Rating: 
Summary: good fun
Review:
Humanity has reached the stars and after two wars with a cat-like race they have forged an often uneasy alliance. Things are disrupted though when a human space fleet sporting identification codes from the 2nd war arrives from nowhere and attacks and destroys an alien fleet. The new fleet claims to have arrived to rescue "Holy Terra". Confusion reigns, war erupts, etc.
This is a good read. All of the battle scenes are very well-written, whether they are in space or on the ground. Good escapist fun.
On a side note, I am thoroughly tired of earth being called "Terra" and the sun being called "Sol" in sci-fi novels.
Rating:
Summary: A good space opera, not a character study.
Review: "Crusade" is billed as the second book in the trilogy which also comprises "Insurrection" and "In Death Ground." However, chronologically, it goes before "Insurrection." "Crusade" is a space opera, with a handful of interesting characters, that are nonetheless one or two-dimensional at best. Fans of Weber's Honor Harrington series will see his hand at the orchestration and description of the space battles, as well as some of the personal clashes and resolutions (one in which a naval officer faces down the local government and industrial lobbyists by quoting case law comes to mind). However, the lack of compelling characters makes it overall a book inferior to the HH series. On the other hand, as pure space opera this is a remarkably good and entertaining read. After their Orion allies are attacked by mysterious ships, humanity (in the form of the Terran Federation) must meet the challenge and defend their honor, or risk a new war with the Orion Khanate. From then on, the book will spend most of its time either describing fleet actions or preparations and consequences thereof, with a few passages given over to character interaction (but, alas, never character developement). In the grand tradition of the Doc Smith space operas, in which characters are flat and almost secondary to the action, with one larger than life character orchestrating it all (in this case, two: a former president and a naval admiral), the book has no apologies to make and is an excellent specimen. If that is all you are looking for you will be happy with your purchase and entertained throughout. If you are looking for a bit more character, however, you will probably be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Fine Space Opera
Review: "Crusade" is a fine space opera in the "Full Speed ahead and damn the photon torpedoes" tradition.
The story is set in the Weber/White Starfire universe. A colony ship escaping from the previous intergalactic conflict lands on an alien world and breaks the familiar "non-interference" directive. The alien's take the Terran's tech and permute the whole contact experience into a religion. Generations later when they burst upon the galactic scene they start the next interstellar war in a misguided attempt to bring the "true" faith the Terrans.
This is rollicking good space opera. The story includes the characters we've all seen before in Niven and Pournelle's "Mote in God's Eye", national stereotypes: Zhukov-like Russian, Fletcher-like American, and Jellicoe-like Englishman. The whole story is a mish-mash that looks like the WWII naval war in the Pacific with the "Shell Head" aliens being the Japanese and the Federation being the U.S.. Fun stuff.
What I didn't like was the author's disposable characters. A cardboard character would be introduced for about on page just to die. I wish some of them would have lasted a little longer. A few were more interesting then the more persistent main characters.
"Crusade" is chronologically first (although written second) in a series including "Insurrection" and "In Death Ground". "Insurrection" was written first and is not bad. "Crusade" came next and is good. However, the most recent "In Death Ground" is total drek. Somewhere along the line ('92-'96) the authors forgot that characters and not hardware make-up novels. Hopefully, the authors will get back on track and use "Crusade" as the example for the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A good space opera, not a character study.
Review: "Crusade" is billed as the second book in the trilogy which also comprises "Insurrection" and "In Death Ground." However, chronologically, it goes before "Insurrection." "Crusade" is a space opera, with a handful of interesting characters, that are nonetheless one or two-dimensional at best. Fans of Weber's Honor Harrington series will see his hand at the orchestration and description of the space battles, as well as some of the personal clashes and resolutions (one in which a naval officer faces down the local government and industrial lobbyists by quoting case law comes to mind). However, the lack of compelling characters makes it overall a book inferior to the HH series. On the other hand, as pure space opera this is a remarkably good and entertaining read. After their Orion allies are attacked by mysterious ships, humanity (in the form of the Terran Federation) must meet the challenge and defend their honor, or risk a new war with the Orion Khanate. From then on, the book will spend most of its time either describing fleet actions or preparations and consequences thereof, with a few passages given over to character interaction (but, alas, never character developement). In the grand tradition of the Doc Smith space operas, in which characters are flat and almost secondary to the action, with one larger than life character orchestrating it all (in this case, two: a former president and a naval admiral), the book has no apologies to make and is an excellent specimen. If that is all you are looking for you will be happy with your purchase and entertained throughout. If you are looking for a bit more character, however, you will probably be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: An Interstellar Jihad
Review: Crusade is the second novel written by Weber & White in the Starfire series. However, it is the earliest in internal chronological sequence and should be read first. It begins fifty years after the Third Interstellar War, in which the Terrans and Orions formed the Alliance and exterminated the Rigellians. An Orion squadron in the Lorelei system is puzzled when an unknown fleet is discovered coming out of Charon's Ferry, the sixth warp point, since no ship had ever returned from there. Also, the bogies are using a very old Terran Federation Navy code in their transmissions. The squadron commander speculates that these ships could be remnants of TFN forces that had fled the Orions 90 years before during the Second Interstellar War. When the bogies identify themselves as TFN and refuse to believe that the Orions are allies, the TFN onboard liaison contacts them and explains the Treaty of Valkha. The bogies agree to parlay and, as the main party stands down, the vanguard comes to the Orions. Shortly thereafter, however, the bogies attack with missiles at minimum range and then with X-ray lasers. The Orions release their Omega drones and fight back, but three ships are soon lost. The Orion flagship is then boarded, but self-destructs before being captured. After studying the available information, the Khanate of Orion decides that the invaders are Terrans. The Strategy Board wants to attack the Federation, but the Khan agrees with the squadron commander's idea of lost TFN forces escaping through Charon's Ferry. He tells the Federation Ambassador that Orion will not attack the Federation or the unknowns, but that the Federation must exact suitable vengeance upon their errant fellows. The Federation agrees and the politicians send a Peace Fleet to Lorelei upon invitation by the unknowns. Under secret orders, the TFN is subordinated to the diplomatic corps with disastrous results as the bogies repeat their underhanded tactics. This story has many similarities to historical conflicts. The genocidial destruction of the Rigellian Protectorate in the Third Interstellar War parallels the actions of Rome in the Third Punic War. The actions of the Thebans reflect the fanatical behavior of both sides in the long conflict between Christianity and Islam, particularly in the Eastern Roman Empire and in Spain. This novel is recommended for all Weber & White fans and anyone who likes spatial warfare with a background of political intrigue.
Rating:
Summary: An Interstellar Jihad
Review: Crusade is the second novel written by Weber & White in the Starfire series. However, it is the earliest in internal chronological sequence and should be read first. It begins fifty years after the Third Interstellar War, in which the Terrans and Orions formed the Alliance and exterminated the Rigellians. An Orion squadron in the Lorelei system is puzzled when an unknown fleet is discovered coming out of Charon's Ferry, the sixth warp point, since no ship had ever returned from there. Also, the bogies are using a very old Terran Federation Navy code in their transmissions. The squadron commander speculates that these ships could be remnants of TFN forces that had fled the Orions 90 years before during the Second Interstellar War. When the bogies identify themselves as TFN and refuse to believe that the Orions are allies, the TFN onboard liaison contacts them and explains the Treaty of Valkha. The bogies agree to parlay and, as the main party stands down, the vanguard comes to the Orions. Shortly thereafter, however, the bogies attack with missiles at minimum range and then with X-ray lasers. The Orions release their Omega drones and fight back, but three ships are soon lost. The Orion flagship is then boarded, but self-destructs before being captured. After studying the available information, the Khanate of Orion decides that the invaders are Terrans. The Strategy Board wants to attack the Federation, but the Khan agrees with the squadron commander's idea of lost TFN forces escaping through Charon's Ferry. He tells the Federation Ambassador that Orion will not attack the Federation or the unknowns, but that the Federation must exact suitable vengeance upon their errant fellows. The Federation agrees and the politicians send a Peace Fleet to Lorelei upon invitation by the unknowns. Under secret orders, the TFN is subordinated to the diplomatic corps with disastrous results as the bogies repeat their underhanded tactics. This story has many similarities to historical conflicts. The genocidial destruction of the Rigellian Protectorate in the Third Interstellar War parallels the actions of Rome in the Third Punic War. The actions of the Thebans reflect the fanatical behavior of both sides in the long conflict between Christianity and Islam, particularly in the Eastern Roman Empire and in Spain. This novel is recommended for all Weber & White fans and anyone who likes spatial warfare with a background of political intrigue.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: Excellent book if you like interstellar combat
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: First of all, I want to say that this is a verry good book. The charicters are not as developed as possible, but that is not what I look for in a book. The Thebans atack Orion ships under Human names, and so the Humans have to defend their honor. However, I would like to read of the Human Orion Wars (ISW-1) and all the others in betwene. In all, a good book, with good potential for prequils.
Rating:
Summary: Want to see the Rigelian war (ISW3)
Review: I enjoyed this book, as with the others in the series. However, I would like to see a book devoted to ISW3-the Rigelian war. As a side note, I love the way Admiral Antonov holds politicians in utter contempt. Really wish that Weber & White (or either separately) would flesh out this series like the HH books. ISW4 (the Bugs) had to great books devoted to it. What about ISW 1 through 3? The Rigelian wars really appear to be interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Want to see the Rigelian war (ISW3)
Review: I enjoyed this book, as with the others in the series. However, I would like to see a book devoted to ISW3-the Rigelian war. As a side note, I love the way Admiral Antonov holds politicians in utter contempt. Really wish that Weber & White (or either separately) would flesh out this series like the HH books. ISW4 (the Bugs) had to great books devoted to it. What about ISW 1 through 3? The Rigelian wars really appear to be interesting.
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