[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by emellaich

I'm fine with the 'conservative-bias' of the Honourverse but, if you are looking from books from the opposite viewpoint, and if you enjoy military fantasy (instead of military sci-fi) check out Eric Flint. He has two great series in this area.

The Belisaurius Series involving wars fought between the eastern Roman empire and an Indian empire after the far future sends back a pair of competing computer-like intelligences in order to change the past. From wikipedia:
* An Oblique Approach (1998)
* In the Heart of Darkness (1998)
* Destiny's Shield (1999)
* Fortune's Stroke (2000)
* The Tide of Victory (2001)
* The Dance of Time (2006)

Thanks for mentioning this series, though I don't understand why you consider it fantasy. It's straight-up alternate history, with the premise that a far future society sends a cyborg representative back in time to the 6th century, where it becomes the power behind the throne of the rising Malwa empire in India, teaches them about gunpowder and gunpowder weapons, and sets Malwa to conquering the world to produce the future it wishes to see. A competing society sends back a sentient crystal life form which winds up in the hands of the Roman general Belisarius, who must build a gunpowder weapon capacity, and raise and train an army capable of countering Malwa, while keeping the paranoid Emperor Justinian from realizing what he's doing because Justinian has other plans and Belisarius likes his head still on his shoulders, thank you.

These are lots of fun, and make interesting comments on the issues imposed by a 6th century tech base. For instance, Belisarius would like to outfit his troops with the Gatling gun developed in the US civil war, but settles for the older Montigny mitrailleuse. The problem is while the Roman artisans can make the Gatling gun, they can't make the brass cartridges it requires in sufficient quantity. Roman manufacturing can make the papier-mâché cartridges used by the mitrailleuse.

Then there is the 1632 series. The plot device assumes that a small town in present day west Virginia is suddenly transported to 1632 Germany. The books explore the implications for Europe of the time. True to his politics, Flint highlights the importance of the modern Union movement and a "Committees of Correspondence" group that is decidedly populous and even socialistic in its orientation. However, even though I tend to be more conservative in my politics, I didn't find Flint's orientation to be intrusive or to get in the way of what was a good tale of empires.

I don't understand why you consider 1632 military fantasy, either. Again, it's straight up SF.

But Flint's politics are much less conservative than some of the other authors mentioned. He is a Socialist. He simply does a good job of telling a story, and not preaching a political gospel.

The first books of both Belisaurius and 1632 are available in the Baen free library.

And the rest are available on one or another of the Baen CDs available from http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com
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Dennis