Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Doubleday (1960), Edition: 1st, 181 pages
Description
One of the Most Beloved Novels by a Grand Master of Science Fiction, with Introductions and Appreciations by Major Science Fiction Figures. Now in Mass Market. 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 littlevillageofAnsbyin northeasternLincolnshire. 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 toFranceto aid his King, then on to theHoly Landto 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. . . .… (more)
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Turning Alien Invasion on Its Head
What happens when an advanced race of alien space marauders lands a scout ship on Earth in the year 1345 preparatory to launching an invasion? Not what you would expect in this thoroughly engaging and fast-paced space opera by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author
Unfortunately for the Wersgorixs, they land in the small town of Ansby in Lincolnshire at the exact moment Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, has assembled a force to assist King Edward II in the Hundreds Years’ Wars. Accustomed to doing battle by air and with advanced war machines, the Wersgorixs have lost the skill of close-in hand to hand combat, a deficiency that enables Sir Roger and his warriors to overrun the ship.
With the spaceship in hand and a captured crew member to navigate, it’s Sir Roger’s intent to fly his force and townspeople and livestock over to France for battle and then on to the Holy Lands on a great crusade. But the captive Wersgorix has other ideas. He tricks Sir Roger, sets the ship on irreversible automatic pilot, and heads for the planet colony of Tharixan. Once there, Sir Roger and his band of resourceful Englishmen proceed to conquer the colony, and from there forge alliances, eventually defeating the Wersgor Empire and establish a space version of the Holy Roman Empire and new branch of the Catholic Church. Time passes, Earth achieves interstellar space capabilities, and once again Earth people are reunited in the future.
The novel opens with the captain of a spacecraft reading the translation of an ancient text as he and his crew prepare to land on a planet in this empire long after the time of Sir Roger. It is the very text that we readers read, written by Brother Parvus, a lowly monk assigned to Sir Roger. The text, commissioned at the request of Archbishop William (a twist awaiting readers), is Brother Parvus’ memories of the events years after their conclusion. Brother Parvus relates them in a tone that captures the flavor of medieval times, which includes numerous religious references that add a certain humor to the novel.
The themes here are never underestimate a people, especially one you consider primitive, for that can easily be your undoing, and that people yearn for freedom and are willing to rise up and free themselves of oppression under the right circumstances. All in all, The High Crusade is delightful reading for both sci-fi fans and general readers even sixty years after its first publication. In addition to this paper edition, you’ll find it included in the Library of America boxed set American Science Fiction: Eight Classic Novels of the 1960s, edited by Gary K. Wolfe.
What happens when an advanced race of alien space marauders lands a scout ship on Earth in the year 1345 preparatory to launching an invasion? Not what you would expect in this thoroughly engaging and fast-paced space opera by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author
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Poul Anderson. Unfortunately for the Wersgorixs, they land in the small town of Ansby in Lincolnshire at the exact moment Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, has assembled a force to assist King Edward II in the Hundreds Years’ Wars. Accustomed to doing battle by air and with advanced war machines, the Wersgorixs have lost the skill of close-in hand to hand combat, a deficiency that enables Sir Roger and his warriors to overrun the ship.
With the spaceship in hand and a captured crew member to navigate, it’s Sir Roger’s intent to fly his force and townspeople and livestock over to France for battle and then on to the Holy Lands on a great crusade. But the captive Wersgorix has other ideas. He tricks Sir Roger, sets the ship on irreversible automatic pilot, and heads for the planet colony of Tharixan. Once there, Sir Roger and his band of resourceful Englishmen proceed to conquer the colony, and from there forge alliances, eventually defeating the Wersgor Empire and establish a space version of the Holy Roman Empire and new branch of the Catholic Church. Time passes, Earth achieves interstellar space capabilities, and once again Earth people are reunited in the future.
The novel opens with the captain of a spacecraft reading the translation of an ancient text as he and his crew prepare to land on a planet in this empire long after the time of Sir Roger. It is the very text that we readers read, written by Brother Parvus, a lowly monk assigned to Sir Roger. The text, commissioned at the request of Archbishop William (a twist awaiting readers), is Brother Parvus’ memories of the events years after their conclusion. Brother Parvus relates them in a tone that captures the flavor of medieval times, which includes numerous religious references that add a certain humor to the novel.
The themes here are never underestimate a people, especially one you consider primitive, for that can easily be your undoing, and that people yearn for freedom and are willing to rise up and free themselves of oppression under the right circumstances. All in all, The High Crusade is delightful reading for both sci-fi fans and general readers even sixty years after its first publication. In addition to this paper edition, you’ll find it included in the Library of America boxed set American Science Fiction: Eight Classic Novels of the 1960s, edited by Gary K. Wolfe.
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LibraryThing member JulesJones
In the year 1345, an alien spacecraft lands in the small English village of Ansby, expecting an easy defeat of the local primitives. Unfortunately for them, the local primitives are preparing to go on Crusade, and their reaction to having one of their number burned where he stands is a disciplined
It sounds daft, and it is, but Anderson was a good enough writer to pull it off. Sir Roger may be a mediaeval baron, but he has an open mind, an excellent grasp of tactics, and a sound understanding of practical psychology. That makes him a formidable opponent for an empire that hasn't had to deal with serious opposition for generations. It also makes for a very funny story, particularly when Sir Roger cheerfully lies his way through various negotiations, presenting himself as the representative of a large multi-planet empire.
First published in 1960, this is a short novel by today's standards, but just the right length for the story it tells. It's enormous fun, and well worth a read.
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military reaction. That discipline and the aliens' surprise results in the English capturing the ship. Unfortunately for the English, the last alien survivor manages to lock the ship onto an autopilot program that will return it to its base. Unfortunately for the alien empire, that gives the Baron 10 days of travel time to come up with a plan to conquer the garrison on the alien colony planet...It sounds daft, and it is, but Anderson was a good enough writer to pull it off. Sir Roger may be a mediaeval baron, but he has an open mind, an excellent grasp of tactics, and a sound understanding of practical psychology. That makes him a formidable opponent for an empire that hasn't had to deal with serious opposition for generations. It also makes for a very funny story, particularly when Sir Roger cheerfully lies his way through various negotiations, presenting himself as the representative of a large multi-planet empire.
First published in 1960, this is a short novel by today's standards, but just the right length for the story it tells. It's enormous fun, and well worth a read.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of The High Crusade by Poul Anderson. Originally published in serial form over 52 years ago, this story of aliens arriving in the medieval English countryside is extremely inventive and the author makes good use of humor and larger-than -life characters to bring this
Yes, it is a little outlandish and silly at times, but the author’s tongue-in-cheek humor had me laughing out loud during this fun story. An example of this is when these medieval English minds grapple with the concept of aliens from outer space and finally reach the decision that they are probably as bad as the Irish. Of course when these aliens appear, the first thing Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, the leader of the English, decides to do is to wade in with sword swinging. Then his plan is to kidnap the spaceship and use it to get to France, fight a quick war then fly on to Jerusalem and show the Saracens the might of England. The fact that the story takes an entirely different turn makes for a surprising and quirky tale that includes not only lots of sword play but political intrigue and romantic misunderstandings as well.
This was my first book by Poul Anderson but I can proclaim that I am now a fan of his. The High Crusade is a book that I think would appeal to both sci-fi and historical fiction fans alike or anyone who is in the mood for a quick adventure that still has some depth to it.
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adventure to life.Yes, it is a little outlandish and silly at times, but the author’s tongue-in-cheek humor had me laughing out loud during this fun story. An example of this is when these medieval English minds grapple with the concept of aliens from outer space and finally reach the decision that they are probably as bad as the Irish. Of course when these aliens appear, the first thing Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, the leader of the English, decides to do is to wade in with sword swinging. Then his plan is to kidnap the spaceship and use it to get to France, fight a quick war then fly on to Jerusalem and show the Saracens the might of England. The fact that the story takes an entirely different turn makes for a surprising and quirky tale that includes not only lots of sword play but political intrigue and romantic misunderstandings as well.
This was my first book by Poul Anderson but I can proclaim that I am now a fan of his. The High Crusade is a book that I think would appeal to both sci-fi and historical fiction fans alike or anyone who is in the mood for a quick adventure that still has some depth to it.
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LibraryThing member StormRaven
This was probably the first alternate history type story I ever read, although with the introduction of aliens to England circa 1345, it is far from a typical alternate history tale. The aliens, called the Wersgorix, show up in a small English town looking to conquer Earth. Instead, the
Much of the combat between Sir Roger's knights and the Wersgorix soldiers is just barely plausible. For a race with a star-spanning Empire, the Wersgorix prove to be remarkably incompetent at warfare, but that is explained to a certain extent. The plot isn't really meant to be taken seriously anyway, it is a fun "what if" with a dash of exciting implausibility that adds up to a really good story.
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inhabitants, who had been preparing to go to France in the Hundred Years War with their Baron, Sir Roger, surprise the aliens and take their ship. The entire village tries to use the ship to go to France to aid in the war, but end up on an alien planet ruled by the Wersgorix instead. The rest of the book follows the English as they try to defeat the much more technologically advanced Wersgorix.Much of the combat between Sir Roger's knights and the Wersgorix soldiers is just barely plausible. For a race with a star-spanning Empire, the Wersgorix prove to be remarkably incompetent at warfare, but that is explained to a certain extent. The plot isn't really meant to be taken seriously anyway, it is a fun "what if" with a dash of exciting implausibility that adds up to a really good story.
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LibraryThing member BobNolin
A good, light read, a lot of fun. The copy I read was a from the Carnegie Library Main branch, downtown Pittsburgh. It was dated 1960. A 50-year-old sf book that holds up really well, as long as you don't think too much about how the FTL drive works, etc. Compare this with a more serious treatment
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of first contact during the Middle Ages in Effelheim by Michael Flynn. Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Fun, a lot of action, light hearted, good characters
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This novel is a wonderful romp. In 1345, Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville repels blue-skinned aliens who land their ship in his pasture. He boards his forces and the entire village of Ansby on the ship and demands a captured alien take them to France to join the English king. Instead the alien takes
The novel is great fun--a short, fast-paced read told as the first person account of Brother Parvus, a monk from the town's abbey. It's a witty sword and science adventure tale with tongue firmly in cheek, likable well-drawn characters and touches of romance in a smooth, light-hearted style.
Anderson may have "better" novels, certainly more serious ones, but I think none that are more fun. Anderson is one of my favorite authors in both science fiction and fantasy. If you're interested in his fantasy, I loved both The Broken Sword and Three Hearts and Three Lions--high fantasy works that don't read like Tolkien retreads. Among his science fiction novels I've read and loved by him are Harvest of Stars and its sequel, The Stars Are Also Fire.
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them to his planet where he's sure the Earthmen will be easily disposed of. Except... Well, you'll have to read. The novel is great fun--a short, fast-paced read told as the first person account of Brother Parvus, a monk from the town's abbey. It's a witty sword and science adventure tale with tongue firmly in cheek, likable well-drawn characters and touches of romance in a smooth, light-hearted style.
Anderson may have "better" novels, certainly more serious ones, but I think none that are more fun. Anderson is one of my favorite authors in both science fiction and fantasy. If you're interested in his fantasy, I loved both The Broken Sword and Three Hearts and Three Lions--high fantasy works that don't read like Tolkien retreads. Among his science fiction novels I've read and loved by him are Harvest of Stars and its sequel, The Stars Are Also Fire.
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LibraryThing member jamespurcell
A classic, but how things have changed in this genre.
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
This is a short SF novel written back in 1960. Its Poul Anderson having some fun with an outlandish, pulply tale of an alien ship that lands in England in the year 1345 A.D. on a manor where the local lord has been gathering men to go on crusade. The aliens look to cow the inhabitants but the
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knights and men-at-arms storm the ship and take over, putting all but one of the aliens to the sword. They hatch a plan to use the ship to transport them to France, but the alien takes them back to its own world. The Englishmen then decide to take over the alien galactic empire for themselves (or for God, St. George and the King!) The sheer silliness of the whole thing is made palatable by the tongue-in-cheek humour. At one point, after defeating an alien force in battle, morale in the English ranks plummets when they realize that they don't know what day of the week it is on the alien planet - it could be a Friday, and they had roast beef for breakfast! Show Less
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
The original knights-conquer-alien-planets story. Quite short and reasonably enjoyable.
LibraryThing member mamzel
An alien invasion in medieval England backfires as the Wersgorix meet an unexpected adversary. Sir Roger, with the help of his linguistically talented friar, Brother Parvus, try to use the invaders' space ship to invade France but are instead whisked away to the invaders' home world. Sir Roger
This is a wonderful cross between a medieval historical fiction and science fiction. Well worth a few hours.
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decides to rid the galaxy of this invader before returning home using his crafty experience learned on the battle fields of Earth.This is a wonderful cross between a medieval historical fiction and science fiction. Well worth a few hours.
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LibraryThing member Kisners42
The story in this book is a bit ridiculous (a successful military campaign against highly advanced alien civilizations by cavalry of the middle ages). But Anderson's action packed, well written, and engaging writing style really draws the reader into the action and makes handwaving the improbable
- Peter K.
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circumstances a bit easier.- Peter K.
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LibraryThing member RandyStafford
My reactions to reading this book in 1992. Spoilers follow.
A really fun book in which the plucky, bold Sir Roger de Tourneville not only repels the invading Wergorix from Earth, but, through bluff, boldness, and intrigue builds a star empire.
This book reminded me of a couple of stories.
The affair
I was reminded of historian William MacNeill’s thesis that Europe came to dominate the world because of the fierce, prolonged struggle between its different states, a struggle not duplicated elsewhere where one power soon came to be supreme. This is sort of a forerunner to MacNeill’s thesis. I liked the humor when aliens interpret Christianity and other aspects of mediaeval culture as being signs of possibly advanced powers, and I liked the English complaining about the barbarous aliens with their lack of wood carving and ornamentation. Brother Parvus was unintentionally witty in his unsureness as to the righteousness of Sir Roger’s cause (and whether congress between man and alien is beastiality). And I liked the comparison between the breakup of the Roman Empire and the Wersgorix Empire.
A really fun book in which the plucky, bold Sir Roger de Tourneville not only repels the invading Wergorix from Earth, but, through bluff, boldness, and intrigue builds a star empire.
This book reminded me of a couple of stories.
The affair
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(never sexually consummated) between Sir Owain and Lady Catherine and the betrayal (unsuccessful) of Sir Roger reminded of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere (Lancelot, like Sir Owain, is charming). However, the outcome is very different. The ability of the low tech Englishmen to thwart the Wergorix (no metal to be radar visible, masters at hand to hand combat and sieges, crossbows in space) reminded me of the struggles of the fighter jet pilot to best WWI aircraft in Dean McLaughlin’s “Hawk Among the Sparrows”. Military tactics and technology evolve to fit a certain environment. The victory is not always won by the high tech forces. Sir Roger has a nice bit when he says “ ... while the engines of war may change through the centuries, rivalry and intrigue look no subtler out here than at home. Just because we use a different sort of weapons, we aren’t savages.” It’s the guile of Sir Roger (though he modestly says he’s “no master of it ... no Italian") that wins the day. I was reminded of historian William MacNeill’s thesis that Europe came to dominate the world because of the fierce, prolonged struggle between its different states, a struggle not duplicated elsewhere where one power soon came to be supreme. This is sort of a forerunner to MacNeill’s thesis. I liked the humor when aliens interpret Christianity and other aspects of mediaeval culture as being signs of possibly advanced powers, and I liked the English complaining about the barbarous aliens with their lack of wood carving and ornamentation. Brother Parvus was unintentionally witty in his unsureness as to the righteousness of Sir Roger’s cause (and whether congress between man and alien is beastiality). And I liked the comparison between the breakup of the Roman Empire and the Wersgorix Empire.
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LibraryThing member suzemo
This book is absolutely silly and fun and a rollicking good time.
Is it high-literature spread with awesome twisty ideas and going to change the way you see the world?
Absolutely not.
Will you laugh your metaphorical ass off?
Maybe, I did chuckle a few times out loud while reading it (especially the
Aliens land on a field outside a Medieval village. Shit happens. And we discover what could happen when the SCA runs amok at a sci-fi convention.
Under the excellent and hilarious leadership of the local lord, and entire village packs up, and takes off in a stolen alien craft. They run amok of the alien race when the ship autopilots (with the help of a duplicitous captured-hostile). The "advanced" aliens learn that superior technology doesn't always win, and guerrilla warfare can be rather trying.
There was a little bit of seriousness with the political and economic business of trying to run a medieval-star-spread empire, but even that was light and kept the book fun.
Sure the story is dated and a little cheesy, but if you can read a story with you tongue firmly implanted in your cheek and enjoy yourself, then you'd like this book.
Is it high-literature spread with awesome twisty ideas and going to change the way you see the world?
Absolutely not.
Will you laugh your metaphorical ass off?
Maybe, I did chuckle a few times out loud while reading it (especially the
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"negotiation" tent scenes.Aliens land on a field outside a Medieval village. Shit happens. And we discover what could happen when the SCA runs amok at a sci-fi convention.
Under the excellent and hilarious leadership of the local lord, and entire village packs up, and takes off in a stolen alien craft. They run amok of the alien race when the ship autopilots (with the help of a duplicitous captured-hostile). The "advanced" aliens learn that superior technology doesn't always win, and guerrilla warfare can be rather trying.
There was a little bit of seriousness with the political and economic business of trying to run a medieval-star-spread empire, but even that was light and kept the book fun.
Sure the story is dated and a little cheesy, but if you can read a story with you tongue firmly implanted in your cheek and enjoy yourself, then you'd like this book.
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LibraryThing member Alissa-
A thought-provoking “celebration” of the Englishman laced with tongue-in-cheek glamour and sprinkled with a deftly handled satire on contemporary superpowers and societies.
The book is short and there's a great deal of action and witty humor, it gets a bit more philosophical towards the end but
An intergalactic mega empire scouts for new planets to dominate and one of his spaceships lands in 1345 Lincolnshire, England, where even “the lowliest serf looked up from his acre and dreamed of freeing the Holy Land and picking up a coffer of gold on the way”. What was a routine mission soon becomes the aliens’ worst nightmare.
The plot is linear and tightly focused and it fits the subtlety of the book's themes just fine: I liked the story direction, but it’s the unfolding that is source of constant entertainment. I’ve never read anything by Poul Anderson before, but I soon trusted him, the prose, the narrative structure and the setting premises themselves make the whole adventure sound plausible.
The story is truly humorous, original, absurd and full of boldness, bravado and deceit, centered around a space jacquerie uprising led by a medieval noble knight. I'm a fan of England, a sucker for the Hundred Years' War (the earlier part at least) but I find anything related to gunpowder already too modern to bear; fact is, this book is so enthralling I got hooked immediately: knights and blue aliens? Livestock to confound airborne patrols? Archery and spacecraft? Heavy chivalry pitted against tanks? A whole village traipsing in the space and the main problem is how to calculate Easter?
The characters feel authentic, like the forlorn baroness, the ambitious young knight or the rambunctious archer (no way a good book about Englishmen in the middle-ages can miss an archer!) and then of course the catchy protagonists: Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville, the man of war, takes circumstances in stride and seizes the bull by the horns, while Brother Pelvus, the narrator, the man of religion, tries to understand the implications of their actions, but both apply the filter of their culture (with the right mix of superstition, crusading spirit and hard-life experience) on the events, to utterly hilarious consequences and unexpected results.
“The clinching proof of my reasoning is, that I’ll cut anyone who argues further into dogmeat.”
Actually, I felt that in his crude way my master had grasped truth. In my spare time I would recast his logic into proper syllogistic form, to make sure;
Very soon it gets so charming that I started to find logical everything I read, and internally it was for sure! Add into the fray a super powerful alien society grown complacent in their own superiority, a few surviving subjugated civilizations, some practical English diplomacy and… Oh, now I just loved reading this.
“And why? Well, on Earth there’ve been many nations and lords for many centuries, all at odds with each other, under a feudal system nigh too complicated to remember. Why’ve we fought so many wars in France? Because the Duke of Anjou was on the one hand the sovereign king of England and on the other hand a Frenchman! Think you what that led to: and yet ‘tis really a minor example. On our Earth, we’ve perforce learned all the knavery there is to know.”
The book is short and there's a great deal of action and witty humor, it gets a bit more philosophical towards the end but
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I finished it in one sitting with ease.An intergalactic mega empire scouts for new planets to dominate and one of his spaceships lands in 1345 Lincolnshire, England, where even “the lowliest serf looked up from his acre and dreamed of freeing the Holy Land and picking up a coffer of gold on the way”. What was a routine mission soon becomes the aliens’ worst nightmare.
The plot is linear and tightly focused and it fits the subtlety of the book's themes just fine: I liked the story direction, but it’s the unfolding that is source of constant entertainment. I’ve never read anything by Poul Anderson before, but I soon trusted him, the prose, the narrative structure and the setting premises themselves make the whole adventure sound plausible.
The story is truly humorous, original, absurd and full of boldness, bravado and deceit, centered around a space jacquerie uprising led by a medieval noble knight. I'm a fan of England, a sucker for the Hundred Years' War (the earlier part at least) but I find anything related to gunpowder already too modern to bear; fact is, this book is so enthralling I got hooked immediately: knights and blue aliens? Livestock to confound airborne patrols? Archery and spacecraft? Heavy chivalry pitted against tanks? A whole village traipsing in the space and the main problem is how to calculate Easter?
The characters feel authentic, like the forlorn baroness, the ambitious young knight or the rambunctious archer (no way a good book about Englishmen in the middle-ages can miss an archer!) and then of course the catchy protagonists: Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville, the man of war, takes circumstances in stride and seizes the bull by the horns, while Brother Pelvus, the narrator, the man of religion, tries to understand the implications of their actions, but both apply the filter of their culture (with the right mix of superstition, crusading spirit and hard-life experience) on the events, to utterly hilarious consequences and unexpected results.
“The clinching proof of my reasoning is, that I’ll cut anyone who argues further into dogmeat.”
Actually, I felt that in his crude way my master had grasped truth. In my spare time I would recast his logic into proper syllogistic form, to make sure;
Very soon it gets so charming that I started to find logical everything I read, and internally it was for sure! Add into the fray a super powerful alien society grown complacent in their own superiority, a few surviving subjugated civilizations, some practical English diplomacy and… Oh, now I just loved reading this.
“And why? Well, on Earth there’ve been many nations and lords for many centuries, all at odds with each other, under a feudal system nigh too complicated to remember. Why’ve we fought so many wars in France? Because the Duke of Anjou was on the one hand the sovereign king of England and on the other hand a Frenchman! Think you what that led to: and yet ‘tis really a minor example. On our Earth, we’ve perforce learned all the knavery there is to know.”
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
The year is 1345, and Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville has gathered his troops ready to join King Edward III in his battle against France. The knight's day is interrupted by a two-thousand foot long flying machine, containing an advance force of Wersgorix. These are aliens from a distant world who
Poul Anderson is one of the science fiction authors I first encountered in my youth as he began writing novels in the fifties and sixties of the previous century. He became an award-winning author and demonstrated an imagination that produced both great science fiction and fantasy. With The High Crusade we have a vision of an alternative past where the medieval knights are faced with aliens and their success leads to further adventures in space. It sounds like a precursor to a recent film, "Cowboys & Aliens", set in the American west circa 1873. The High Crusade, while written somewhat tongue-in-cheek is nonetheless entertaining with reasonably developed themes. It shows what a well-disciplined and determined inferior group can achieve against a technologically superior foe. The characters are believable and maintain the reader's interest throughout.
The High Crusade is overall an entertaining story that can be enjoyed by both young and old. It reminded me of my enjoyment of tales like Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and another classic SF novel, L. Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall. Poul Anderson is always worth reading and this minor classic is one reason.
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are on a voyage of conquest; their view of Earth is as a backward and primitive place. Unfortunately for them, Sir Roger and company are combat hardened, and not only do not like being shot at but they return fire with longbows, putting arrows through the invaders and bashing those who survive into kingdom come. When the battle is over, Sir Roger finds himself in command of a star ship, with just one Wersgorix, somewhat worse for wear, left to pilot the vessel. His first reaction is to take the flying ship to France in support of his King, then on to the Holy Land to deal with the infidels. But his plan is foiled by the remaining alien, who flies the ship straight back to the nearest Wersgorix planet, believing that once there the primitives will simply surrender. It is at this point that the Wersgorix learn a fatal lesson about the indomitable spirit, cleverness and sheer bloody determination of medieval Englishmen.Poul Anderson is one of the science fiction authors I first encountered in my youth as he began writing novels in the fifties and sixties of the previous century. He became an award-winning author and demonstrated an imagination that produced both great science fiction and fantasy. With The High Crusade we have a vision of an alternative past where the medieval knights are faced with aliens and their success leads to further adventures in space. It sounds like a precursor to a recent film, "Cowboys & Aliens", set in the American west circa 1873. The High Crusade, while written somewhat tongue-in-cheek is nonetheless entertaining with reasonably developed themes. It shows what a well-disciplined and determined inferior group can achieve against a technologically superior foe. The characters are believable and maintain the reader's interest throughout.
The High Crusade is overall an entertaining story that can be enjoyed by both young and old. It reminded me of my enjoyment of tales like Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and another classic SF novel, L. Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall. Poul Anderson is always worth reading and this minor classic is one reason.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
The year is 1345, and Sir Roger Baron de Tourneville has gathered his troops ready to join King Edward III in his battle against France. The knight's day is interrupted by a two-thousand foot long flying machine, containing an advance force of Wersgorix. These are aliens from a distant world who
Poul Anderson is one of the science fiction authors I first encountered in my youth as he began writing novels in the fifties and sixties of the previous century. He became an award-winning author and demonstrated an imagination that produced both great science fiction and fantasy. With The High Crusade we have a vision of an alternative past where the medieval knights are faced with aliens and their success leads to further adventures in space. It sounds like a precursor to a recent film, "Cowboys & Aliens", set in the American west circa 1873. The High Crusade, while written somewhat tongue-in-cheek is nonetheless entertaining with reasonably developed themes. It shows what a well-disciplined and determined inferior group can achieve against a technologically superior foe. The characters are believable and maintain the reader's interest throughout.
The High Crusade is overall an entertaining story that can be enjoyed by both young and old. It reminded me of my enjoyment of tales like Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and another classic SF novel, L. Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall. Poul Anderson is always worth reading and this minor classic is one reason.
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are on a voyage of conquest; their view of Earth is as a backward and primitive place. Unfortunately for them, Sir Roger and company are combat hardened, and not only do not like being shot at but they return fire with longbows, putting arrows through the invaders and bashing those who survive into kingdom come. When the battle is over, Sir Roger finds himself in command of a star ship, with just one Wersgorix, somewhat worse for wear, left to pilot the vessel. His first reaction is to take the flying ship to France in support of his King, then on to the Holy Land to deal with the infidels. But his plan is foiled by the remaining alien, who flies the ship straight back to the nearest Wersgorix planet, believing that once there the primitives will simply surrender. It is at this point that the Wersgorix learn a fatal lesson about the indomitable spirit, cleverness and sheer bloody determination of medieval Englishmen.Poul Anderson is one of the science fiction authors I first encountered in my youth as he began writing novels in the fifties and sixties of the previous century. He became an award-winning author and demonstrated an imagination that produced both great science fiction and fantasy. With The High Crusade we have a vision of an alternative past where the medieval knights are faced with aliens and their success leads to further adventures in space. It sounds like a precursor to a recent film, "Cowboys & Aliens", set in the American west circa 1873. The High Crusade, while written somewhat tongue-in-cheek is nonetheless entertaining with reasonably developed themes. It shows what a well-disciplined and determined inferior group can achieve against a technologically superior foe. The characters are believable and maintain the reader's interest throughout.
The High Crusade is overall an entertaining story that can be enjoyed by both young and old. It reminded me of my enjoyment of tales like Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and another classic SF novel, L. Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall. Poul Anderson is always worth reading and this minor classic is one reason.
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LibraryThing member NickHowes
A spaceship lands next to an English castle, When the aliens come out shooting, the local, led by Sir Roger de Tourneville, leads a charge that overwhelms the aliens soldiers and everyone inside the ship. de Tourneville commanders the ship, gets everyone aboard and forces a lone alien survivor to
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take them to France and then Jerusalem. He double-crosses them and sends them on a trip to his home world. Oops! A delightful story I read twice when I was young...it's been so long since I read it I was able to read it afresh. de Tourneville's campaign against the Wersgorix is an excellent tale. A fun read. Show Less
LibraryThing member adamwolf
Oof. This is from the 1960s. It's from the time when SF kept saying that humans were trickier than the rest of the galaxy, so even though we're dumber and not as advanced, we'll do ok. I haven't read anything like that in a while.
It's a fast read, but the gender politics were... different than
It's a fast read, but the gender politics were... different than
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todays. At one point, someone says something like, "Well, what should I have expected? Leaving my wife alone for so long, she's bound to get silly ideas". That character is mostly an idiot, but it was weird anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member write-review
Turning Alien Invasion on Its Head
What happens when an advanced race of alien space marauders lands a scout ship on Earth in the year 1345 preparatory to launching an invasion? Not what you would expect in this thoroughly engaging and fast-paced space opera by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author
Unfortunately for the Wersgorixs, they land in the small town of Ansby in Lincolnshire at the exact moment Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, has assembled a force to assist King Edward II in the Hundreds Years’ Wars. Accustomed to doing battle by air and with advanced war machines, the Wersgorixs have lost the skill of close-in hand to hand combat, a deficiency that enables Sir Roger and his warriors to overrun the ship.
With the spaceship in hand and a captured crew member to navigate, it’s Sir Roger’s intent to fly his force and townspeople and livestock over to France for battle and then on to the Holy Lands on a great crusade. But the captive Wersgorix has other ideas. He tricks Sir Roger, sets the ship on irreversible automatic pilot, and heads for the planet colony of Tharixan. Once there, Sir Roger and his band of resourceful Englishmen proceed to conquer the colony, and from there forge alliances, eventually defeating the Wersgor Empire and establish a space version of the Holy Roman Empire and new branch of the Catholic Church. Time passes, Earth achieves interstellar space capabilities, and once again Earth people are reunited in the future.
The novel opens with the captain of a spacecraft reading the translation of an ancient text as he and his crew prepare to land on a planet in this empire long after the time of Sir Roger. It is the very text that we readers read, written by Brother Parvus, a lowly monk assigned to Sir Roger. The text, commissioned at the request of Archbishop William (a twist awaiting readers), is Brother Parvus’ memories of the events years after their conclusion. Brother Parvus relates them in a tone that captures the flavor of medieval times, which includes numerous religious references that add a certain humor to the novel.
The themes here are never underestimate a people, especially one you consider primitive, for that can easily be your undoing, and that people yearn for freedom and are willing to rise up and free themselves of oppression under the right circumstances. All in all, The High Crusade is delightful reading for both sci-fi fans and general readers even sixty years after its first publication. In addition to this paper edition, you’ll find it included in the Library of America boxed set American Science Fiction: Eight Classic Novels of the 1960s, edited by Gary K. Wolfe.
What happens when an advanced race of alien space marauders lands a scout ship on Earth in the year 1345 preparatory to launching an invasion? Not what you would expect in this thoroughly engaging and fast-paced space opera by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author
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Poul Anderson. Unfortunately for the Wersgorixs, they land in the small town of Ansby in Lincolnshire at the exact moment Sir Roger, Baron de Tourneville, has assembled a force to assist King Edward II in the Hundreds Years’ Wars. Accustomed to doing battle by air and with advanced war machines, the Wersgorixs have lost the skill of close-in hand to hand combat, a deficiency that enables Sir Roger and his warriors to overrun the ship.
With the spaceship in hand and a captured crew member to navigate, it’s Sir Roger’s intent to fly his force and townspeople and livestock over to France for battle and then on to the Holy Lands on a great crusade. But the captive Wersgorix has other ideas. He tricks Sir Roger, sets the ship on irreversible automatic pilot, and heads for the planet colony of Tharixan. Once there, Sir Roger and his band of resourceful Englishmen proceed to conquer the colony, and from there forge alliances, eventually defeating the Wersgor Empire and establish a space version of the Holy Roman Empire and new branch of the Catholic Church. Time passes, Earth achieves interstellar space capabilities, and once again Earth people are reunited in the future.
The novel opens with the captain of a spacecraft reading the translation of an ancient text as he and his crew prepare to land on a planet in this empire long after the time of Sir Roger. It is the very text that we readers read, written by Brother Parvus, a lowly monk assigned to Sir Roger. The text, commissioned at the request of Archbishop William (a twist awaiting readers), is Brother Parvus’ memories of the events years after their conclusion. Brother Parvus relates them in a tone that captures the flavor of medieval times, which includes numerous religious references that add a certain humor to the novel.
The themes here are never underestimate a people, especially one you consider primitive, for that can easily be your undoing, and that people yearn for freedom and are willing to rise up and free themselves of oppression under the right circumstances. All in all, The High Crusade is delightful reading for both sci-fi fans and general readers even sixty years after its first publication. In addition to this paper edition, you’ll find it included in the Library of America boxed set American Science Fiction: Eight Classic Novels of the 1960s, edited by Gary K. Wolfe.
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LibraryThing member nillacat
*spoilers*
Anderson knows the medieval world and space-opera and blends them delightfully and astonishingly plausibly!
Armored knights have a dreadful great momentum: sure I believe they could topple a small spacecraft! Longbow fire is deadly! An English warlord might well find a complacent
Meanwhile, chivalry, romance and betrayal within the ranks, and a love redeemed. And tho’ touch and go for a moment, Mankind’s stellar empire is found a millennium later when the rest of Humanity catches up!
Anderson knows the medieval world and space-opera and blends them delightfully and astonishingly plausibly!
Armored knights have a dreadful great momentum: sure I believe they could topple a small spacecraft! Longbow fire is deadly! An English warlord might well find a complacent
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interstellar tyranny easier to fool, combat and overthrow than the sophisticated devious and subtle dukedoms of Italy, by rousing the disgruntled and discontented subject planetary populations. A medieval population once over the shock of first contact might be no slower than moderns to pick up advanced tech. Why shouldn't a fierce blue-snouted alien engineer prisoner of war learn Latin?Meanwhile, chivalry, romance and betrayal within the ranks, and a love redeemed. And tho’ touch and go for a moment, Mankind’s stellar empire is found a millennium later when the rest of Humanity catches up!
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
Pretty funny, a good explanation of possible alien contact in the High Middle Ages. How do you review a funny book in a meaningful way? Spoilers are deadly, in this genre.
LibraryThing member antiquary
One of Anderson's best. 14th century Englishmen conquer space
LibraryThing member JohnnyForeign
This is a relatively short novel. It essentially revolves around a single, epic plot twist--a very clever one--which, I believe, could have been arrived at in much quicker order. Such being the case, I think it would have worked better as a short story. It was an entertaining read, in any event.
Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1961)
Language
Original publication date
1960
Physical description
181 p.; 8.3 inches