Parallels To Real World History
The Honor Harrington universe shares other parallels with our real history including religious strife, bigotry of many kinds, ignorance and malfeasance and the political situation—both domestic in both of Honor's governments, but also internationally. During much of Harrington's career, her native Star Kingdom of Manticore is at war with the neighboring People's Republic of Haven (PRH), a conflict that has some similarities to the Napoleonic Wars between the British Empire and its various alliances during the long struggle to oppose the revolutionaries of France.
Given a faster than light technology and weapons scaled similar to those of the Age of Sail, some of the battles described in the Honor Harrington series resemble real-life sea battles in our historical record. For instance, the long stern chase described in On Basilisk Station has some parallels with the actions of HMS Kent at the Battle of the Falklands during World War I. Similarly, the deathride by Sarnow's battlecruisers in The Short Victorious War bears a resemblance to similar manoeuvres by Admiral von Hipper during the Battle of Jutland. The final actions in The Honor of the Queen contain elements from the battles of the Barents Sea and North Cape during World War II, as well as the Battle of the River Plate. Further, Weber's choice of interstellar technology forces trade to pursue established trade routes, and creates strategic shipping nexus that are similar to key strategic ports of the days of the Colonial Era when the sailing ship of the line was king of the sea, and Captains, Admirals and Fleets had to operate out of touch with the home government for months, even years at a time.
Read more about this topic: Honor Harrington
Famous quotes containing the words parallels, real, world and/or history:
“If, while watching the sun set on a used-car lot in Los Angeles, you are struck by the parallels between this image and the inevitable fate of humanity, do not, under any circumstances, write it down.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1950)
“The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace and toe walking.”
—Isadora Duncan (1878–1927)
“There is a lot of talk now about metal detectors and gun control. Both are good things. But they are no more a solution than forks and spoons are a solution to world hunger.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1953)
“I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility—I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the characters to be probable, though their behaviour is excelling.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)