Flag in Exile

"Flag in Exile" is the fifth 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." These books are best read in sequence and I strongly recommend that you start with "On Basilisk Station" which is the first one. The Honor Harrington stories are replete with parallels to the time of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. In particular, the Royal Manticoran Navy in which the heroine is a captain is clearly based on the Royal Navy at the time of Nelson. (In this book she finds herself seconded to serve as an admiral in the navy of Manticore's ally, Grayson.) 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." In the earlier book, "The Short Victorious War", Honor's home nation of Manticore, and their allies, were attacked by the People's Republic of Haven or "Peeps" - an agressive superpower which has been gradually conquering the small nations on its borders in bitesize chunks. Following a coup in the People's Republic after their first round of attacks were not successful, Haven is now run by a "Committee of Public Safety" headed by one Rob S. Pierre, which has imposed a reign of terror. However, the new Peep government is just as committed to the war as the old one was. Weber clearly means the reader to understand that Haven represents Revolutionary France. Early in this book, the Grayson High Admiral prsents a report to his head of state which concludes that "this is going to be a long, long war unless one side or the other completely screws up" and "this war isn't about territory any more. It's become a war for survival; someone - either the Kingdom of Manticore and its allies, including us, or the People's Republic of Haven - is going down this time, Your Grace. For good." At the start of this book, Honor Harrington has been relieved of command of HMS Nike and put on half-pay after the fighting two controversial duels. So she has returned to Grayson where she is now a "steadholder" e.g. one of the most powerful people on the planet. Up to this point in the series, Weber has appeared to show disdain and even contempt for politicians, but now that his heroine has become one, she has to think through the decisions she takes from that

After so completely enjoying the 4th volume of the Honor Harrington series, I was anxious to begin the 5th but there was trepidation as well. It could not possibly be as good as the 4th. Instead, it was even better. All of this comes after my mediocre reception of the 3rd volume. "Flag in Exile" deftly handles the problem I perceived in the thrid book. Flag captains just don't have as much opportunity to shine as independant commanders. It should be worse for an admiral with a fleet command. Weber solves this problem quite handily in that Honor's responsibilities as an admiral are a very minor part of the story. Mostly, she spends her time defending herself and her minions from those arrayed to destroy her. The attack her and all around her with both savagery and depravity. She, on the other hand, maintains an honorable and admirable stance throughout. In the end, she destroys almost all of her enemies and then takes on the enemy fleet for good measure. Even so, there are enough political enemies and foreign enemies to ensure at least a few more great books after this one. Again, Weber does a great job melding the institutions of the British Royal Navy in the Napoleonic era with space opera. There is not as much technical analogy in this volume as in others. Instead, political analogies abound. Rob S. Pierre is the chairman of the Committee for Public Safety of Haven. Robespierre must be twisting in his headless grave! There are also analogies which can be drawn with other societies and times. The SS makes an appearance. There is even much that can be seen in our modern world. Buy this book but read the others first. This one can stand alone but stands so much better with all of the previous story in place.

David Weber has created Science fiction's equivalent of C.S. Forrestor's Horatio Hornblower saga with his ongoing saga of his heroine, Honor Harrington. With her faithful, and empathic, treecat Nimitz, this series is a true delight. This is swashbuckling, space opera sci-fi at its best, with excellent characters, a vibrant universe, complete with an intriguing socio-political plot which drives the overall plot of the background of this fascinating universe."Flag in Exile" opens with Honor Harrington having returned to Grayson, the patriarchial planet she saved in the 2nd novel in the series, "The Honor of the Queen." As a result of her efforts in that book, she was made Steadholder Harrington, one of the planet's 80 great nobles, with powers within her own domain far greater than any noble from her home system of Manticore.Bearing the weight of the tragedies she sustained in the prior novel, ""Field of Dishonor", Honor is content to recover in private. But Grayson is desperately short on experienced officers, and Captain Honor Harrington, Royal Manticoran Navy, on half-pay from that service due to the political fallout of her quest for justice, is offered the rank of a full admiral in the Grayson Navy.This novel spends time looking into the nature of Grayson politics, and has Honor and her treecat Nimitz dealing with religious zealots who cannot abide by the thought of what Honor, a woman, is doing to their male-dominated traditions. In addition, the Peoples Republic of Haven (Peeps) is attempting a counter-offensive in their war with the Manticoran Alliance. This novel serves to help widen the Honor Harrington Universe with its examination of Grayson politics.Honor and friends must battle terrorists who would slaughter innocents, rampaging sexist bigots, and the ever-present menance of the Peeps. This book contains a brief afterword by the author relating a certain tragic event in this novel with the bombing in Oklahoma City. That afterword, and this book's look at the minds of religious zealots prepared to do anything for their beliefs, remains sadly relevant after the events of 9/11.This is an excellent and enjoyable novel. The entire Honor Harrington series is perhaps the best space opera in the past decade plus.

Honor harrington is my favorite book series, and this one doesn't dissapoint. we get to see a little more about Grayson, and some of the later scenes (I won't spoil them) involving the anti-Harrington terrorists are absolutely heart-wrenching. Five stars!

Wow! David Weber's fifth book is compelling, moving and riveting. Honor Harrington, on the beach at half-pay from the Royal Manticoran Navy, is offered a commission as an Admiral in the newly-rebuilt Grayson Navy. Not only that, but she has taken up her duties as Steadholder, and is developing a radical new (to the Graysons) technology that may make feeding their world a lot easier. Everything's coming up roses, right?Don't bet on it. The Peeps are getting better organized as new officers get more combat experience and learn from their mistakes. The RMN can't push them around anymore. The Peeps have decided to move on Yeltsin's Star (the primary for the world of Grayson), and take out what is probably Manticore's most capable ally.On Grayson, certain elements of Grayson society are determined to everything and anything necessary to prevent Honor Harrington from executing the duties of her office as Steadholder, all in the name of God's will. The double hammer of the Peep attacks and the sabotage and treason cooked up to frame her very nearly destroy Honor, but she rallies and finishes strongly in a climax that you will *not* soon forget.