Field of Dishonor

Field of Dishonor is a transitional novel in the fictional life of Honor Harrington, part of a complex series of science fiction works, by David Weber, which also draws on historical fiction. The Harrington character, in many respects, is modeled on C.S. Forester's series about Horatio Hornblower, with the minor details of a change of gender and moving the context more than two millenia into the future.

This book is the sequel to The Short Victorious War, and the prequel to Flag in Exile. At the start of the book, Harrington has established a brilliant reputation as a warship captain, and also acquits herself well when command of a task force falls to her in desperate battle circumstances. During the course of the book, she finds herself becoming more deeply enmeshed in the politics of her home Star Kingdom of Manticore and her adopted co-home of Grayson, learning lessons that are lessons that most naval officers must learn before moving from captain to admiral. It has the least in-space action of any of the books.

Justice deferred

It opens to a naval review board reviewing testimony and recordings from a desperate battle that took place at the end of The Short Victorious War. Honor's competent is manifest, the cowardice and incompetence of Captain Lord Pavel Young is equally apparent, and the political ramifications of punishing a member of the aristocracy are introduced.