A sequel to David Drake's 'Ranks of Bronze' stories--but this time the aliens kidnap a 14th century British army and use them in the same way as Drake's aliens use the Roman's to fight their wars for them. Granted, this isn't a riveting story, but it's definitely interesting and entertaining. The question keeps comming up as to how to hide your hatred of your 'owner/master' so that he doesn't decide that you're too dangerous to have around? And how will you escape from your situation? And then where will you go? The ending is nice, but reeks of deus ex machina--Weber could have entertained us with the challenge of creating a new civilization on a new world, along with the surveillance of the Earth and the clandestine connections with other 'slave' cultures, etc.Their last minute salvation would have been no less joyous knowing about it in advance. In any case, this is a 'feel good' story where the underdogs rise at the end. ( )

Honestly, I initially had a hard time getting into this book. It was a struggle. But it was Weber and he’s usually quite good, so I kept slogging on and am I ever glad I did. By the time I was halfway through, I knew it was pretty good. By the time I was 75% of the way through, I was convinced it was damn brilliant. By the time I finished late last night, I was convinced I had just finished one of the best military sci fi novels I had ever read and I’m deeply disappointed there is apparently no sequel. I actually feel honored to have read such a masterpiece! This was a true work of art. Weber can tell a story like no other and while he can get bogged down in infodumps and can drive readers nutty with irritating habits, such as using stupid names and titles and reusing the same words over and over again (people “nod” and “shrug” and “bare their teeth” and “pinch the bridge of their nose” in most of his novels), it’s less frequent in this book than in most of his other books, for which I was grateful.

The synopsis of this book lies in a small fleet of 14th Century English knights and their army on their way to fight in France, fighting for their lives in a bad storm and losing the battle. With half the fleet having been lost and the remaining ships about to go down, an alien spacecraft from the Galactic Federation rescues Sir George Wincaster and his army of knights and longbowmen from certain death at sea and forces the Englishmen to act as slave/mercenaries to fight intergalactic battles against other "primitive" species throughout the universe on various planets where advanced weapons are banned. Sir George is a master tactician and is told by his “Commander” that he and his people will die if they lose a battle, so they have an incentive to win – every time – and they do. Over and over again. And they and their families go into “stasis” sleep during flights between planets, thus living hundreds of years while aging merely several years at a time, all the while hating their “demon-jester” Commander who kills their fellows as “object lessons” and has other alien species as guards and a godlike colleague named “Computer” who can monitor the humans’ conversations and converse with them virtually anywhere, but ensures that they must watch what they say at all times.

Apparently, there are 22 “civilized” races or I guess civilizations in the Federation overseeing hundreds of barbaric protectorics or other types of planets, all of which are subject to complete annihilation at the hands of the Federation with no qualms whatsoever, as the inhabitants of these planets, as barbaric uncivilized nonentities, are fortunate to even be allowed to live at the pleasure of the Federation. Earth, however presents a problem because it has and can develop technologically faster than most other civilizations and represents a long term potential threat.

Sir George and his people desperately want their freedom, desperately want to kill their ruthless and thoughtless and brutal Commander and to their surprise, some 350 years into their adventures, one of the alien species acting as guards on the gigantic ship they are on present a tiny possible way to do this, but they have to act quickly and decisively and if they fail, they all die. Additionally, Earth will almost certainly die and they will have to join this “dragon-man” species in finding a new planet to colonize and create a new human colony for the race to begin over again. It’s a very tense moment in the book.

I won’t describe what happens next, but it’s climactic, to a certain degree. But there’s more. Jump ahead hundreds of years. To Earth, which has been in contact with the Federation for over 100 years and which has been using antiquated Federation technology to build its own Navy as quickly as possible, knowing they can never match the Federation’s military capability. Fast forward to a Federation ultimatum put to Earth’s government which they are willing to meet, only to be told, off the record, by the local Federation fleet admiral that nothing they do will be acceptable, that they are to be exterminated. The human admiral is devastated, knowing the human race is literally about to be wiped out forever and ever, within hours. Can anything possibly save humanity? Can anyone or anything stand against the Federation?

It’s a quick, climactic ending to the book after a long, drawn out build up to this point, and that’s a little disappointing, but the duel ending, while short and sweet, does not at all disappoint and it’s pretty damn awesome. Could the Federation actually be in trouble and not even know it? Pretty awesome if that’s true. A lot of stuff is explained at the end of the book, classic Weber infodump which I actually didn’t mind for once, but what it amounted to was hope for the future and a personal hope and desire for a damn sequel, which I’m not getting. So that blows. But suffice it to say that the ending, again, while rushed, was eminently satisfying and partially mind blowing. No, completely mind blowing. I loved it! This isn’t Weber’s best book at all, but quite good, very good. But as a stand alone, especially, it’s quite excellent and very enjoyable and, for me, it’s a strong five star book and well worth the read. Definitely recommended! ( )

The Excalibur Alternative by David Weber is based on the short story Sir George and the Dragon. It’s a story of Englishmen ripped out of their timeline by an advanced alien civilization and forced to fight battles on their behalf on other worlds.

Like sometimes happens with short stories expanded to novel length, this book slows considerably in the middle and suffers bouts of over-long self-examination and overwrought exposition. Setting those parts aside, though, the rest of the book is a lot of fun.

The concept of transplanted ancient earth warriors has been done before (namely the excellent Misplaced Legion/Videssos Cycle by Harry Turtledove), but it is done very well here. The characters are richly drawn and sympathetic. The aliens are very alien in their appearance, if not as much in their thoughts and actions, however inscrutable they may appear. The battles are exciting, if one-sided.

As Weber sometimes does, he throws in a pretty big game changer or two about three-quarters of the way through the novel. Things move pretty quickly and decisively at that point and lead to a thrilling if somewhat predictable conclusion.

I’m a big fan of Weber’s and have never failed to be entertained by one of his books. Sometimes, however, it seems as if he is trying to cram an entire series into one book. He starts off with a great plot concept, slowly plays it out, and then suddenly introduces rapid changes and a big conclusion. He has either the seeds of an extended series or the foundation of a single non-stop action book, but with inconsistent pacing manages an uncomfortable marriage of the two.

The Excalibur Alternative is a fun read and definitely worth the time. It may leave you with the feeling it could have been much more than it is. Recommended read. 3.5 stars ( )

La flottille est condamnée, avec l'armée qu'elle conduit en France pour le service du roi Édouard III... Une tempête l'a surprise pendant la traversée du Lancastre à la Normandie.
Sir George Wincaster, son épouse, son fils et quelque mille chevaliers, soldats et marins ne doivent leur salut qu'à l'intervention providentielle d'un astronef extraterrestre qui les arrache à la fureur des éléments.
Mais le sauvetage est intéressé. Les maîtres du vaisseau spatial réduisent les captifs à la condition de mercenaires « primitifs », et c'est un enchaînement sans fin de batailles qui les attend pour le compte d'une guilde galactique.
Y aura-t-il un jour, dans un lointain futur, où ils pourront enfin se libérer de ce joug humiliant dont ils ignorent même la raison ?
Par l'auteur d'Honor Harrington
« Le roman commence avant la bataille de Crécy, mais j'arrache mes personnages à la matrice de l'histoire ; j'entraîne une entité historique, à savoir des troupes anglaises du XIVe siècle, dans un environnement de science-fiction. »

A group of English knights and men-at-arms, on their way to fight in France, are captured by aliens who need primitives to fight for them. ( )