Pearls of Weber: Honor Harrington

A collection of posts by David Weber containing background information for his stories.

The alt.books.david-weber FAQ



      General
            Book-related
                  'Inconsistencies' in backstory revelations [ Added December 31, 2011 ]
                  Cover art [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  David's "mistakes" relating to character background material [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
                  Do you plan ahead for which characters die? [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Planning story elements ahead [ Added June 28, 2011 ]
                  The missing figures from the Honorverse CD-release of More Than Honor. [ Added May 2, 2009 ]
            Maps
                  Congo-Maya-Erewhon map (c1918 PD) [ Added September 12, 2004 ]
                  Strategic map as of Shadow of Saganami (c1921 PD) [ Added September 28, 2004 ]
            Missing material from the CDs
                  Acceleration by ship mass (c1900 PD)
                  Effective speed by hyper band
                  Hyper Limits by stellar spectral class (c1900 PD)
            Politics and Culture
                  Corporate-form governments (c1920 PD) [ Added June 19, 2011 ]
                  Source of the Eridani Edict (c1921 PD) [ Added July 27, 2009 ]
                  The "Twelve Hour Limit" [ Added December 31, 2011 ]
                  The Honorverse and Interstellar Law (c1920 PD) [ Added July 17, 2009 ]
            Technology
                  Biotechnology
                        Beowulf and the 'super soldier' gene-mods (c1920 PD) [ Added June 19, 2011 ]
                        Costs of the Prolong Process [ Added August 14, 2009 ]
                        Costs of the Prolong Process (c1920 PD) [ Added August 15, 2009 ]
                        Gene dominance among modified strains [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
                        Prolong [ Added November 2, 2002 ]
                        Prolong effects [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Missiles, Counter-missiles and Pods
                        Capital missiles, multi-stage missiles, and missile pods
                        Counter-missile canisters (c1900 PD) [ Added December 14, 2002 ]
                        Counter-missile fire control issues and counter-missile pods [ Added December 14, 2002 ]
                        Counter-missile pods and two-stage counter-missiles [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                        Effective intercept range for counter-missiles [ Added December 14, 2004 ]
                        Fire control uplink flexibility (c1915 PD) [ Added December 26, 2004 ]
                        Hardening shipkiller missile drives [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                        MetalStorm missile tubes
                        Missile orientation during flight
                        Missile pod launchers
                        Missile pods as strap-on weapons?
                        Missile pods: how well can you fit pods/box launchers on the exterior of a hull?
                        Missile pods: where are they tractored?
                        Missile power systems
                        Powered missile pods [ Added September 14, 2004 ]
                        Predictability of a ship's position (c1921 PD) [ Added December 24, 2011 ]
                        Shipkiller missile evasive maneuvers [ Added June 7, 2005 ]
                        Warshaski sail missiles
                        Wedge-killer missiles [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                  A grab-bag of gravitics questions (c1922 PD) [ Added July 4, 2011 ]
                  Artificial intelligence and nanotechnology [ Added April 18, 2004 ]
                  Compensator failure [ Added October 31, 2004 ]
                  Default failure mode of a hyper generator (c1922 PD) [ Added June 27, 2011 ]
                  Detection of upward hyper translations (c1922 PD) [ Added May 24, 2009 ]
                  Energy torpedos in a defensive role [ Added August 24, 2004 ]
                  Energy-siphon effect [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                  Fission/fusion power reactors [ Added December 14, 2002 ]
                  Grav lance
                  Hyper generator modes of operation (c1921 PD) [ Added June 8, 2009 ]
                  Hyper transits [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Hyper translation [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Hyper-band access by ship type [ Added September 11, 2004 ]
                  Point defense laser clusters (c1921 PD) [ Added June 26, 2008 ]
                  Shipboard beam rates of fire limitations [ Added June 21, 2011 ]
                  Wedge interaction [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                  Why does towing pods decrease ship acceleration? [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
            Timeline
                  Honor Harrington series timeline
            Warfare
                  LACs
                        FTL LACs
                        LACs as kamikazis [ Added September 11, 2004 ]
                        LACs as parasites
                        LACs towing counter-missile pods [ Added October 18, 2004 ]
                        Recon LACs [ Added September 24, 2004 ]
                        Unmanned LACs [ Added August 24, 2004 ]
                  Q-ships
                        Wayfarer and camouflaging itself as a merchantman [ Added February 7, 2003 ]
                        Q-ships
                        Q-ships as convoy escorts/raiders
                  Ship design
                        'Scout frigates' part I [ Added January 2, 2012 ]
                        'Scout frigates' part II [ Added January 2, 2012 ]
                        "Weaknesses" of the SD(P) classes (c1914 PD)
                        Asymmetrical broadsides
                        Civilian-hulled 'scout frigates' [ Added January 2, 2012 ]
                        CLAC design considerations and tactical deployment (c1922 PD) [ Added July 4, 2011 ]
                        Frigates vs. LACs... again! (c1900 PD) [ Added December 31, 2011 ]
                        Future ship design (c1922 PD) [ Added June 12, 2011 ]
                        How powerful are superdreadnoughts?
                        Impeller rooms
                        Launcher design: PODs vs. tubes (c1922 PD) [ Added June 12, 2011 ]
                        Return of the frigate as a combat-effective unit (c1922 PD) [ Added June 12, 2011 ]
                        Ships of the Wall and battleships
                        The return of battleships as a viable class (c1922 PD) [ Added June 14, 2011 ]
                        Wedge geometry
                  Strategy
                        Capital ships and raiding defenses (c1918 PD) [ Added May 26, 2008 ]
                        System defense ships
                  Tactics
                        "Buckshot" missile defenses [ Added January 3, 2003 ]
                        Arsenal ships based upon ammunition colliers (c1920 PD) [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
                        c-Fractional missile attack plan [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                        c-Fractional pod-based missile attack plan [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                        c-Fractional pod-based missile attack plan II (c1922 PD) [ Added May 24, 2009 ]
                        Kinetic anti-ship attacks
                        Kinetic infrastructure attacks
                  Armed merchant ships within the Silesian Confederacy (c1919 PD) [ Added December 31, 2011 ]
                  Effectiveness of cruisers-vs-battlecruisers (c1911 PD) [ Added February 7, 2003 ]
                  Firing through a drive band [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Fleet strengths as of 1905 PD (c1905 PD) [ Added December 19, 2004 ]
                  Fleet strengths as of 1920 PD (c1920 PD) [ Added December 17, 2004 ]
                  Ground warfare
                  Hyperspace near a Wormhole Junction
                  Maneuver, combat and missiles
                  Marines aboard ship
                  Mitigating kinetic attack (c1921 PD) [ Added December 31, 2011 ]
                  Naval blockades [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Plentary defense considerations [ Added July 27, 2009 ]
                  Post-battle debris concerns
                  Terms of surrender [ Added August 14, 2009 ]
      Star Kingdom of Manticore
            General
                  Hamish Alexander and children [ Added October 22, 2002 ]
                  Honor should have gone to Haven before Sanskrit (c1921 PD) [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
                  Honor's reactions to Denver Summervale vs. the Zilwicki & Cachet revelations (c1920 PD) [ Added December 25, 2011 ]
                  Treecat intelligence I [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Treecat intelligence II [ Added April 26, 2009 ]
                  Treecat toenails [ Added August 24, 2004 ]
            Politics and Culture
                  "Beached" or half pay officers [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Admiral Hemphil and Fearless' deployment [ Added August 24, 2004 ]
                  Balance of power in the Star Kingdom of Manticore [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Baron High Ridge's fate (c1920 PD) [ Added December 31, 2007 ]
                  Cathy Montaigne's wealth (c1919 PD) [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                  Does the Manticoran Peerage allow Proxy Voting [ Added December 12, 2002 ]
                  Elizabeth III is not an irrational nut-job [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Gun control in the Star Kingdom of Manticore [ Added February 10, 2003 ]
                  Manticoran Peerage seating [ Added November 23, 2002 ]
                  Manticore's relationship with Beowulf [ Added December 6, 2005 ]
                  More on the sources of Manticoran wealth (c1921 PD) [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Power of the Manticoran Monarchy [ Added December 6, 2005 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: What happens if a revanchist Solarian League or successor arises? [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: What would happen to the Manticoran merchant trade? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  The pre-war importance of Basilisk Station (c1880 PD) [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  The spillover effect from Manticore's Junction-created astrographic position [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Why did Paul Tankersley accept Summervale's challenge? [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Why did Pavel Young accept Harrington's challenge? [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Why didn't Manticore join the Solarian League? [ Added January 2, 2012 ]
                  Why doesn't Elizabeth pack the Lords? [ Added December 14, 2002 ]
                  Why the Queen's Own exists [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
            Technology
                  FTL Comm
                        FTL fire control (c1920 PD) [ Added June 4, 2005 ]
                        FTL fire control communication lag (c1921 PD) [ Added May 14, 2006 ]
                        Grav pulse comm and the detection of hyper footprints [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                        Grav pulse comm in hyper [ Added November 22, 2002 ]
                        Grav pulse comm intercepts (c1920 PD) [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                        Grav pulse comm post Ashes of Victory (c1915 PD) [ Added April 14, 2004 ]
                        Grav pulse comm pulse generation [ Added November 22, 2002 ]
                  Missiles, Counter-missiles and Pods
                        Keyhole platform survivability [ Added November 16, 2006 ]
                        More on the Keyhole platforms [ Added March 17, 2009 ]
                        Off-bore missile targeting (c1920 PD) [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
                        Single-drive fusion-powered missiles (c1920 PD) [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
                        VLS cells for light units
                  How big is a recon drone? [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                  Production implications of Oyster Bay (c1922 PD) [ Added July 19, 2010 ]
                  The basis for Manticoran inventiveness [ Added July 5, 2005 ]
                  The origin of the Manticoran technical edge [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
            Warfare
                  LACs
                        Shrikes and Ferrets are not fighters (c1914 PD)
                  Ship design
                        Gauntlet's weapons fit (c1918 PD) [ Added March 10, 2004 ]
                        Medusa-Bs (c1922 PD) [ Added June 29, 2004 ]
                        Nike (big BC) clarification (c1921 PD) [ Added November 18, 2006 ]
                        Reliant-class battlecruiser ship layout (c1905 PD)
                        Roland-class destroyer (c1917 PD) [ Added October 31, 2004 ]
                        Wayfarer's cargo doors (c1910 PD)
                        Wayfarer's cargo doors: jettisoning them (c1910 PD) [ Added April 26, 2009 ]
                        A comparative look at the BC(P) vs BC(L) [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                        Apollo fire control for light units (c1921 PD) [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                        Battleship and SD(P) comparisons [ Added April 14, 2004 ]
                        Elizabeth's new royal yacht, HMS Duke of Cromarty (c1920 PD) [ Added April 21, 2009 ]
                        Escort CLACs (c1920 PD) [ Added May 26, 2008 ]
                        Heavy attack craft (HAC) [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                        Heavy spinal-armed units [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                        More on the BC(P) design (c1922 PD) [ Added June 12, 2011 ]
                        Naval refits [ Added October 28, 2002 ]
                        Non-hyper-capable units [ Added June 10, 2005 ]
                        Refitting to the Keyhole-II standard (c1921 PD) [ Added July 17, 2005 ]
                        Shipbuilding times (c1920 PD) [ Added December 17, 2004 ]
                        Shipyard types (c1920 PD) [ Added June 10, 2004 ]
                        The nature of Manticore's battlecruisers (c1920 PD) [ Added July 19, 2010 ]
                        Variable geometry starships [ Added September 24, 2004 ]
                        Warship armor [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                        Warship construction costs (c1920 PD) [ Added August 15, 2009 ]
                        With Apollo, do you really need armor any more? (c1921 PD) [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Strategy
                        Deep-penetration & commerce raiding strategy [ Added February 24, 2007 ]
                        Deep-penetration strategy [ Added February 24, 2007 ]
                        Honor's Second Marsh strategy (c1920 PD) [ Added August 23, 2004 ]
                        Locating new Manticoran shipyards (c1920 PD) [ Added July 9, 2005 ]
                        Pre-war alliance strategy (c1905 PD) [ Added February 24, 2007 ]
                        Reinforcements for the Battle of Manticore (c1921 PD) [ Added December 6, 2005 ]
                        Strategic attrition [ Added February 24, 2007 ]
                        System control ships [ Added April 14, 2004 ]
                        The Grendelsbane yards vulnerability (c1920 PD)
                        The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: Can Manticore prevent the League from rearming? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                        The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: Would Manticore's strategy be defensive or offensive? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                        The rationale behind when to reveal Apollo's existence (c1921 PD) [ Added July 16, 2005 ]
                  Tactics
                        Admiral Chin and the climax to the Battle of Manticore (c1921 PD) [ Added January 2, 2008 ]
                        Admirals Chin and Kusak  and the climax to the Battle of Manticore, part II (c1921 PD) [ Added July 4, 2011 ]
                        White Haven's double-transit to Basilisk (c1913 PD) [ Added June 7, 2005 ]
                  "Paintball"-style projectile weapons training [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
                  Saganami-C vs a pre-war superdreadnought (c1921 PD) [ Added December 31, 2007 ]
                  Administrative and tactical organization of the RMN (c1919 PD) [ Added December 14, 2002 ]
                  Admiralty chain-of-command (c1922 PD) [ Added June 21, 2011 ]
                  Coast Guard equivalent [ Added June 7, 2005 ]
                  Goals of Thunderbolt (c1920 PD) [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
                  Is the destroyer obsolete as a ship type? (c1921 PD) [ Added November 14, 2004 ]
                  Manticoran Admiralty [ Added November 1, 2002 ]
                  Missile production costs (c1920 PD) [ Added August 15, 2009 ]
                  Oyster Bay and the Eridani Edict (c1922 PD) [ Added July 31, 2010 ]
                  The impact of Oyster Bay on Manticoran and Grayson industry (c1922 PD) [ Added April 14, 2010 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: What does the ONI know about the Solarian League's real capabilities? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  Trevor's Star through-traffic during open hostilities (c1905 PD) [ Added August 15, 2009 ]
                  Where is the RMMC boot camp located? [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  White Haven's relief mission to Yeltsin (c1905 PD) [ Added May 26, 2008 ]
      (People's) Republic of Haven
            General
                  Education reform in the Republic of Haven [ Added July 9, 2005 ]
            Politics and Culture
                  Removing Giancola from office (c1921 PD) [ Added February 2, 2008 ]
                  Reportage of Honor's 'trial' by the Committee of Public Safety (c1911 PD) [ Added May 2, 2009 ]
                  Stability of the Republic of Haven and system secession (c1921 PD) [ Added July 15, 2006 ]
            Technology
                  Who are the Peeps buying their technology from? (c1912 PD)
            Warfare
                  Haven's "strategic blunder" of attacking Marsh as part of Operation Thunderbolt (c1920 PD) [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
                  Peep intelligence gathering [ Added August 28, 2004 ]
                  The origin of Bolthole (c1909 PD) [ Added October 22, 2002 ]
                  The rationale for the Theisman Buildup (c1918 PD) [ Added April 22, 2009 ]
                  Thunderbolt at Trevor's Star and Marsh (c1920 PD) [ Added January 15, 2012 ]
      Protectorate of Grayson
            Politics and Culture
                  Benjamin Mayhew and prolong [ Added January 2, 2012 ]
                  Grayson inheritance laws (c1913 PD) [ Added June 17, 2005 ]
                  Judaism in the Honorverse [ Added June 12, 2011 ]
                  Roots for the rapid industrial modernization of Grayson (c1903 PD) [ Added June 16, 2011 ]
                  Survival of the Church of Humanity Unchained [ Added September 18, 2006 ]
            Warfare
                  Ship design
                        Construction time for the first-flight Harringtons (c1912 PD) [ Added December 22, 2004 ]
                  Source of the Grayson starship reserves (c1920 PD)
      Erewhon
            General
                  Congo-Maya-Erewhon map (c1918 PD) [ Added September 12, 2004 ]
            Politics and Culture
                  Erewhon's 'betrayal' of the Manticoran Alliance (c1919 PD) [ Added December 19, 2004 ]
                  What happened to Erewhon's League Membership?
            Technology
                  Erewhon and the inertial compensator (c1919 PD) [ Added April 14, 2004 ]
      Andermani Empire
            Warfare
                  Andermani intelligence gathering [ Added August 28, 2004 ]
      Talbott Quadrant
            Politics and Culture
                  The status of the Lynx System (c1918 PD) [ Added October 22, 2004 ]
                  The Union of Monica (c1921 PD) [ Added October 22, 2004 ]
            Technology
                  Technical improvements in the Talbott Cluster (c1921 PD) [ Added July 9, 2005 ]
            Warfare
                  Freighting LACs to the Talbott Quadrant (c1921 PD) [ Added April 17, 2009 ]
      Kingdom of Torch
            General
                  Congo-Maya-Erewhon map (c1918 PD) [ Added September 12, 2004 ]
                  Misconceptions about Torch (c1921 PD) [ Added June 26, 2008 ]
      Solarian League
            Politics and Culture
                  Expanding upon the Eridani Edict [ Added December 6, 2005 ]
                  How do the Sollies regard the Havenite War?
                  How is the Solarian League organized?
                  How much does the SLN know about the Havenite War?
                  Masada and the Eridani Edict [ Added July 15, 2004 ]
                  Misconceptions about the League (c1921 PD) [ Added August 22, 2006 ]
                  The Cherwell Convention's Equipment Clause [ Added May 26, 2008 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: Will the League be prepared to support a major war? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  Wealth and opportunities in the Solarian League [ Added April 10, 2009 ]
                  What are the League/Solarian League Navy financial resources?
                  What happened to Erewhon's League Membership?
            Technology
                  How much has the Maya Sector's military capability improved? (c1922 PD) [ Added March 17, 2009 ]
            Warfare
                  Strategy
                        Post-Oyster Bay damage assessment by the League (c1922 PD) [ Added July 4, 2011 ]
                  Tactics
                        Overwhelming the RMN with light units [ Added April 11, 2009 ]
                  Admiral Rajampet's nominal superiors (c1922 PD) [ Added July 4, 2011 ]
                  Artificial divisions within the SLN [ Added March 3, 2004 ]
                  How do tight budgets affect the Solarian League Navy?
                  How is the Solarian League Navy organized?
                  Status of the Solarian League Navy (c1920 PD) [ Added June 2, 2008 ]
                  The Battle of Farley's Crossing [ Added March 3, 2004 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: Who declares war on who? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: Will the war result from the arrogant overreach of Frontier Fleet? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
                  The League vs the Star Empire of Manticore: How effective will RMN ships-of-the-wall be compared to SLN units? (c1921 PD) [ Added June 23, 2008 ]
      Mesa
            General
                  Manpower's optimism in it's covert operations [ Added June 7, 2005 ]
                  Planning for Manpower & Mesa [ Added June 7, 2005 ]
                  Why does Mesa still exist? [ Added October 21, 2004 ]
            Politics and Culture
                  Aspects of the Alignment's Uplift program (c1922 PD) [ Added June 19, 2011 ]
                  The Alignment and the Eridani Edict (c1921 PD) [ Added July 27, 2009 ]
                  Why does Mesa still exist? [ Added October 21, 2004 ]
            Technology
                  Biotechnology
                        Mesan assassin nanotech [ Added July 9, 2005 ]
                        Timothy Mears and DNA access (c1921 PD) [ Added August 13, 2009 ]
                  The Mesan Spider Drive [ Added March 17, 2009 ]
            Warfare
                  Ship design
                  Harvest Joy's first transit of the Torch terminus (c1921 PD) [ Added August 15, 2009 ]
                  The Mesan Navy [ Added June 7, 2005 ]