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would have developed gunpowder in 1000 years from the time he took the
English from the 14th century, instead of the 200 years it actually took. The dragon-creature and the Baron eventually succeed in a mutiny and take over the ship, but they decide that they can not go back to Earth because the Federation would find them too fast.
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The
English reveal themselves to Earth and offer an alliance to take on the Federation, but the fight will be far from easy. The Federation has over fifteen hundred worlds, with an average population of 11 billion on each world, while humanity only has the Avalon empire, who has grown to live across
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The story then moves forward to the 22nd century, on Earth, now under the single Solar government, where humanity has become capable of building vast ships in space and has developed an FTL drive. However, the
Federation considers their fast development a threat to its stability and has dispatched a
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The dragon-like creature is from one of these worlds, saying that the
Federation came during his world's nuclear age. The creature says that all the other races are different than humanity because of the rate at which it develops. This is shown when the Guild Alien makes a comment about how humanity
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As the massive
Federation battleships are about to destroy the comparably tiny human ships, even bigger spaceships appear and destroy the Federation ships easily. The rescuers of Earth are the Avalon Empire, the civilization founded by the English who have grown in numbers and, using the technology
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The
Galactic Federation was originally started over one hundred fifty thousand years ago by 3 races, with membership of the council requiring development of a form of faster-than-light (FTL) drive. Over the course of their long history, the Federation strayed from its values. It now has 22 races on
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from the Roman Empire and used it to obtain victory in many confrontations and thereby increase its commercial empire. Other aliens were inspired to try the same tactics and came to Earth to find their own army to fight for them. As the plot progresses, the
English army continues to fight for the
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The story begins when a 14th-century
English army is abducted by aliens of the Galactic Federation to serve as mercenaries on planets where only low-tech weaponry is legal. The aliens are bound by a Galactic Federation law that states that advanced weapons can not be used on primitive worlds.
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found on the captured Guild ship, have advanced far beyond the
Federation. For centuries, they have prepared and lay in hiding so could return at the moment of Earth's greatest need (just like the sword Excalibur in the legend of
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20 some worlds, and Earth. But, with the technical superiority of the Avalon empire and a carefully planned series of rebellions on "protected" worlds in the
Federation, humanity at least stands a chance.
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aliens, until the Baron in charge of the English is approached by a dragon-like alien under the heel of the Guild Aliens. The dragon-like creature tells the Baron the story of the Federation.
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the council (of which only 1 is an original founder) and when it discovers new races it invades them so it can freeze their technological development and force them to become a protectorate.
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David Weber says, "I'd say that I come from a historian's perspective on all of the science fiction that I write." However, he admits that he "cheated" while writing
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praised Weber's "apt characterization" and knowledge of medieval weaponry and tactics, but found the emphasis on action meant that subplots were neglected.
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in 2002. It is one of several novels based on the premise of
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348:Nowicka, Beatrycze (3 February 2012).
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230:Literary significance and reception
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411:. The whole novel can be found
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376:"Interview with David Weber"
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262:bears marked similarity to
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166:novel by American writer
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266:'s popular 1960 novel
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862:2002 American novels
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151:PS3573.E217 E93 2002
294:Battle of Agincourt
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558:(with Linda Evans)
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748:Steve White
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544:Hell's Gate
454:David Weber
380:Wild Violet
356:(in Polish)
248: [
220:King Arthur
176:David Drake
168:David Weber
38:David Weber
851:Categories
793:Standalone
691:Eric Flint
648:Honorverse
641:John Ringo
535:Multiverse
360:2024-03-11
354:Esensja.pl
301:References
172:Baen Books
139:813/.54 21
66:Baen Books
99:Paperback
62:Publisher
835:Category
742:Starfire
655:Safehold
292:and the
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95:Hardback
44:Language
758:Crusade
580:War God
245:Esensja
93:Print (
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506:Furies
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199:legion
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34:Author
720:Bolo!
470:Dahak
450:Works
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162:is a
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77:2002
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