[HarryT]

A re-read of one of my favourite series. "Crusade" is the first book in the "Starfire" series, and is published by Baen at their usual very reasonable prices. The book is the first of two in the omnibus edition called "The Stars at War".

After fighting two bloody interstellar wars, the Orions and the Terran Federation have been at peace for almost a century, but an Orion patrol flotilla is attacked and treacherously destroyed by what appear to be human starships. The Orions give the Terrans the task of satisfying their honour and exacting revenge on the attackers on their behalf; if they fail, another war will result, which nobody wants.

Spoiler:

The attackers turn out to be an alien race, brainwashed by survivors from a colony fleet escaping an Orion attack in the last Interstellar War. Believing that humanity has been turned away from the faith of "Holy Mother Terra", they set out to conquer the Terran Federation, which has largely let its navy fall into neglect and obcolescence because of the long period of peace. Can the human race survive this war against religious fanatics?

An excellent book. Highly recommended, as is the whole series (currently 6 books).