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War of honor
Name: War of Honor
Author: David Weber
Publisher: Baen Books
Publication Date: 2002
Chapters: 59 + prologue
ISBN: 0743471679
Series: Main Series
Previous: Ashes of Victory
Next: At All Costs

War of Honor is the tenth book of David Weber's series of novels and short stories chronicling the adventures of Honor Harrington. It was first published in 2002.

Timeframe: 1918 PD – 1920 PD

Cover Summary[]

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....

Plot[]

Five years have passed since a truce between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven ended the First Havenite-Manticoran War, but there is still no formal peace treaty. Even though neither side wishes to resume fighting, political circumstances in both nations threaten to plunge them back into war.

On Manticore, the administration of Prime Minister High Ridge focuses on strengthening its own political position. The Royal Manticoran Navy's budget has been cut down to satisfy the new government's welfare projects and political finance schemes. Manticore's allies, most notably Grayson and Erewhon, are infuriated with the new government's carelessness and outright rudeness in foreign affairs. From their seats in the House of Lords, Honor Harrington and Hamish Alexander voice their opposition to the policies of the High Ridge government, which in turn takes action to discredit the war heroes.

Haven struggles to rebuild after the fall of the People's Republic. President Eloise Pritchart's administration faces increasing pressure from certain political factions, led by Arnold Giancola, that demand the Republic to be more assertive in its negotiations with Manticore. Admiral Thomas Theisman has to restore the Havenite Navy's morale and fighting capabilities after the long war with Manticore and a protracted campaign to conquer the remnants of the old People's Republic, such as the Office of State Security loyalists.

The Andermani Empire has adopted a confrontational stance with Manticore over the chaos-ridden Silesian Confederacy, and Honor Harrington is sent to the planet Sidemore in the Marsh System, located near Silesian space, with a task force. She is so ordered at the behest of the RMN's new admiralty in order to get her out of the political arena. Due to tensions along their borders, the risk of war between Manticore and the Empire is steadily rising.

Tensions also rise between Haven and Manticore. A new terminus of the Manticore Wormhole Junction has been discovered, and several worlds located near the exit point request annexation by Manticore, triggering fears amongst the Havenites that the Star Kingdom is going to go on an expansionist rampage. Arnold Giancola gains more political supporters due to High Ridge's delaying tactics and encourages the Andermani to annex Silesia. This un-official support results in several shooting incidents that inflame the hardliners on both sides. Meanwhile, Pritchart is desperate to finalize a peace treaty before Giancola destroys her political credibility.

The Manticoran government's ineptness and the schemes of Havenite Secretary of State Arnold Giancola compound an already unstable scenario, and President Pritchart eventually orders the Republican Navy to launch Operation Thunderbolt, the resumption of combat operations against Manticore and re-taking of the systems lost in the previous war.

The Second Havenite-Manticoran War breaks out. In a series of coordinated attacks the Havenites succeed in conquering every system the Manticorans took out from them (except for Trevor's Star, which is recognized as a part of the Star Kingdom) and in devastating the Grendelsbane Station shipyard. Even Honor's fleet is attacked, despite the long distance between Haven and Sidemore, but she succeeds in defeating the Havenite forces. The High Ridge government falls and First Lord of the Admiralty Edward Janacek commits suicide. A new government led by William Alexander, the younger brother of Admiral White Haven, takes over. The legislation High Ridge feared in "Ashes of Victory" is passed since the House of Lords sees the Grantville government as its only hope of survival.

However, this new war is completely different from the last one: now Haven is almost the technological equal of Manticore, and its fleet of modern warships is many times larger than the Royal Manticoran Navy. Erewhon breaks away from the Alliance and sides with Haven, handing them many of their latest technological developments. The Havenites have the initiative and the Star Kingdom is shocked, meaning that Haven may be able to win. However, Emperor Gustav XI decides to bring the Anderman Empire into the war on the Manticoran side, changing the odds once more. But even if Manticore does win, Honor realizes, they may become like their enemies in the process. Haven will be able to use the Star Empire of Manticore's annexation of the Silesian Confederacy, the Talbott Cluster, and the Trevor's Star System to prove that Manticore was planning to annex multiple Havenite systems.

References[]

Characters[]

Jason Ackenheil | Federico Agnelli | Joyce Akimoto | Emily Alexander | Hamish Alexander | William Alexander | Louis al-Salil | Chien-lu Anderman | Gustav Anderman | Huang Anderman | William Anders | Ariel | Adelina Arif | Benedict Arnold | George Astrides | Ilona Atwater | Janina Auderska | Thomas Bachfisch | Frederick Bagwell | Arthur Baker | Paulette Baker | Banshee | Batson | Henrietta Barloi | Eldridge Beale | Benedict | Protector Benjamin IX | Harriet Benson-Dessouix | Pablo Blanchard | Alenka Borderwijk | Harper Brantley | Mark Brentworth | Mercedes Brigham | Jessica Burke | Sylvester Callahan | James Candless | Thomas Caparelli | Rafael Cardones | Adrian Carson | Warner Caslet | Raoul Courvosier | Simon Chakrabarti | Chalmers | Chet | Clarise Childers | Chong Chin-Ri | Christopher | David Clairdon | Mitchell Clapp | Regina Clausel | Howard Clinkscales | Sandra Conagher | Lucien Cortez | Sybil Dalipagic | Adam Damakos | deCastries | Agnes de Groot | Molly DeLaney | Ellen DeMarco | Denby | Elaine Descroix | John Descroix | Sebastian D'Orville | Isaac Douglass | Josette Draskovic | Patrick DuCain | Dumais | Anders Dunecki | Anita Eisenberg | Queen Elizabeth III | Ellis | Binyan Engelman | Evans | Farragut | Ferguson | Erica Ferrero | Akahito Fitzpatrick | Sarah Flanagan | Shannon Foraker | Benjamin Franklin | Fulbright | Arnold Giancola | Jason Giancola | Javier Giscard | Cal Giuliani | Patricia Givens | Huang Glockauer | Cynthia Gonsalves | Craig Goodrick | Guangfu Gortz | Lou Gower | Marius Gozzi | Sampson Grant | Austin Grayson | Stan Gregory | Yves Grosclaude | Jinchu Gruber | Emperor Gustav XI | Roberta Hairston | Casey Hall | Trixie Hammitt | Denise Hammond | John Hancock | Rachel Hanriot | Horace Harkness | Jackie Harmon | Theodore Harper | Alfred Harrington | Allison Chou Harrington | Faith Harrington | Honor Harrington | James Harrington | Shawn Harris | Sidney Harris | Klaus Hauptman | Stacey Hauptman | Nico Havenhurst | Spencer Hawke | Solomon Hayes | Haynesworth | Abigail Hearns | Sonja Hemphill | Edward Hendricks | Calvin Henke | Edward Henke | Michelle Henke | Roland Henneman | Anson Hewitt | Heyerdahl | Allen Higgins | Hindemith | Hipper | Ruihan Hoffner | Gregor Hofschulte | Arswendo Hooja | Jacqueline Houseman | Reginald Houseman | Howard | Ambrose Howell | Caroline Hughes | Zhenting Isenhoffer | Jackson | Edward Janacek | Michael Janvier | Andrea Jaruwalski | Alan Jeffers | Wilson Jefferson | M. Johannsen | Juliet | Francis Jurgensen | Gabrijela Kanjcevic | Jordin Kare | Theophile Kgari | Wilson Kirkegard | Theodosia Kuzak | Andrew LaFollet | Miranda LaFollet | Doug Lampert | Landow | Anthony Langtry | George Larabee | Larry | Lawrence | Denis LePic | Lionheart | Listerman | Robert Llewelyn | Niall MacDonnell | James MacGuiness | Harrison MacIntosh | Ronald Maitland | Melina Makris | Laurel Malachi | Malinski | Silas Markham | Arnaud Marquette | Jeff Marston | Estelle Matsuko | Wesley Matthews | Simon Mattingly | Francine Maurier | Richard Maxwell | Alexandra Mayhew | Bernard Mayhew | Elaine Mayhew | Honor Mayhew | Katherine Mayhew | Michael Mayhew | Rachel Mayhew | James McClelland | Samson McGwire | Mecia McKee | Alistair McKeon | Esther McQueen | Timothy Meares | Silas Mikasinovich | Monroe | Catherine Montaigne | Henry Montaigne | Fritz Montoya | Samuel Mueller | Nazari | Horatio Nelson | Tony Nesbitt | Willard Neufsteiler | Nimitz | Merlin Odom | Clarence Oglesby | Roslee Orndorff | Cal Panokulous | Amos Parnell | Xiaohu Pausch | Gregory Paxton | Susan Phillips | Robert Pierre | Minerva Prince | Eloise Pritchart | Jesus Ramirez | Reichenbach | Yinsheng Reinshagen | Patrick Reumann | Michel Reynaud | George Reynolds | King Roger III | Yuri Rollins | Rontved | Edward Rutledge | Edward Saganami | Oscar Saint-Just | Samantha | Walter Sanderson | Santerro | Elvis Santino | Mark Sarnow | Schumacher | Elijah Sennett | Singer From Silence | Ellen Shemais | Stephanie Singleterry | Abraham Spencer | Raymond Spruance | Stephen Stahler | Sandra Staunton | Henry Stevens | Allen Stokes | Jeremiah Sullivan | Allen Summervale | Denver Summervale | Schweikert | Ernest Talbot | Paul Tankersley | William Tatnall | Tharwan | Rochelle Thatcher | Thomas Theisman | Susan Thorne | Thurmond | Francis Tibolt | Tobias | Togo Heimachoro | Lester Tourville | Wilhelm Trajan | Prescott Tremaine | Linda Trenis | Alice Truman | Harold Tschu | Jeffrey Tullingham | Turner (RMN) | Avram Turner | Marisa Turner | Kevin Usher | Andreas Venizelos | Jack Vojonovic | Andre Warnecke | James Webster | Samuel Webster | Shilan Weiss | Caitrin Winton-Henke | Richard Wix | Jeremy X | Dimitri Young | Edwin Young | Georgia Young | Pavel Young | Stefan Young | Gerard Younger | Alfredo Yu | Josepha Zachary | Anna Zahn | Tim Zahn | Zelazney | Anton Zilwicki | Berry Zilwicki | Helen Zilwicki | Helen Zilwicki Senior | Larens Zilwicki | Scott Zrubek | Justin Zyrr-Winton

Starships[]

Stations[]

Planets[]

Nations[]

Other[]

Audubon Ballroom | Act of Annexation | Adelaide System | Alice in Wonderland | Andreas Venizelos Academy | Anti-Slavery League | April Tribunal | Astra-class | Attorney General of the Republic of Haven | Aviary class | Bank of Manticore | Barnett System | Barony of High Ridge | Barony of Morncreek | Baseball | Basic Living Stipend | Basilisk System | Basilisk Terminus | Battle of Cape St. Vincent | Battle of Grendelsbane | Bay House | Biosculpt | Bonding | Borough of High Threadmore | Brennan System | Breslau Sector | Bright Water Clan | Broadhurst System | Bureau of Logistics | Bureau of Personnel | Bureau of Planning (RHN) | Capital Fleet | Casey Hall | Centrist Party | Cerberus System | Chancellor of the Exchequer | Cherwell Convention | Chief of Naval Operations (Haven) | Childers, Strauslund, Goldman and Wu | Cimeterre class | Classified Information Act | Code Duello | Colt M1911 | Commissioner of Baseball | Committee of Public Safety | Conclave of Steaders | Conclave of Steadholders | Congress of the Republic of Haven | Conservative Association | Constitution (Haven) | Constitution (Manticore) | Constitutional Convention of 1915 PD | Coup de vitesse | Covington-class | Crawford System | Crown Council of Financial Advisors | Crystoplast | Cromarty assassination | Cromarty government | Crown Loyalist Party | D'Orville Hall | DeMarco, Clancy and Jordan | Duchy of Cromarty | Duchy of Gray Water | Duchy of Harrington | Earldom of Gold Peak | Earldom of Green Vale | Earldom of New Dijon | Earldom of New Kiev | Earldom of North Hollow | Earldom of the Tor | Earldom of White Haven | Edward Saganami class | Eighth Fleet (Manticore) | Emergency Income Tax Act | Federal Investigative Agency | Fifth Space Lord | First Battle of Hancock | First Fleet (Haven) | First Lord of the Admiralty | Foreign Intelligence Service | Foreign Office | Franconia System | Gopfert Yard | Grand Duchy of Manticore | Graf von Kaiserfest | Graf von Sternhafen | Grayson Sky Domes, Ltd. | Grayson Space Navy | Gregor System | Gregor Terminus | Grendelsbane System | Gryphon water silk | Hancock Station | Harrington Clan | Harrington Green | Harrington Key | Harrington Steadholder's Guard | Harrington Treecats | Harston System | Hauptman Cartel | Haven System | The Henneman Hour | Herzog von Rabenstrange | High Ridge government | Hofschulte Incident | Home Office | Home Secretary | Horus System | House of Commons | House of Lords | House of Winton | Imperial Andermani Army | Imperial Andermani Navy | Invictus class | James Candless Memorial Field | Jason Bay | jeune école | Katana-class | King Michael's Tower | King William class | Kingdom Five Hundred | Landing | Landing Guardian | Landing Tattler | Legislaturalist | Lynx System | Maastricht System | Liberal Party | Manticoran Alliance | Manticoran Articles of War | Manticoran cloud flower | Manticore System | Manticore Wormhole Junction | Marsh System | Mayhew Restoration | Mayhew Steading | Medusa-class | Melbourne System | Memory singer | Mind-glow | Mind-voice | Ministry of Justice | Ministry of State (Anderman Empire) | Monarch's Own Regiment | Montague System | Mount Royal Palace | Mourncreek Admiralty | Naval Affairs Committee (Haven) | Naval Affairs Committee (Manticore) | Naval Intelligence (Grayson) | Navy Wives Association | Neue-Stil Handgemenge | New Berlin System | New Hamburg System | New Men Party | New Octagon | New Tasmania System | North Hollow Files | Nouveau Paris | Octagon | Office of Naval Intelligence (RHN) | Office of Naval Intelligence (RMN) | Office of Public Information | Office of Shipbuilding | Office of State Security | Office of Trade | Official Secrets Act | Official Questions List | Old Tillman | Operation Bolthole | Operation Buttercup | Operation Icarus | Operation Stalking Horse | Operation Thunderbolt | Operation Wilberforce | Owens System | Owners' Committee | Palace Guard Service | Palmer Institute | Parliament | Parliamentary Medal of Valor | Perimeter Security | Posnan Sector | Protector's Champion | Protector's Palace | Preston of the Spaceways | President of the Republic of Haven | Presidential Cabinet (Haven) | Prime Minister of the Star Kingdom of Manticore | Progressive Party | Protector's Own Squadron | Protector's Palace | pseudocroc | Purple thorn | Queen's Bench | Questions Day | Queen Caitrin's Hall | Raoul Courvosier II class | Regiano's | Registry of Merchant Vessels | Reichenbach | Reliant-class | Republic of Haven Navy | Royal Manticoran Astro-Control Service | Royal Manticoran Astrophysics Investigation Agency | Royal Manticoran Mail Service | Royal Manticoran Marine Corps | Royal Manticoran Navy | Rules Committee | Runciman System | Sachsen Sector | Saganami Island | Saginaw Sector | Samson System | Sandhill System | scansat | Schiller System | Second Battle of Marsh | Second Battle of Maastricht | Second Battle of Tequila | Second Battle of Thetis | Second Battle of Yeltsin's Star | Second Fleet (Haven) | Second Lord of the Admiralty | Second Reformation Roman Catholic Church | Second Space Lord | Secretary of Biosciences | Secretary of Commerce | Secretary of State | Secretary of Technology | Secretary of the Interior | Secretary of the Treasury | Secretary of Trade | Secretary of Urban Affairs | Secretary of War | Seljuk System | Senate Building | Senate Foreign Affairs Committee (Haven) | Senate of the Republic of Haven | Sidemore Navy | Sidemore Station | Silesian Confederate Navy | Soccer | Sovereign of Space class | Sphinx Forestry Service | Sondermann's Star System | Star of Grayson | State Security Naval Forces | Stotterman System | Sword Intelligence | SXR-136-23 System | Tahlman System | Talbott Cluster | Task Force 10 | Task Force 11 | Task Force Thirty-Four | Thetis System | Third Fleet (Manticore) | Thor class | Temeraire class | Tequila System | Trevor's Star System | Trevor's Star Terminus | Triangle Route | Triple ripple | Trojan class | Twelfth Fleet (Haven) | Tyler's Star System | Valasakis University | Verfechter class | Vogel class | Walther System | Yawata Crossing Dispatch | Yeltsin's Star System | Zoraster Incident | Zoraster System

External links[]

Main Honor Harrington series
HH1 On Basilisk Station HH8 Echoes of Honor
HH2 The Honor of the Queen HH9 Ashes of Victory
HH3 The Short Victorious War HH10 War of Honor
HH4 Field of Dishonor HH11 At All Costs
HH5 Flag in Exile HH12 Mission of Honor
HH6 Honor Among Enemies HH13 A Rising Thunder
HH7 In Enemy Hands HH14 Uncompromising Honor
Spin off Series
Crown of Slaves Star Kingdom
CS1 Crown of Slaves SK1 A Beautiful Friendship
CS2 Torch of Freedom SK2 Fire Season
CS3 Cauldron of Ghosts SK3 Treecat Wars
CS4 To End In Fire SK4 A New Clan
Saganami Island Manticore Ascendant
SI1 The Shadow of Saganami MA1 A Call to Duty
SI2 Storm from the Shadows MA2 A Call to Arms
SI3 Shadow of Freedom MA3 A Call to Vengeance
SI4 Shadow of Victory MA4 A Call to Insurrection
Expanded Honorverse
EH1 Toll of Honor
Anthologies
HHA1 More Than Honor HHA5 In Fire Forged
HHA2 Worlds of Honor HHA6 Beginnings
HHA3 Changer of Worlds HHA7 What Price Victory?
HHA4 The Service of the Sword
Tales of Honor Comic Series
TOH1 Tales of Honor #1 TOH4 Tales of Honor #4
TOH2 Tales of Honor #2 TOH5 Tales of Honor #5
TOH3 Tales of Honor #3 TOHV1 Tales of Honor Vol 1


Honorverse Non-Fiction
Book Companions Ad Astra Companions
HOS House of Steel Companion SOTF Ships of the Fleet Calendars
HOSH House of Shadows Companion SITS Saganami Island Tactical Simulator
HOL House of Lies Companion
Jayne's Intelligence Review Jayne's Fighting Ships of the Galaxy
JIR1 The Royal Manticoran Navy SB1 Ship Book 1: The Havenite Sector
JIR2 The Havenite Republican Navy SB2 Ship Book 2: The Silesian Confederacy
JIR3 The Silesian Confederate Navy SB3 Ship Book 3: The Short Victorious War
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