Mar 13, 2003 Note: This was originally posted on the newsgroup 'alt.books.david-weber' on March 9, 2003. An errro in the last paragraph was fixed as well.

Synopsis (with a few comments), chapter by chapter. Spoilers present of course (though hopefully obliquely referenced). First, the chapters in the sample:

Prologue

The stage is set - problems in Silesia, reconstituted Republic of Haven gets house in order, scientists at Manticore get a sniff of another terminus in the junction.

Chapter One

Honor lectures her old roomate on baseball and politics as if she grew up on the subjects (Baron High Ridge and company are still in power).

Chapter Two

The President of Haven and the Secretary of War (we have met both already) discuss politics (both internal and external) as well. But, they don't seem to have a firm grasp on what the dear Baron's primary political goal is.

Chapter Three

Honor and Hamish have a chat at the Academy.

Chapter Four

Captain Bachfisch (see "Ms Midshipwoman Harrington") has kept busy after being beached by the SKM Navy ... busy in Silesia (I would really like to know how he found the funding for private Q-ships). However, he doesn't like implications of what new technology the Imperial Andermann Navy is using.

Chapter Five

Janacek busy at work gutting the Navy (yes, I am a warmongering Imperialist - you have a problem with that?). North Hollow (this is Pavel's slightly smarter younger brother) advances an evil scheme.

Chapter Six

Hamish and Honor are given early (but useless) warning of the scheme.

Chapter Seven

A visit to Sidemore and more on the Andermann Empire's operations in Silesia (Zahn and Tharwan? And guess who is contributing a story to the next Harrington anthology).

Chapter Eight

Cathy and Anton (see Eric Flint's "From the Highlands") have a few comments about the smear (see chapters 5&6). Anton has a suggestion for Cathy.

Chapter Nine

More detail on the orchestrated smear; the Queen commands Honor to stay and take it (no Honor in hiding on Grayson). High Ridge and Janacek can no longer ignore Andermann activity in Silesia.

Chapter Ten

Hi, Shannon. You have been a very busy girl (but what was your "oops"?).

Chapter Eleven

Hamish visits Honor to relay the Countess of White Haven' invitation, but is surprised by Golden Voice.

Chapter Twelve

Honor visits Emily (this should have happened years ago).

Chapter Thirteen

Honor briefs Hamish and Emily about treecats; Emily states her plans on her counteroffensive against the smear compaign.

Chapter Fourteen

Emily sweeps the field, but that means the cabal must try something else. This time the Countess of North Hollow advances a clever idea (Georgia, who appeared in Field of Dishonor, was responsible for the evil notion of chapter 5 as well).

Chapter Fifteen

Honor grabs at the bait with gladness (out of Manticore, away from Hamish, and not running away). On the other hand, she gets to bully a Space Lord without repercussions.

Next the remaining 15 chapters from the first installment of the webscription - more spoilers.

Chapter Sixteen

Honor briefs her new Flag Captain (who has appeared in earlier titles) on some of the people who will be part of her command at Sidemore station (and they have appeared earlier as well - in fact, many were in The Honor of the Queen).

Chapter Seventeen

Meanwhile, back in Silesia, the captain of the HMS "Jessica Epps" is finding an Andermann heavy cruiser to be a pain in the ass.

Chapter Eighteen

Honor visits Grayson - Benjamin has a solution for her task force's inadequate reinforcements.

Chapter Nineteen

The scientists get a STRONG sniff at the 7th terminus. Meanwhile Honor is back at Manticore and is meeting with her deputy commanders (Grayson reinforcements? why would there be any? ;).

Chapter Twenty

Yes, Haven has LACs (they are an original design, not knock-offs of Shrikes). Shannon's team is busy developing doctrine.

Chapter Twenty-One

Politics in Haven; politics hostile to Madame President that is.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Honor's command deploys to Silesia (via Basilisk, the extra time was usefully spent in training exercises) Honor discusses anti-slavery compaign. Horace finds a disquieting report on Andermann ECM capabilities.

Chapter Twenty-Three

More shadow boxing with the "Jessica Epps" by that Andermann cruiser.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Madame President and Thomas Theisman confer over Haven politics. A Secretary of State with ambitions is trying to put them over a barrel. They agree on a PR offensive featuring some of Shannon's new toys. Theisman starts thinking about war plans, just in case.

Chapter Twenty-Five

A press conference on the 7th terminus (first transit not yet scheduled, but only a matter of time). High Ridge and Descroix consider possible exit strategies for when their alliance with the Liberals collapses.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Honor arrives at Sidemore; Captain Bachfisch pays a courtesy visit.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Honor and Bachfisch chat about old times - they have a mutual acquaintance (she is currently unemployed and an idiot is sitting at her old desk).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bachfisch briefs Honor's officers on what he had seen of Andermann new construction (like Shannon, they have been busy).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Anti-slavery compaign catches a pigeon (with a Solarian League flag, possible League problems ahead?). Meanwhile, back on Manticore, the scientists have another breakthrough; hope to send a ship through the 7th terminus soon. On Sidemore, Honor's breakfast is interrupted by the arrival of an unknown taskforce. Returning to Manticore, the first news of Theisman's press conference (see chapter 24) arrives. As for Sidemore, it had to be Yu.

Chapter Thirty

Prime Minister Baron High Ridge, his cronies, and temporary allies consider what to do about Theisman's revelation of Haven's possession of dozens of SD(P)s. Denial of the obvious ruled.

And, now the 15 chapters of the 2nd installment of the webscription (spoilers present, of course).

Chapter Thirty-One

Admiral Yu meets with Honor's staff; informs them of his mission statement. Back on Haven, the ambitious Secretary of State ponders on what "additions" he can make to Haven foreign policy.

Chapter Thirty-Two

High Ridge makes a big spectacle out of the announcement that a scout ship will be sent through the 7th terminus. Back in Haven, Theisman has a meeting with senior admirals (+Shannon). War might resume and they have to get ready.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Reactions on Haven concerning the President's new diplomatic offensive against Manticore. Meanwhile, Theisman's staff goes full bore on war plans, though, knock on wood, they shouldn't be needed.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The first transit of the 7th terminus; they find where it goes. Back in Silesia, the "Jessica Eps" is still being shadowed by that most annoying Andermann cruiser.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Reaction on Manticore over Haven's new diplomatic offensive. Descroix has a most unpleasant session at the House of Lords. High Ridge's cabinet still in denial.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Survey ship arrives back through terminus; big press offensive by High Ridge government. News reaches Haven, where Secretary of State gives his spin.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Honor and subordinates consider on what to do about newest Andermann provocation.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The "Jessica Epps" gets a mission to capture a slaver ship in the act. Back on Manticore, High Ridge's inner circle continue to walk down a path paved with delusions.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Madame President fences with her ambitious Secretary of State (did he juice up the note from Manticore?); she discusses contingencies with Theisman.

Chapter Forty

The Admirals meet and are briefed on their roles in Theisman's contingency war plan. Preliminary deployments are ordered just in case the situation requires the plan to be activated.

Chapter Forty-One

The "Jessica Epps" and the harrassing Andermann cruiser have one last passage (meanwhile the slaver with phony transponder leaves the scene).

Chapter Forty-Two

Honor inherits the mess of the fatal encounter in the previous chapter. Full meeting of all admirals, commodores, and flag captains in the taskforce (includes Hades escapees). After discussion, Honor issues orders.

Chapter Forty-Three

More problems with the IAN in Silesia; new Anderman commander (we have met him) vents at the stupidity of his predecessor. In Haven, another exchange of notes (the Secretary of State is modifying the Haven messages, is he juicing up the Manticorean ones as well?).

Chapter Forty-Four

News of Silesia clash reaches Manticore; unfortunately, High Ridge and company have the new Haven message to deal with.

Chapter Forty-Five

Bachfisch discovers a pair of Haven Navy destroyers; follows one, but too close.

and now comes the last 14 chapters of the book (plus glossary). After this comes my general commentary which has more explicit spoilers in it.

Chapter Forty-Six

Honor debriefs a wounded Bachfisch, orders repairs to a shot up Q-ship, and takes in the RHN survivors. After discussion, a search of an obscure uninhabited system is ordered. But Tourville left his hiding spot when his destroyer didn't arrive.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Empty system searched. Honor sends what news she has to Manticore (Andermann front quieted down fortunately). Back in Haven, newest message discussed and answer agreed upon. But ambitious Secretary of State makes one, minor edit (and he has been juicing up the Manticorean messages).

Chapter Forty-Eight

Honor's report reaches Manticore. Janacek has two unpleasant meetings. White Haven* chews him out and the 1st Space Lord quits.

Chapter Forty-Nine

High Ridge and company discuss the newest message from Haven; decide on FIRM response (to a corrupted message ...). White Haven* visits Grayson, talks with High Admiral Matthews and Protector Benjamin Mayhew; Mayhew decides to send major reinforcement to Trevor's Star. SKM message reaches Haven; Madam President's temper goes critical over misdirected reaming - Operation Thunderbolt is a go!

Chapter Fifty

The Countess of North Hollow visits Cathy (who, IMHO, has a most modest apartment). Georgia is offered a deal that she can not refuse (her history is even more "interesting" than that disclosed in Field of Dishonor).

Chapter Fifty-One

Honor's command team wonders where Haven's 2nd Fleet is; Honor decides to pay a visit to the new Andermann regional commander.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Admiral Rabenstrange and his chief of staff discuss Honor's visit. Honor and her chief of staff discuss her visit as well.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Tourville's mail is smuggled through. The GSN (with White Haven* as supercargo) presents the Junction staff with an unnegotiable request for transit priority. Haven's 1st fleet awaits Operation Thunderbolt's M-minute.

Chapter Fifty-Four

High Ridge and Janacek discuss the GSN transit and possible repercussions. Some discussion of the news that the North Hollow mansion (and the infamous North Hollow records) had just been blown up (but Georgia? no sign of her anywhere...). Ambitious Secretary of State sterilizes his data base of all signs of his misdeeds. Admiral Guiscard counts down the minutes to when his fleet goes to battle stations.

Chapter Fifty-Five

Thunderbolt hits. First target, Operation Buttercup's deepest penetration; one LAC group destroyed with all hands.

Chapter Fifty-Six

More Thunderbolt; principal SKM base (captured from PRH early in the war) for the advance on Trevor's star taken. Strike force arrives at Grendelsbane.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

White Haven* and GSN Admiral MacDonnell discuss defense posture at Trevor's Star. Disaster at Grendelsbane; an entirely inadequate garrison must flee after losses, but not before destroying all construction (a fleet in the yards that would have been as big as the entire GSN). Guiscard and the 1st fleet arrives at Trevor's star. GSN moves in, can not avoid detection, Guiscard evades action before he could be trapped. Her Majesty, Elizabeth Winton, leaves Prime Minister Baron High Ridge hung out to dry.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Tourville attacks the Marsh system; Honor traps him inside the hyper limit when the Protector's Own drops in from hiding to play. While much of it managed to escape, 2nd Fleet is not going to be a combat effective formation for months (no claim that Tourville was killed in action).

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Honor returns to Manticore (SKM has entirely new government). Her majesty declares blood feud against the Peeps; SKM and Andermann Empire plan partition of Silesia; Andermann Empire to join war (Emperor Gustav is nervous about Haven's capabilities and intentions, thanks to somebody's creative "additions" to the Haven foreign policy); and Emily drops a bomb.

Glossary

A explanation of many words used in the Honor Harrington series; several are references back to The Short Victorious War and are a bit obsolete by War of Honor.

Commentary:

1. What we have here is a failure to communicate.

   The inner circle of the High Ridge cabinet sometimes didn't brief the rest of the cabinet about the negotiations with Haven (I also suspect that the treaty proposal was never mentioned to the Queen - there is certainly no mention of Haven's draft on Manticore outside of High Ridge cabinet meetings), Pritchart and Theisman didn't discuss provisional war plans with other Haven politicians, Giancola didn't clear his discussions with the Andermann ambassador with Pritchart, and High Ridge and company weren't honest with Haven. All of these had repercussions. General knowledge of Haven's initial proposal for a peace treaty (see chapters 1 & 2) should have put enormous pressure on the Liberal Party leadership (I think it would have withdrawn from the coalition, without or without New Kiev still being party leader - more on this in note 4). Giancola should have been more cautious if he know that Theisman (on Pritchart's orders) had a hot shot war plan ready to go (hopefully, he would had an entirely different conversation with the Andermann ambassador if he knew about 2nd Fleet's proposed mission).

   IMHO, the entire subplot of the "Jessica Eps" and the "Hellbarde" parallels the RH and SKM diplomacy shipwreck. For example, Captain Ferrero forgot to point out that the ship that claimed to be the AMS "Sittich" had the wrong tonnage (by a significant margin) - this parallels Giancola's creative editing of messages. Also, Captain Gortz's harrasment of the "Jessica Eps" parallels the High Ridge cabinet's stiff-arming of Haven's attempts to negotiate. I hope that the renewed war does not parallel the battle between the two ships.

2. A case of mistreatment of a treecat?

   Admiral White Haven appears in chapters 48, 49, 53, and 57, but there is no mention of Samatha in those chapters. Was she left on Manticore to suffer while Hamish went off to Grayson and Trevor's star?

3. Status of Hints over the Years

   We have the Andermann takeover of much of Silesia, Honor's first theater command there as well. The Samatha-White Haven adoption took place. Also, the war has restarted (and with one more player, are more to come? The fact that the Andermann Empire joins the war could cause a cascade effect with its neighbors (Asgard, Midgard, and Matapan). There is some hint on how the Solarian League might get involved (see note 5 for more thoughts), but not much else. The affair with Hamish is looming ever closer and might be fact before or early in the next Harrington novel.

4. Weber's Perfect Storm

   He has managed to put "good guys" in control of both Manticore and Haven and still kept them at war. This could be nasty; but did he play fair when he did it? Several critical failures had to occur. The text of WoH includes the blindness of Baron High Ridge and his cabal as well as Arnold Giancola's manipulation of the diplomatic correspondence (though I wonder how many exchanges of nothing that Pritchart would tolerate before she would order a resumption of military action). But, direct military action should not have been her only recourse. She should have had other ways of putting pressure on High Ridge and Descoix, but why were they never mentioned?

   If Pritchart knew that a Conservative Alliance-Liberal coalition involved people who didn't like each other, why didn't she try to separate them? A general release of the initial peace treaty proposal (enlist a neutral ambassador for the purpose, if necessary) to the SKM news media might do it. High Ridge and Descoix is going to be outraged at being bypassed, but why worry about them? For that matter, if this induces a political crisis in the SKM, what skin is that off Eloise's back? The most reasonable explanation that I could come up with is that she did not know, which suggests that an intelligence failure occurred.

   In the first chapter of War of Honor, there is an explanation on why Baron High Ridge was still Prime Minister and what his general domestic strategy was. Chapter 5 expands on this and gives more detail. If I read both correctly, most of this should be in public documents. But in the 2nd chapter, Eloise Pritchart appears to be unaware of most if not all of this. Also, in chapter 10, there appears to be no awareness of this in the conversation between Theisman and Foraker (except possibly the mention of Usher's reference to "domestic considerations," but that is never expanded upon). Admittedly, intelligence organizations have had similar failures historically, but what is the probability of Haven's Foreign Intelligence Service failing to give Pritchart an adequate report?

   First, there is the probability that no analysts in Haven is knowledgable enough to be able to deduce from public SKM documents that if there is no treaty, then High Ridge and company (a group of rather incompatible ideologies) stay in power only as long as they hang together (or not killed in a violent revolution). My first reaction would assign a low probability to this because the Legislaturalist regime appeared to have pretty good political intelligence on the SKM. But, perhaps those analysts were on the wrong side of a State Security purge. Second, and in parallel, there is the probability that an analyst could not find, in the news feed, a SKM political column (by a Centrist or Crown Loyalist of course) that contained a rant on how and why High Ridge was abusing the SKM Constitution to stay in power (and how the Liberals were betraying their own principles in the process). This also sounds rather unlikely (in fact, the only explanation that I can think of is that there wasn't such column in the years that the truce held - so how shallow are SKM newsies?). In series with both of these is the probability that, if an analyst had deduced or discovered these facts, the report was dismissed at a intermediate level of the bureaucracy by someone who could not visualize someplace that worked differently than the People's Republic of Haven (by the way, I suspect that much of the Republic of Haven's government can't visualize how the Republic of Haven should work, e.g., the Giancola brothers) and was not passed upwards. Failure here is all too likely, I fear (I have read descriptions on what the Soviet Union's "experts" on American politics came up with).

5. Solarian League

   Three possible ways they get involved and in a messy way that could cause the League to shatter:

   1. The Office of Frontier Security is outraged that the Talbott Cluster will evade their "benvolent" plans for the Cluster's future. Thus, they put together a task force to annex the cluster ahead of schedule on some pretext (there must be somebody in the Cluster who doesn't want the SKM around). The task force commander and officers (not to mention the bureaucrats in the OFS) are going to be highly confident of success (the SKM is too busy to contest this, right? Right?). They also are going to be highly amused, briefly, on how small the task force sent against them is. ("LACs? They are still using LACs? That's not even a full battlesquadron, why did they bother?"). I wonder how many SL ships will manage to escape destruction (I will bet 100 Austins that the captains and crews of the escaping ships will all be court martialled for cowardness in the heat - not to mention forging tactical records of impossible weapons). Whole mess ends up in Assembly which can't form a policy. Then, the constituent star nations go their own way.

   2. A big Manpower scandal, one that can't be covered up, gets the attention of the League Assembly. No concensus of what to do; several member systems (e.g, Beowulf) resort to unilateral actions. Which causes more argument, which means other systems react against the "premature reformers." Again, the constituent star nations go their own way.

   3. Another junction, on the other side of the Solarian League from Manticore, finds a terminus that is closer to the Talbot cluster than its terminus in the Solarian League is to Beowulf. Thus more cargo transport will bypass the Solarian League entirely. This might "hurt" the feelings of major shipping interests in the League. They complain, then start intriguing when much of the League ignores them.