Books › The High Crusade
The High Crusade
200 pages
A delightfully absurd and swashbuckling romp where medieval chivalry collides head-on with an interstellar empire.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like watching a brilliantly executed magic trick where the magician is a knight in shining armor and the rabbit is a highly advanced alien armada. It is a brisk, joyous romp that thrives on the sheer audacity of its premise, blending the earnest, archaic flavor of a medieval chronicle with the wide-eyed wonder of golden-age pulp sci-fi. The atmosphere is relentlessly rousing and triumphant, inviting you to sit back and grin as human cleverness and sheer stubbornness repeatedly outwit superior technology. It never takes itself too seriously, yet it treats its characters' chivalric convictions with a wry respect. Perfect for readers who delight in culture-clash comedies, historical mashups, and stories that celebrate the indomitable, slightly ridiculous spirit of human ingenuity.
- Mood
- rousing
- adventurous
- lighthearted
- Tone
- swashbuckling
- tongue-in-cheek
- wry
- triumphant
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- culture clash · human ingenuity · absurdity of empire · chivalric honor
- The writing
- Blends the formal, slightly archaic cadence of a medieval chronicle with the punchy energy of pulp science fiction.
- The arc
- Moves from initial bewilderment to a joyous, rollicking escalation of improbable victories.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love clever historical mashups and classic sci-fi romps where sheer human audacity outwits advanced technology.
Content notes
- fantasy violence
- imperialist themes (satirized)
About the book
In the year of grace 1345, as Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville is gathering an army to join King Edward III in the war against France, a most astonishing event occurs: a huge silver ship descends through the sky and lands in a pasture beside the little village of Ansby in northeastern Lincolnshire. The Wersgorix, whose scouting ship it is, are quite expert at taking over planets, and having determined from orbit that this one was suitable, they initiate standard world-conquering procedure. Ah, but this time it's no mere primitives the Wersgorix seek to enslave—they've launched their invasion against free Englishmen! In the end, only one alien is left alive—and Sir Roger's grand vision is born. He intends for the creature to fly the ship first to France to aid his King, then on to the Holy Land to vanquish the infidel. Unfortunately, he has not allowed for the treachery of the alien pilot, who instead takes the craft to his home planet, where, he thinks, these upstart barbarians will have no choice but to surrender. But that knavish alien little understands the indomitable will and clever resourcefulness of Englishmen, no matter how great the odds against them...
Description from Open Library.
Books like The High Crusade
See why they match
The Excalibur AlternativeDavid WeberA gritty, tactical thrill ride where medieval grit meets interstellar warfare in a satisfying tale of underdog rebellion.
The hammer and the crossHarry HarrisonA speculative historical epic where the old gods of the North rise to challenge the spread of a new faith.
Three Hearts and Three LionsPoul AndersonA pragmatic modern mind collides with ancient myth in a brisk, foundational tale of Law versus Chaos.
Hidden EmpiresKevin J. AndersonA sweeping, multi-faction space opera where humanity's arrogant expansion awakens an ancient, apocalyptic threat.
In the BalanceHarry TurtledoveA sprawling, gritty alternate history epic that forces humanity's bitterest enemies to unite against an unstoppable alien armada.
A Forest of StarsKevin J. AndersonA sprawling, cinematic space opera where humanity is just one small, desperate player in a war of elemental cosmic forces.