the Empress, explain why they didn't trust him? Or why the very mention of his father's name was forbidden at Court? Or why his mother had decided to pack him off to a backwater planet aboard what was little more than a tramp freighter to represent her at a local political event better suited to a third assistant undersecretarv of state?

It probably wasn't too surprising that someone in his position should react by becoming spoiled, selfcentered and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life?

But that was before a saboteur tried to blow up his transport. Then warships of the Empire of Man's worst rivals shot the crippled vessel out of space. Then Roger found himself shipwrecked on the planet Marduk, whose jungles were full of damnbeasts, killerpillars, carnivorous plants, torrential rain, and barbarian hordes with really bad dispositions. Now all Roger has to do is hike halfway around the entire planet, then capture a spaceport from the Bad Guys, somehow commandeer a starship, and then go home to Mother for explanations.

Fortunately, Roger has an ace in the hole: Bravo Company of Bronze Battalion of The Empress' Own Regiment. If anyone can get him off Marduk alive, it's the Bronze Barbarians.

Assuming that Prince Roger manages to grow up before he gets all of them killed.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Some of Ringo's finest work
This was my first introduction to John Ringo's work and I admit I had avoided picking up the novel for a long time.But once I started reading I couldn't put it down, except to rush out and buy the other novels in the series.Weber and Ringo are the best combo going in Military Sci-Fi today.

In which Weber and Ringo pay homage to Xenophon

This is the first in the "Roger McLintock" series of books, and also begins the Marduk trilogy in which Prince Roger McLintock, spoilt younger son of the Empress of an interstellar empire, is stranded on the primitive planet Marduk.

The sequence of books so far in the series is:

March Upcountry
March to the Sea
March to the Stars
We Few.

The title is a reference to Xenophon's "The Persian Expedition" which is the story of ten thousand greek mercenaries who found themselves stranded in the middle of Persia when Prince Cyrus, whose bid for the throne they had been hired to support, was killed in battle in 401 BC. They had to fight their way home through enemy territory.

Xenophon, who was in command of the survivors by the time they got home, subsequently wrote an epic account of their story. These days it is most commonly available under the title "The Persian Expedition" but it has also been known as "The Ten Thousand" and as "Anabasis" - which means "March Upcountry".

Prince Roger, third in line to the throne of the Empire of Man, is on his way with his bodyguard to a ceremonial visit when their ship is sabotaged and damaged. As they limp to the nearest spaceport, on the largely unexplored and barbarian planet Marduk, they are jumped by two carriers from a hostile star nation,the "Saints."

Roger and a company of his bodyguard find themselves stranded, with no weapons or equipment beyond what they can carry, on the opposite side of the planet from the starport. To return home they will have to trek thousands of miles through all kinds of terrain, and cross the oceans. The flora and fauna of Marduk are as dangerous as anything which has ever lived on earth - the land animals make T-Rex or Velociraptor packs look like a minor nuisance and the sea creatures could have Liplourodon for breakfast.

But the animals of Marduk are as nothing compared with the challenge of dealing with some of the tribes of the indigenous intelligent species.

If he and his companions are to get home, Prince Roger will have to grow up in a hurry ...

This series is an excellent collaboration between John Ringo and David Weber. The naval battle scenes and political manouvering could have come out of an Honor Harrington book, while the ground fighting scenes are very reminiscent of the "Posleen" series. In other words, the best of both writers.

Perhaps there was some hubris in giving this novel the name of a classic story of high adventure which has been read avidly for nearly two and a half thousand years. I would be prepared to bet that in 4,404 AD, when this novel is as old as the original "March Upcountry" was when this came out, people will still be reading Xenophon. I doubt if they will still be reading about Prince Roger. But that doesn't mean our generation can't read it and enjoy it.

What a team these guys are!
When I picked up this first book, I wasn't sure.As I got into it, I discovered characters who became real and had some depth, which surprised me. It surprised me because the books are full of action, fighting, details of an alien world and race, and I expected a page-turner without a lot of character depth.I was SO wrong.

While you can read each book alone, you really should read the entire series and grow along with Prince Roger.

Very good entertainment
This novel by Weber and Ringo (I am not sure who the primary author was, if any), while having a fairly predictable backstory (spoiled brat prince becomes responsible man over time in face of adversity), is a very well-written book with some original plot events and an excellent way to kill 6+ hours (600 page book).

I really don't have any complaints, though I did find the fact the aliens who had the party captive did not decide to simply take the casualties to capture their weapons, and that the party leadership was allowed, armed, in the presence of the king during the battle.

Much of the battle sequences reads like Ringo's posleen series, with hordes of enemies being killed by a numerically inferior force.

This is an enjoyable book - well worth reading.

Disregard the Cover, Great Book
Dave Weber introduces Prince Roger a spoiled pretty-boy with an attitude and waist-length blonde hair. Rog is a lazy, eccentric fop who leads a life of privilege and excess. When he is assigned a diplomatic mission Rog does everything within his power to wriggle out of it, however his Mother (the empress) remains firm.

Rog is forced to mature quickly when a failed assassination attempt leaves him stranded on a primitive world with even stranger natives.

I listened to the unabridged audio edition of March upcountry. It was a great book filled with excitement and adventure. I felt prince Rog was a breath of fresh air in a world of testosterone-infused bodybuilder-type action heros. I liked the marines too, particularly Ponner, and Julian.

I want to comment that the cover of this novel is extremely ugly. Prince Rog looks like a teenager with a mullet, when in fact Rog is 22, with nice long blonde hair. The marines look really, really bad. Their body-armor is big and solid, not like something from Victoria secret. If the publisher wants to sell more books I think he/she might be advised to switch cover artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

The second chapter in the saga
Honor Harrington is sent to aide Manicore ally Grayson and finds herself in the middle of what comes down to a religious struggle. Harrington is also in a situation where she has to address cultural differences between Grayson and Manticore in order to fight the "Peeps" and win.

Weber did not disappoint with this addition to the Harrington saga. I found it a page-turner from beginning to end!

Not Free SF Reader
Perhaps a little too much unsubtle political commentary in this book.
One side of the conflict, Haven, needs to expand and take over planets
rich in resources to supply their population in a style to which they
have become accustomed. This is done by fighting cheap wars against
rich planets with inferior military forces.

The only rich planet left is Manticorne, and its equally absurd
royalist/militarist political structure. They, of course, are not an
easy target.

Cue explosions and HH shooting at stuff.

Third in the excellent Honor Harrington series: all-out war begins

"The Short Victorious War" is the third book in a wonderful space opera series set some three thousand years in the future and featuring David Weber's best fictional heroine, "Honor Harrington." The books are best read in sequence and I strongly recommend that you start with "On Basilisk Station" which is the first one.

The title is, of course, highly ironic. Weber explains at the start of the book that it comes from a comment from the Russian Minister of the Interior to their Minister of War in 1903, "What this country needs is a short victorious war to stem the tide of revolution."

So the Russians attacked Japan, got their backsides well and truly kicked by the Japanese Navy, and set off the 1905 Russian Revolution.

However, the main parallels in this book are not with the Russo-Japanese war, but with those of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In particular, the Royal Manticoran Navy in which the heroine services is clearly based on the Royal Navy at the time of Nelson.

The technology of space travel and naval warfare in the Honor Harrington stories has been written so as to impose tactical and strategic constraints on space navy officers similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on wet navy officers two hundred years ago. Similarly the galactic situation in the novels contains many similarities to the strategic and political situation in European history in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This seems to be quite deliberate: many thinly veiled (and amusing) hints in the books indicate that they are to some extent a tribute to C.S. Forester, while the main heroine of the books, Honor Harrington, appears to owe more than just her initials to C.S. Forester's character "Horatio Hornblower."

During the first two books in the series it was made clear that Honor Harrington and most of the other sympathetic characters in Manticore expect within their lifetimes to have to fight a war against the People's Republic of Haven or "Peeps" - an agressive superpower which has been gradually conquering the small nations on it's borders in bitesize chunks. In the first chapter of this book, the Peep government decides it's time to launch that war.

Meanwhile Honor Harrington is given command of the Battlecruiser HMS Nike and made Flag Captain to an admiral who is second in command of the fleet at Hancock, one of the most important points in Manticore's defensive alliance. So when the war starts she is bound to be in the thick of the action. This is also one of the few books when she finds a little time for a romance.

A few more important characters are also introduced in this book. One of the early Havenite attacks is commanded by an Admiral Pierre, whose father, Rob S. Pierre is to be an important figure in future books. Another is directed against a convoy whose escort is commanded by Captain Helen Zilwicki. Her husband Anton and four year old daughter, also called Helen, are on board one of the ships of the convoy and also play important roles in future Honorverse books.


Another great story with strong and believable characters, brilliantly described space battles, and good explanations of how the tactical situations in which the characters find themselves relate both to the technology their ships use and the political dynamics which set up the conflicts between them.

Many people read Weber for the space battles, and most of the battles in "The short victorious war" are excellent. Dave Weber sometimes writes a bit too much like the wargame designer he once was, and this book starts to demonstrate that problem, but in general the battles are grippingly described and plausible.

One other feature in this book is a 16 page annex at the end with a lot of technical detail about how the assumed space travel and technology works in the series, with such details as how big a battlecruiser as opposed to a superdreadnaught is. Space warfare anoraks, or anyone interested in understanding how, for example, a single dreadnaught wipes out four battlecruisers in a quarter of a second during the course of the book, can read it: those who are not particularly interested in that sort of detail can give it a miss.


At the time of writing there are thirteen full length novels and four short story collections in the "Honorverse" as the fictional galaxy in which these stories are set is sometimes known. The main series which tells the story of Honor Harrington herself currently runs to eleven novels; in order these are

On Basilisk Station
The Honor of the Queen
The Short Victorious War
Field of Dishonour
Flag in Exile
Honor among Enemies
In Enemy Hands
Echoes of Honor
Ashes of Victory
War of Honor
At All Costs

The four collections of short stories set in the same universe, not all of which feature Honor Harrington herself, are

More Than Honor
Worlds of Honor
Worlds of Honor III: Changer of Worlds
Worlds of Honor IV: The Service of the Sword

The two spin-off novels are "Crown of Slaves" (with Eric Flint) which is a story of espionage and intrigue featuring a number of characters, including Anton and Helen Zilwicki, first introduced in earlier Honor Harrington books such as this one, and "The Shadow of Saganami" which is a kind of "next generation" novel featuring a number of younger officers in the navies of Manticore and her ally Grayson.

For amusement, if you want to try to look for the parallels to nations and individuals from the French revolutionary period and the Hornblower books, one possible translation would be:

People's Republic of Haven = France
Star Kingdom of Manticore = Great Britain
Gryphon = Scotland
Grayson = Portugal

Prime Minister Alan Summervale = Pitt the Younger
Hamish Alexander, later Earl White Haven = Admiral Edward Pellew
Honor Harrington = Horatio Hornblower
Alistair McKeon = William Bush

Crown loyalists and Centrists = Tory supporters of Pitt
Conservative Association = isolationist/hardline High Tories
New Kiev Liberals = Whig Oligarchists
Progressives and traditional liberals = Whig radicals

Legislaturist rulers of Haven = Bourbon monarchy and nobles in France
Rob S. Pierre = Robespierre
Committee of Public Safety = Committee of Public Safety

Anderman Empire = Kingdom of Prussia
Silesia = Poland
Solarian republic = United States of America

Wall of Battle = Line of Battle
Ship of the Wall = Ship of the Line
Battleship = "4th rate" sailing warship (in each case too small to form part of the main force ina fleet action, but powerful enough to defeat anything else.)
Battlecruiser = frigate (5th rate)
Cruisers and destroyers = 6th rate and smaller warships.

Another Great Honor Harrington Book
The Short Victorious War is another great piece of the honor Harrington Pie.It is the strongest of the first three plot wise, I think, and the best at developing Honor's character.A great battle and personal conflict only add to the universe that Weber is so gifted at creating.

Honor gets a new command and is made flag captain
"The Short Victorious War," the third in the Honor Harrington series replays the relations between England and France under the directorate, which succeeded the French Revolution (the characters Rob S Pierre, St. Just, and Danton appear, just to make things perfectly clear). The People's Republic of Haven, the author's nightmare welfare state (a blend of revolutionary France and revolutionary Russia) decides to engage the Star Kingdom of Manticore (i.e., the British Empire) in a "short victorious war."

The "Peeps," who've managed to intercept Manticore's fleet orders, think the war will be a walkover, but they reckon, of course, without the intrepid Honor. The author provides intriguing plots and subplots, from multiple pov's; and he spells out the various schemes and intrigues for you, leading up to the spectacular battle scene that makes for a splendidly suspenseful grand finale--suspenseful even though, since the number of titles in the series has reached double digits, there's little doubt that Honor is going to make it to the last page.

Readers will also learn more about Honor's character along the way, and an appendix givbes military fans some background on the size and makeup of the competing forces.

Splendidly done.

... Read more

Book Description
The quarter-century of Mexican sovereignty over the land that is today the American Southwest was a period of turmoil and transition. Between 1821 and 1846, Mexico City’s ties to the far northern frontier were steadily weakened by domestic political and social strife as well as by foreign economic encroachment. The gradual loss of social and economic links and the eventual lapse of political allegiance is perceptively reinterpreted from the Mexican perspective by Professor Weber.

The book is essential reading for all who are interested in the history of the West and the Southwest. The late Ray Allen Billington praised the book as “meticulously prepared, sparklingly written, and brilliantly interpreted. Its perspective will affect all writing on western history for a generation to come.”

Reinterprets borderlands history from the Mexican perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A useful reference
This is a useful book for both students and teachers alike. Putting the Mexican frontier in perspective is a formidable task, but by using first hand accounts from all walks of life, the reader can develope an accurate image. The only negative comment is the lack of more period illustrations.
Most aspects of frontier life are covered, from the clergy to the military. Both the positive and the negative views are included. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Science fiction icon David Weber (the Honor Harrington series) teams up with Airborne-soldier-turned-author John Ringo (A Hymn Before Battle) in their third novel about Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang Alexander MacClintock, Heir Tertiary to the Throne of Man. March to the Stars continues the adventures of Roger and the Bronze Barbarians that started in March Upcountry and continued in March to the Sea as they battle their way across the remote planet of Marduk in their bid to return home to Earth. Through the course of these first three novels, Roger has grown from a spoiled brat into a true leader of men and aliens alike. March to the Stars takes the Bronze Barbarians of the Imperial Guard across the Eastern Ocean of Marduk, facing giant sea monsters and pirates, and eventually to a spaceport held by humans of questionable loyalties. The naval battle with Mardukian pirates contains some swashbuckling heroics worthy of Errol Flynn himself, and Roger learns that not everything is as it seems on either Marduk or Earth. Fortunately, he's got the Bronze Barbarians and the Basik's Own at his back.

Collaboration is a tricky art form, and the resulting work can often feel rough and blocky, with the writers' differing styles at odds. Weber and Ringo deliver a work with a smooth blending of style, serving up a sum that is indeed greater than its parts. Readers should be warned, however, that by the end of the story they will likely be tempted to scoop up other works by these authors to satisfy their reading needs while waiting for the next novel in the series. --Ron Peterson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

For Those Who Wish They Could Buckle A Swash
This is actually a review of the entire four part series. Frankly if you read one you will want to read the rest even though they are a bit unequal in quality.

March Upcountry begins the series and introduces all of the characters. It is good action almost from the beginning. In many ways it is the best of the series. Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Alexander Chiang MacClintock, heir tertiary to the throne of the Empire of Man is stranded by villainous forces on the primitive planet of Marduk along with a company of his personal body guards; an elite force of Imperial Marines. Prince Rog is a right silly fop, but along the way with encounters with various beasties and murderous natives, he falls in love, acquires a `slave' or advisor, or something called an `Asi,' an aged native warrior/philosopher. And he begins to develop into the hero we all had hoped for. Lots of good battle scenes and advice about `being a man' even if you're a woman.

March to the Sea continues the saga as Prince Rog and his marines fight their way across the planet trying to reach the space port where they hope for the chance to steal a ship and return to the Empire. Roger's development continues as do the endless battles which Weber and Ringo manage to make distinct and always interesting.

March to the Stars is the third and, at 640 pages, the longest in the series; it is also the weakest. Those familiar with Weber will be acquainted with his tendency to lapse into long diatribes about politics and such. There is a really long section on cannibalism and `Baalism,' whatever the deuce that is, but you can easily skip them. The book ends with some really good battles, sea monsters, space battles and the death of a major character (won't say who, you can't make me; it would just spoil it for you).

We Few finishes off the series. Prince Roger is now a full blown hero, swordsman, military genius, faithful friend, expert lover, and a good cook to boot. The battles here are a bit down played, but the palace intrigue is very good; the bad guys are really bad, the good guys really good. By mistake I read this volume first and it hooked me on the series.

Like most of Weber's writings, and I assume Ringo's, it is the first thing of his I have read, this is politically to the far right and has some really strange ideas. I think neither Weber nor Ringo has much use for religion and I agree, but they confuse that with `environmentalism' (a common theme in some modern SciFi for unknown reasons) and, as a life long environmentalist and an atheist, I don't get that. Great literature it isn't; but it is great fun. You could do a lot worse than this series.

decent, enjoyable sequel to previous 2
This novel is a good follow-up to March to the Sea.It deals with the crossing of the sea, the contact on the opposite continent (ruled mainly by a rather brutal theocracy), the concerns about avoiding word of their arrival at Starport, and the eventual effort to take that port.I do not intend to collapse major plot threads on that topic.

Once again, though I do not know the writing breakdown of this book, it reads a LOT like John Ringo.Given the new business tactic of a better-named author outlining a series or novel which a lesser-known author writes, my general rule (except niven/pournelle) is that the author on top is to sell the book, and the one on bottom to write it.It is notable that in the life of this series Ringo has gone from relative unknown to (by last year) arguably more popular than weber.

If anything I think this was more interesting than the previous book.The 'reinventing the industrial age' of the previous novels is pretty much gone as the army sees the goal in reach.There is one major land battle of note, though what one expects to be a well-commanded enemy is replaced with a lesser one before this battle.As usual, it is quantity vs. quality.

There are a few plot surprises in the book, some of which set up the fourth novel.

very enjoyable book, and though it may not be clear from my review, this series has been impossible to put down.

More fun with the Prince
Another great effort. I am not sure why they call it space opera, its good ol sci-fi to me. If you've started the series you will want to read this too.

Weber and Ringo - Great Team
This is an excellent series.The 1st 3 books "March to the..." have a consistent look and feelThey definitly deliver a very good read.I loaned a friend the 1st of the series and he wanted the next 2 books immediately!!!

I am looking forward the the next book because it will be in a completely different environment, and will require a different approach to the action.

I am also reading John Ringo's Polseen series, which is good, but not as good as this collaboration with David Weber.

This series is close but not quite up to the Honor Harrington series, my all time favorite SF series.

not quite Xenophon
series started as a loose adaptation of Anabasis and may even continue in that vein. If you liked this story, an English translation of the Anabasis is available from the Gutenberg Project online. There is also a good historical novel called the 'The Ten Thousand' that adds some fiction and historical research to the original.

While the writing style and characters are typical of the military sci-fi genre. These books are better page turners than most. 3 stars is best I give for highly entertaining and yet wholly consumable fiction. ... Read more

Amazon.com
David Weber's Honor Harrington series continues in this 10th novel, which picks up the action several years after the previous volume, Ashes of Victory. With a ceasefire in place with the Peeps, the new government of the Star Kingdom ignores the wishes of Queen Elizabeth and then threatens the very fabric of the Manticore Alliance against the People's Republic of Haven.We find Honor in the role of a senior political advisor, performing with her usual flair and élan.

With War of Honor coming in at over 800 pages, Weber has room to expand subplots and secondary characters and bring to the reader a feeling of depth and completeness seldom seen in science fiction novels. Favorite characters from past stories return, many of them growing in stature from unimportant secondary characters to major players in the "Honorverse." Weber serves up trouble in Silesia, the excitement of a new wormhole junction, scheming in Manticorian politics, strange events deep in Peep territory, and plenty of exploding spaceships--and, as publisher Jim Baen says, "We like exploding spaceships." --Ron Peterson Book Description

NO ONE WANTED ANOTHER WAR

Thomas Theisman didn't. After risking his life and a fresh round of civil war to overthrow the Committee of Public Safety's reign of terror and restore the Republic of Haven's ancient Constitution, an interstellar war was the last thing he wanted.

Baron High Ridge didn't. The Prime Minister of Manticore was perfectly happy with the war he had. No one was shooting anyone else at the moment, and as long as he could spin out negotiations on the formal treaty of peace, his government could continue to milk all those "hostilities only" tax measures for their own partisan projects.

His Imperial Majesty Gustav didn't. Now that the fighting between the Star Kingdom and the Havenites had ended, the Andermani Emperor had his own plans for Silesia, and he was confident he could achieve them without a war of his own.

Protector Benjamin didn't. His people had made too deep a commitment to the Manticoran Alliance, in blood as well as treasure, for him to want to risk seeing it all thrown away.

And Honor Harrington certainly didn't. The "Salamander" had seen the inside of too many furnaces already, knew too much about how much war cost.

Unfortunately, what they wanted didn't matter.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (171)

Slid to rock bottom.
War of Honor [10]

Slid to rock bottom.

Honor is correct about everything.Anyone who doubts Honor is wrong and evil.The only people who disappoint her have no morality or common decency.

The Andermani liaison apologizes for having doubted her; Honor is written as being able to ignore the law since she is perfect.

All of her officers always show her respect and never criticize any of her actions.Honor always controls her anger and rage.Honor refuses to believe anything evil about the people she supports and admires.

Honor's Grayson bodyguard commander shows his fanaticism by making sure that Honor is always alone at the target practice range.Also, Honor's noble titles allow her to take her guards everywhere.This is a privilege that she alone has and no one else deserves because they lack her achievements.

The Queen of Manticore once again fails to control her temper.

Weber needs to write a plot where the Queen of Manticore loses her temper too often and leads the kingdom to ruin while also dishonoring her royal house.

The character of Honor's mother is long overdue to make a mistake that results in exile and dishonor from all of society and she returns only after having completely changed her ways; she no longer teases anyone.

Honor immediately wants to seek vengeance on the evil tabloid writer.However she would lecture someone else about the need for restraint and justice.

Weber needs to write that genetic engineering is not evil.Genetic engineering has always been portrayed as causing people to become/stay evil.He has never written about the evils of cybernetic surgery.The ethics of genetic engineering have always been written in good-and-evil terms.Cybernetics have been written as being irrelevant to a person's morality.

The things that Honor Harrington can do without failure
----tactics
----strategy
----martial arts
----duels using a gun or sword
----hang gliding
----politics
----leadership
----character judgment
----emotional control
----ethical behavior
----moral behavior
----bravery
----courage
----integrity
----honor
----common decency
----non biased actions

If you want excellent writing with the correct shades of gray/grey then read the books by Tom Clancy, Patrick Robinson, Joe Buff, and John Ringo.

Expect this style of good-and-evil writing in all of the anthology short story collections.

Surprising disappointment
I've a big fan, and unfortunately, this book is just not up to par. Other folks have been frustrated by the same things that things that I'll summarize here...
- space battles that are over before they start
- way too many characters
- endless (endless!) background explanation, to the point that often I forgot where the plot was because David Weber was off explaining some nuance that I just plain don't care about.

I found myself skipping over pages at a time in reading, just to get through this. If this were any other author, or any other series, I would have stopped & wouldn't have finished the book. I slogged through it though, and after 800+ pages of buildup, even at the end, the ending came abruptly. It's as if he said "Okay, deadline's tomorrow, lets finish this puppy".

Another incredible Harrington novel!
Let me just say that I love David Weber's Honor Harrington series - and I'm a latecomer.Though I'm more of an action type of guy, the political intrigue and character development of this series complement and accentuate the action extremely well. I greatly enjoyed "War of Honor", though I will admit that I would have loved more action - Weber seemed to want to especially dig into the political and emotional escapades of his characters in this one.

But as always, when you get to the climactic battle(s) the payoff is always worth the wait.I can't say that I loved this as much as some of his more recent additions to the series (specifically Harrington's escape from the prison planet in Echos of Honor), but it definitely was worth the read.

Highly recommend it! But...if you haven't ever read an Honor Harrington novel, do yourself a favor and start with On Basilisk Station. I wish I had known to start there when I discovered this incredible series.

Requires Thought
It is an excellent read but it does require some thought.Readers may find some applicability to the politics of today in it.Well worth the effort

Weber does it again
This book and others in the series are just good reading.Very good SF but with a touch of the real world.Thanks for the mix. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Space Opera at its finest
David Weber is a shining star in the sci-fi heavens these days.I was never much a fan of the "military" sci fi before I started reading Weber and he turned me on to it.

Colin was an astronaut on 21st Century Earth.He was on a flight to the dark side of the moon - and out of contact with his superiors - when he was approached by a strange ship, which was unaffected by his weapons and which thereupon kidnapped him and drug him into the moon itself.To his surprise, he learns that the moon is actually a vast spaceship called Dahak, run by a central computer (Comp Cent) also calling itself Dahak and build by the Fourth Imperium, an ancient civilation and the basis for the human race.The Imperium came to Terra over 50,000 years ago on Dahak and were marooned there by a mutiny.Dahak has been waiting all this time for the right human to come along and become his new captain, for the ancient race of the Achuultani - which has almost competely destroyed the ancient Imperium, with its vastly higher technolocaical base, at least 3 times - is approaching earth and will arrive in the next 2 - 3 years.To make matters worse, the few remaining mutineers are divided into two factions: one which is still holding to its mutinous ways under the guidance of the unstable Anu, and another which regrets its involvement in the mutiny, led by Horus.Colin must first defeat the mutineers, who have hoarded all the weaponry and technology, as well as outnumbering the reformeds members of the crew by a large amount.Once that impossible task is done, then comes preparation to stop the Achuulanti . . .but that is the next book. . .

I'm reading this in the omnibus "Empire from the Ashes," so am able to read this story as a single tale rather than 3 individual books, but I feel it is easier to present reviews for each book individually.If yo are a fan of military sci fi, space opera, science fiction, or just a rousing adventure, this is the book for you!

perfect
I couldn't ask for a better si-fi of this type. Make sure to read the 2nd and 3rd parts of this series.

Great reading and great stress relief.
Being involved in law enforcement and having been in the military it is a pleasure to be able to escape with someone who knows what they are writing about, humans performing at their best under stress. The ideas in this series are fun but the individual characters and their loyalties are even better. Thanks.

my favorite book
I love this book.Of my 5,000+ SciFi books, it is my favorite.True, it is a little bit raw.But, it tells a SOLID story and leaves you wanting more more more at the end. That is the sign of a great book.A sentient ship the size of the moon and the unique story of the "space aliens" makes for a totally cool story.BTW, I am reading it for the 5th or 6th time (who keeps count ?). Weber owes a couple of authors for his story: Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistriss and the Perry Rhodan series.There are two sequels to this book, also 5 stars.I am valiantly waiting for the fourth ...

Preposterous but Fun
The story opens in the midst of a mutiny. Things are not going well for the imperial loyalists so the captain of the Imperial ship of the line "Dahak" takes drastic action ensuring that even if he dies, the mutineers will not succeed. The problem is that the mutineers are led by the chief engineer who has some technical savvy of his own. The destruct sequence is begun and all of the rats abandon ship and head for shelter on the nearest planet. That would be earth. The mutineers' plans to reclaim the ship, however, are thwarted and the mutineers are stranded.

All of this took place over 50,000 years ago. Since then, the mutineers have subtly controlled the progress of the earth by means of such events as the Hundred Years War, the World Wars, Pol Pot and other such unsavory characters (they are BAD). A desperate group sucked into the mutiny fights a rearguard action for all these millennia. Meanwhile, the ship of the line, devoid of any crew, carries out repairs and hides itself as the moon. All of this is just prolog for the real story.

The ship Dahak cannot fulfill its final commands without a crew. It manages to kidnap an earthman, train him as captain and swear him in as an Imperial officer. It is then up to him to resolve the mutiny and, not incidentally, prepare for invading aliens. To do this, our gallant hero is going to have to wipe out political terrorists and quash corrupt politicians. The result is a wild but fun romp filled with action and intrigue.

This is a book where it is hard to "suspend the disbelief" but managing to do so is worthwhile for its entertainment value. This is a quick and frivolous read but it is fun.
... Read more

Amazon.com
David Weber provides intergalactic thrills and political intrigue inthis far-flung military space adventure, continuing where In Enemy Hands left off. The People's Republic has publicly executed Honor Harrington--or have they? While the Star Kingdom swears revenge, Honor (alive and kicking) plans escape from the prison planet of Hell. Weber's extensive knowledge of military protocol combined with deep technical exploration make for a highly detailed book, yet he avoids bogging down in it. His great storytelling skills keep this book racing along like an action-adventure movie. Fans of Star Wars and old-fashioned seafaring tales will find lots to their liking here, as will those looking for a future setting in which women play an equal role. If you're new to the Honor series, start with On Basilisk Station, the first of Commander Honor Harrington's adventures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (110)

Slid to rock bottom.
Echoes of Honor [8]

Slid to rock bottom.

Harrington quickly gains the obedience of the prisoners.They, being people who of course are not vengeful after years of torture and mistreatment, agree to Honor's demands that trials be held for the State Security troops on Hades.

Honor's treecat allows her to telepathically read everyone; she never considers the privacy issues, allowing her to avoid having to use the concepts character judgment and trust.

She then obeys the moral code and allows a badly needed attack ship to search for survivors even though the ground battle is more important.One of her officers remarks that Honor gets people to adhere to her unrealistically high standards by simply assuming they will do the right thing and not disappoint her.After all no good person in the Honorverse wants to disappoint Honor Harrington.

The only ally who disagrees with her is a coward who shouts and shows prejudice.He is never written using reason, logic, or a calm debate.

Honor insists on proper trials for the people who committed the actual crimes; and then she tells the commander of a prison convoy that the convoy's soldiers will not be protected by the Deneb (Geneva) Accords.This of course makes (sarcasm) sense.However she then reverses position and orders the rescue of all Havenite troops after the final battle.

Not once does she consider leaving a single prisoner behind on Hades; while in the real world prisoners must be left behind since there is never enough room.WW2 escapes are a perfect example of this real-life policy.

The Havenites are divided into the good and evil people.The good ones show rage and anger about Honor's false execution while the evil ones do not.This is another example of Weber's increasing use of stock characters.

The Graysons are written as practicing honorable vengeance.They applaud when one admiral makes a speech that states that all the Havenites deserve to die.Then another admiral orders "no mercy" at a battle and of course the Graysons do not commit any crimes despites having screamed for vengeance at a state dinner.

Finally, Honor's mother is written as having developed an ego problem when she states that all males should take delight in pleasing her and causing her happiness.Naturally, the Grayson church always acts in a moral way and never shows signs of corruption and sin.

The character of Honor's mother is long overdue to make a mistake that results in exile and dishonor from all of society and she returns only after having completely changed her ways; she no longer teases anyone.

Weber needs to write that genetic engineering is not evil.Genetic engineering has always been portrayed as causing people to become/stay evil.He has never written about the evils of cybernetic surgery.The ethics of genetic engineering have always been written in good-and-evil terms.Cybernetics have been written as being irrelevant to a person's morality.

The things that Honor Harrington can do without failure
----tactics
----strategy
----martial arts
----duels using a gun or sword
----hang gliding
----politics
----leadership
----character judgment
----emotional control
----ethical behavior
----moral behavior
----bravery
----courage
----integrity
----honor
----common decency
----non biased actions

If you want excellent writing with the correct shades of gray/grey then read the books by Tom Clancy, Patrick Robinson, Joe Buff, and John Ringo.

Expect this style of good-and-evil writing in all of the anthology short story collections.

Space Opera equivalent of C.S. Forester's "Flying Colours"

This is number eight in David Weber's main series of novels about Honor Harrington. It is also the only one describing events in Honor Harrington's career which so closely correspond to one of the "Horatio Hornblower" novels by C.S. Forester that an exact match can be given; this book is equivalent to "Flying Colours."

If you have not read any of David Weber's other books about Honor Harrington, this book is part of a series of space opera novels set two or three thousand years in the future. If you are minded to read them, do not start with this one: these stories work best if read in sequence, so start with the first book, which is "On Basilisk station."

Despite the futuristic setting, there are strong parallels with Nelson's navy. Assumed technology in the stories imposes constraints on space navy officers quite similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on wet navy officers two hundred years ago. Similarly, the galactic situation in the novels is very like the strategic and political situation in Europe at the time of the French revolutionary wars.

This is obviously quite deliberate: many thinly veiled (and amusing) hints in the books indicate that they are to some extent a tribute to C.S. Forester, and the main heroine of the books, Honor Harrington, appears to owe more than her initials to Forester's character Horatio Hornblower.


The Honor Harrington series (sometimes nicknamed the "Honorverse") is starting to develop a number of spin-off storylines. Stories set in this Universe fall into three groups, although they link together in a reasonably consistent manner.

There is the main sequence, currently of 11 novels, which follow the career of Honor Harrington herself and give a top level view of the wars between her home nation, "The Star Kingdon of Manticore" and hostile nations such as the People's Republic of Haven. The main Honor Harrington sequence is:

1) On Basilisk Station
2) The Honor of the Queen
3) The Short Victorious War
4) Field of Dishonour
5) Flag in Exile
6) Honor among Enemies
7) In Enemy Hands
8) Echoes of Honor
9) Ashes of Victory
10) War of Honor
11) At All Costs

There are currently four collections in the "Worlds of Honor" series of short stories by Weber and co-authors set in the same universe, and featuring a range of characters, some from the main series of books, others new.

Some of these are espionage stories, and Weber has produced a book called "Crown of Slaves" co-written with Eric Flint, which brings together several of the most prominent spies from the novels and short stories in a novel of intrigue and revolution.

Another book, "The Shadow of Saganami" kicks off a "next generation" sequence featuring younger officers in the Grayson and Manticoran navies such as Helen Zilwicki and Abigail Hearns.


The prologue to "Echoes of Honor" begins with Honor Harrington's horrified family watching an enemy broadcast purporting to show her execution. As readers of the previous book (In Enemy hands) will realise, this video has been faked. The government of the People's Republic of Haven (or "Peeps") are under the impression that Honor and her companions were killed when the battlecruiser on which she was being taken to a place of execution blew up. Rather than admit that a handful of prisoners of war managed to destroy a battlecruiser while attempting to escape, the Peeps decide that it would make better propaganda to fake a film of Honor's execution. In fact things are even worse for the Peeps than they realise; the escape was successful.

In "Flying Colours" Horatio Hornblower, who had been captured after a heroic fight in the previous book, escaped while en route to execution by Napoleon, accompanied by his first lieutenant Bush and his coxwain, Brown. Their families and enemies alike think they're dead. They have a long road home through enemy territory - and meanwhile Hornblower has some important family news waiting for him if he makes it home ...

In "Echoes of Honor", Honor Harrington, who had been captured after a heroic fight in the previous book, has then escaped while en route to execution by the Peeps, accompanied by her former first lieutenant Alistair McKeon and a small number of her other crew including Andrew LaFollett, Scotty Tremaine, and Horace Harkness. Their families and enemies alike think they're dead. They too a long road home through enemy territory - and meanwhile Honor will also have some important family news waiting for her if she makes it home ...

Some editions of this book have the subtitle "Conquer Hell or Die" which is a reference to the aptly named prison planet, Hell, on which Honor lands with a few comrades and two shuttles at the start of the book.

The character development, as ever for David Weber, is well done, and makes you care about the people in the book. He includes references to the strengths of some of his evil characters and the weaknesses of his heroes and heroines so that the people in the book are usually believable and most of their actions and motives plausible.

Most of the battle scenes are gripping, and the particular tactical situations in this story are such that Weber's greatest weakness - the tendancy to write and think too much like a wargamer - does not apply this time. The one significant flaw in some other books in this series is that Weber gives his characters too much of the wargamer's willingness to treat warships up to and including capital ships as expendable to agreater extent than is possible to real world commanders. But there are no implausible suicide missions in this book.

For amusement, if you want to try to look for the parallels to nations and individuals from the French revolutionary period and the Hornblower books, one possible translation would be:

People's Republic of Haven = Revolutionary France
Rob S. Pierre = Robespierre
The Committee of Public Safety = The Committee of Public Safety
Former Haven legislaturist regime = the Bourbon monarchy and aristocrats

Star Kingdom of Manticore = Great Britain
Gryphon = Scotland
Prime Minister Alan Summervale = Pitt the Younger
Hamish Alexander, Earl White Haven = (1) Admiral Edward Pellew
and (2) Lady Barbara Wellesley
Honor Harrington = Horatio Hornblower
Alistair McKeon = William Bush

Crown loyalists and Centrists = Tory supporters of Pitt
Conservative Association = hardline High Tories
New Kiev Liberals = Whig Oligarchists
Cathy Montaigne Liberals = Whig Radicals

Grayson = Portugal
Anderman Empire = Kingdom of Prussia
Silesia = Poland
Solarian republic = United States of America


Overall, "Echoes of Honor" is one of the most moving books of the series. If you enjoyed the previous episodes in the story, you will almost certainly enjoy this one.

Exceptional!
Another exception book by David Weber in the Honor Harrington series. I love the female heroine, which is not common in the sci-fi genre of this type, and she is totally believable, totally relatable, and simply amazing! I have read each and every book of this series and except for one, I found them all to be equally compelling. Now, I want one of those cats! (read the book to find out what I mean!)

Disappointing
As the series continues, my interest is waning.David needs to concentrate on his other books.

This series gets better all the time
David Weber delivers another great installment in his Honor Harrington series, one of the greatest space opera series in recent memory.Echoes of Honor continues the story which had begun in In Enemy Hands.The Star Kingdom of Manticore vows revenge for Honor's "death" after her supposed execution by the People's Republic of Haven.But she is actually marooned with a handful of her men on the Havenite prison planet known as Hell.She assembles a force of POW's and begins to plan an escape for herself, her remaining crew and the rest of the prisoners incarcerated on Hell.Weber has continued to develop the character of Honor Harrington very well over the course of these novels, as she has become more emotionally mature.He has also continued to further develop the "Honorverse," which no longer revolves around Honor herself, as evidenced in spinoff novels such as Crown of Slaves and The Shadow of Saganami.This series continues to get better with each new installment.Echoes of Honor is an excellent read, which I enjoyed thoroughly.I look forward to reading Book 9, Ashes of Victory. ... Read more

Product Description
The Royal Manticoran Navy as You have Never Seen It Before!This soft cover coffee table book has information on the Royal Manticoran Navy from David Weber's Honor Harrington universe, ranging from the founding and battle histories to detailed class histories and size comparison charts of the ships, to layouts of the pinnaces and rank insignia! Much of this material has never been published elsewhere, and this book is an official concordance of data on the Manticoran Navy, with material written by David Weber himself! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sometimes you have to judge the book by its cover
If I could have bought this for a reduced price as a PDF, I would rate it at 4 stars. Unfortunately, that's not an option.

Jayne's Intelligence Review is an incredible in-depth look at the Manticoran Navy of 1905 PD shortly after the Honor Harrington series opens. It has a detailed review of every combat ship class, uniforms, history, tactics, and even a look at the Manticoran Marines within its admittedly slim 64 pages. For $30 plus shipping more content would be nice, but I can understand the cost given the small production run and the fact that every right-hand page is a full color plate.

What's not acceptable is the cheap construction. The cardstock cover and non-glossy pages began separating as soon as I opened the book. I figure the spine will last perhaps four or five readings until I have to rebind the book myself. That's inexcusable at any price.

Overall, great content, horrible job at the printer. If an update ever comes out I would certainly buy it- provided it comes as an ebook.

Way out of date
The book was published last year (2006), but it is very out of date. There is nothing in there that dates past "The Short Victorious War".

Honor Universe
Wonderful illustrations and descriptions of the ships and situations in Honor's universe. A perfect companion to the fiction and with the new games coming out an excellent tool to learn what it's all about.

The Honorverse reference!
The first of a serie of books that promise to be full of interesting data for all the fans of David Weber and his Honorverse. This book begins the description of the Royal Manticoran Navy and its ships, weapons, ranks, uniforms... A fantastic product.
I'm now waiting eagerly for the second book in the serie depicting the People's Navy which should be released really soon: "Jayne's Intelligence Review: The People's Republic Navy".

And for french fans...
Le premier ouvrage d'une série de livres de référence abordant l'univers de Honor Harrington créé par David Weber. Cette ouvrage qui aborde la Marine Royale Manticorienne en passant en revue les uniformes, les grades, les différentes armes et équipements, ainsi bien sûr que les vaisseaux de guerre, sera un ajout très utile à la bibliothèque des accrocs à l'Honorverse. D'autres ouvrages suivront comme celui qui devrait être disponible sous peu sur la Marine de la République Populaire de Havre.

Excellent Book!
This is a must have for all those fans of David Weber's Honerverse.
The first in a series of books covering the political entities in the honorverse. It gives background info into the Manty navy and marines. The layout of the book is excellent. Every right handed page is in colour, which is treat to behold and adds character to the book.

A very excellent book and I can't wait for the rest in the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

An enjoyable read.
The author shows creativity and the ability to produce a multi-volume tale worth enjoying.Read it from the beginning and anticipate the sequels.

= Off Armageddon Reef
Have you read Off Armageddon Reef (OAR)? This book is the start of a new series and came out in January 2007. Weber has chosen to take the trilogy of Mutineer's Moon, Armageddon Inheritance and Heirs of Empire (HE), and rewrite them into OAR and future efforts. Cynically, one might wonder if he is taking the easy route and recycling old laundry. The trilogy came out in the early 90s and seemed moderately successful. If I recall, they were paperbacks. But OAR is in hardcover and has appeared as a large print run. In the major bookstores, OAR has a strong presence at the entrances. It may be that in the intervening years since the trilogy, Weber has gotten more popular, especially with his Honor Harrington tomes. So now he has decided to reroll the dice. The original trilogy is still mostly in print. Rereleasing it in more copies might only have a moderate boost to sales. Perhaps then the rewrite into OAR.

Anyhow, the bulk of OAR maps strikingly into HE. Both concern a planet where humans have fallen to a medieval level of technology, forgetting that man ever existed elsewhere. There is a corrupt, bloodthirsty theocracy, wielding vast secular power.

A common backdrop is that out there in space is a terrible enemy, seeking to exterminate humans. OAR uses one android as the protagonist, while HE has 4 humans and a friendly alien. Both books have the hero/heroes introduce innovations, especially in weaponry, to friendly indigenous forces. The battle scenes in HE are on land, while in OAR, they are mostly at sea. If you have read the General series by Stirling and Drake, or Janissaries by Pournelle, then you'll like the narrative conflicts of HE. In depth, they do not quite match the battle descriptions of those other books. But still well done.

OAR does seem slightly better done than HE, in the detailed care that Weber takes to build out the plot. There is much more description of the OAR world and the multifarious characters, especially in the different countries. HE could also have done with a map of the planet. OAR is careful to furnish this to aid the reader, as well as a list of personas. HE doesn't really need the latter, since less space is devoted to building out these secondary characters.

Terrific finale - I WANT MORE!
In the finale to the "Dahak" series by David Weber, Colin's first children grow up and enter the Fleet themselves.When their ship is sabotaged on their middy flight, they must make their way to an unknown planet, find a way home and - while they are at it - settle a religious conflict that they accidentally started.Meanwhile back home, Colin and Jiltanith - devastated by what they believe is the loss of their children - discover a plot to destroy their new home planet and overthrow them.Can they stop the destruction of their planet and discover who is plotting against them?Can their children let them know they are alive and find a way home?

This book definitely left me wanting more in this series.Weber is a master, there is no doubt.

almost as good as the 1st two but
this book is still great in it's own right but unlike the 1st two, it doesn't merit 5 stars it felt a bit rushed and that kept it from being great

Fun if you can suspend enough disbelief
First, if you haven't read the previous two books in the trilogy, you probably need to or a lot of this one won't make much sense - you will wonder why there are apparently two people called Tamman, one of whom is dead (he's the father of the other one), for example.
Second, you need to be prepared to suspend a lot of disbelief. The villain is so good at recruiting cat's-paws that he doesn't need to re-use them but routinely kills them off when they have accomplished one mission for him - this happens over and over again. Yet, with all this recruiting, he never has his organization penetrated by a spy (there's only one successful attempt to do so, and he uses his inside knowledge to foil that one).
Third, if you have read much Weber you may get the impression that (unlike the villain) he is recycling. Brave young woman with an eye patch (Honor Harrington). Imperial heir(s) on planet at lower technological level use superior technological knowledge and military history to fight their way across many kilometres and take over the technological base, slaughtering thousands of natives while deeply respecting their native allies (the Prince Roger trilogy). Enormous spaceships explode killing thousands of crew in an instant (pretty much every Weber book).
And yet, it was fun and I enjoyed it, in a chewing-gum kind of way. Don't start reading Weber with this one, but if you are a fan, you will probably like it a lot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (101)

Space battles galore, non-stop action...what more could you want?
My first foray into David Weber territory was the Honor Harrington series and ever since, I snap up any David Weber book to gleefully devour.=)Weber is well-known for his very detailed space battles, and believe me, he's got a knack for it I haven't come across by any other military sci-fi author (I read Steve White's Starfire book, without Weber co-writing, that continued in this universe and it's very apparent that David Weber gives a little "oomph" to the book that White lacks).In this regard, Weber is a pure genius in his ability to transport the reader right in the middle of a heated, chaotic, and tense-filled battles in space among starships.

If you're looking for a serious science fiction book that delves into deeper moral or social issues, don't pick up this book.If you want that, pick up Kim Stanley Robinson or Verner Vinge.I'll warn you right now, if you're expecting some profound sci-fi book, you'll be highly disappointed in the shoot-'em-up-raisin'-hell mentality of many of the characters in this book.This is pure, visceral action-packed military sci-fi and it's not meant for deep thinking to occur.LOL.

That said, what is this