-Larry Niven, "The Warriors" IN Niven, Tales Of Known Space (New York, 1975), pp. 135-151 AT p.151.
Kzinti and a spherical spaceship are relevant to Spheroids And Cubes. There is a further relevance of Niven's "The Warriors" to Poul Anderson's Mirkheim. In both, a period of peace in human space is ended by contact with aggressive aliens. War must be relearned. Fortunately for Niven's characters, a spaceship drive makes a perfect weapon. In Anderson's Solar Commonwealth, the Admiralty:
"...'ve never had to fight a war. Skills, doctrine, the military style of thinking evaporated generations ago.
"Such things must needs be relearned in the time that is upon us."
-Mirkheim, VII, p. 118.
Though the only actual periods of 'peace' are when someone else does your fighting for you.
ReplyDeleteKaor, Mr. Stirling!
ReplyDeleteSuch as the long service, professional legions of the Roman Empire, which we see a lot of in your T0 TURN THE TIDE. Which numbered only about 200,000 legionaries and auxiliaries in Marcus Aurelius' reign.
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean
No, it was about 400,000 -- half legionaries and half auxiliaries in the 2nd century.
ReplyDeleteKaor, Mr. Stirling!
ReplyDeleteDang, I sit corrected! I either forgot or had not known the Imperial army numbered about 400,000 long service soldiers. And even that is small compared to the massive armies we started seeing in the 19th century.
Also, I agree with what that hard headed realist, Flavius Vegetius, wrote in DE RE MILITARI (c. AD 383): "If you want peace prepare for war."
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean