Lester Tourville
Encyclopedia
Admiral Lester Tourville is a fictional character
in the Honorverse
, a series of military science fiction
novels written by David Weber
. His first appearance takes place during the series' seventh novel, In Enemy Hands
, and he has continued to appear in all the following novels of the fictional universe's main series.
In his first appearance in the series, Tourville holds the rank of Citizen Rear Admiral in the Navy of the People's Republic of Haven
and has gained a reputation as a bold, aggressive and competent commander in the war between Haven and the Star Kingdom of Manticore
. Adding to his professional reputation is his brash, loud-mouthed, "cowboy" public persona, which in reality is nothing more than a facade Tourville uses to not appear too ambitious or competent for his own sake in the eyes of the pervasive Office of State Security, the Havenite secret police. This facade leads to his adoption of unusual personal marks, such as smoking cigars while on duty.
Operating under Citizen Admiral Thomas Theisman
's orders as one of his subordinate battlecruiser squadron commanders, Rear Admiral Tourville stages a lightning "cavalry raid" attack on the Manticoran squadron picketing the Adler System, almost completely destroying it without suffering any losses in return.
Following the raid on Adler, Admiral Tourville's forces manage a second major triumph for the People's Republic as his task force disables and captures the Manticoran heavy cruiser Prince Adrian, which had entered the system as a forward scouting vessel for a joint Manticore-Grayson convoy. Even though the battle against Prince Adrian gives time to the Manticoran convoy to evade the Havenite forces, among the prisoners captured onboard the surrendered cruiser is Commodore Honor Harrington
- which makes Admiral Tourville the first Havenite commander to defeat Harrington in space combat.
Providing the honors and courtesies due to their ranks, Admiral Tourville returns Harrington and the other prisoners to his homebase in the Barnett system, only to find himself -and Admiral Theisman- overruled by Citizen Committeewoman Cordelia Ransom
, the head of the Havenite propaganda apparatus and one of the People's Republic's top leaders. When Ransom orders Harrington and the other Manticoran prisoners to be remanded to her (and State Security's) custody, Admiral Tourville protests the decision, inadvertently making himself a target for Ransom, who orders him to escort her and her personal battlecruiser, PNS Tepes to the prison planet Hades as she transports Honor Harrington to her intended execution. Fortunately for Tourville and his staff, Cordelia Ransom dies during the Manticoran prisoners' breakout from Tepes before she could take action against him.
Following a few months of forced inactivity as the People's Republic's leadership sorted out the death of Cordelia Ransom, Tourville returns to active duty as part of Citizen Admiral Javier Giscard
's "Twelfth Fleet", leading the attack on the Zanzibar System, an ally of Manticore, during "Operation Icarus", a massive multi-pronged offensive conceived by the ambitious Secretary of War of the People's Republic, Citizen Admiral Esther McQueen
, as depicted in the series' eighth novel, Echoes of Honor
.
Later on, Tourville remains under Giscard's command and is again targeted for purging following the death of the People's Republic's leader, Robert Stanton Pierre
, during Admiral McQueen's attempted coup, but the timely intervention (and covert sabotage of the State Security ships sent to capture him) from one of his staffers, Commander Shannon Foraker
, allows Tourville and Giscard to survive and support Admiral Theisman's successful coup against the tyrannical Havenite government (Ashes of Victory
).
In the subsequent years, Tourville reaches the rank of full Admiral and becomes one of the Havenite Navy's top commanders during the civil war that followed the overthrow of the People's Republic. When hostilities with Manticore resume after five years of truce, Admiral Tourville is sent to attack the Manticoran fleet based at Sidemore, but his fleet suffers a crushing defeat at the hands of Honor Harrington, forcing his ships to return to Haven amid heavy damage (War of Honor
).
As the renewed war with Manticore continues, Tourville is assigned more missions, including a brazen attack on the Zanzibar System and the massive and desperate attack on the Manticore Binary System itself, which results in a disaster for his fleet even though he managed to crush two of Manticore's three main battle fleets. He was last seen surrendering to the Manticoran Eighth Fleet, commanded by Admiral Honor Harrington, at the end of At All Costs
, and becomes a prisoner of war of the Star Kingdom. In Mission of Honor
Adm. Harrington later questions Tourville about President Eloise Pritchart and her Administration in preparation for her diplomatic mission to Haven.
Lester Tourville is named after the historical French admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Honorverse
Honorverse
The Honorverse refers to the military science fiction book series and sub-series created by David Weber and published by Baen Books. The series is set primarily after Honor Harrington's October 1, 3961, birth; although she is the protagonist in most of the stories, more recent entries make only...
, a series of military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
novels written by David Weber
David Weber
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
. His first appearance takes place during the series' seventh novel, In Enemy Hands
In Enemy Hands
In Enemy Hands is a military science fiction novel, the seventh in the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, and was first published in 1996. Like most novels in the series, its text is available in the Baen Free Library.- Plot summary :...
, and he has continued to appear in all the following novels of the fictional universe's main series.
In his first appearance in the series, Tourville holds the rank of Citizen Rear Admiral in the Navy of the People's Republic of Haven
People's Republic of Haven
The Republic of Haven is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse, the background setting for a series of novels and short stories in the military science fiction genre, written by David Weber and others and published by Baen Books....
and has gained a reputation as a bold, aggressive and competent commander in the war between Haven and the Star Kingdom of Manticore
Star Kingdom of Manticore
The Star Kingdom of Manticore , frequently referred to as Manticore or the Star Kingdom, is a fictional star-nation in the Honorverse series of military science fiction novels and short stories by David Weber and others, published by Baen Books.- Depiction :The Star Kingdom was founded in the...
. Adding to his professional reputation is his brash, loud-mouthed, "cowboy" public persona, which in reality is nothing more than a facade Tourville uses to not appear too ambitious or competent for his own sake in the eyes of the pervasive Office of State Security, the Havenite secret police. This facade leads to his adoption of unusual personal marks, such as smoking cigars while on duty.
Operating under Citizen Admiral Thomas Theisman
Thomas Theisman
Admiral Thomas Edward Theisman is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber...
's orders as one of his subordinate battlecruiser squadron commanders, Rear Admiral Tourville stages a lightning "cavalry raid" attack on the Manticoran squadron picketing the Adler System, almost completely destroying it without suffering any losses in return.
Following the raid on Adler, Admiral Tourville's forces manage a second major triumph for the People's Republic as his task force disables and captures the Manticoran heavy cruiser Prince Adrian, which had entered the system as a forward scouting vessel for a joint Manticore-Grayson convoy. Even though the battle against Prince Adrian gives time to the Manticoran convoy to evade the Havenite forces, among the prisoners captured onboard the surrendered cruiser is Commodore Honor Harrington
Honor Harrington
Honor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington is a fictional character, the heroine of a series of military science fiction books set in the "Honorverse", written by David Weber and published by Baen Books....
- which makes Admiral Tourville the first Havenite commander to defeat Harrington in space combat.
Providing the honors and courtesies due to their ranks, Admiral Tourville returns Harrington and the other prisoners to his homebase in the Barnett system, only to find himself -and Admiral Theisman- overruled by Citizen Committeewoman Cordelia Ransom
Cordelia Ransom
Cordelia Ransom is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber. Many people consider her to be analogous to Jean-Paul Marat, an important figure in the French Revolution....
, the head of the Havenite propaganda apparatus and one of the People's Republic's top leaders. When Ransom orders Harrington and the other Manticoran prisoners to be remanded to her (and State Security's) custody, Admiral Tourville protests the decision, inadvertently making himself a target for Ransom, who orders him to escort her and her personal battlecruiser, PNS Tepes to the prison planet Hades as she transports Honor Harrington to her intended execution. Fortunately for Tourville and his staff, Cordelia Ransom dies during the Manticoran prisoners' breakout from Tepes before she could take action against him.
Following a few months of forced inactivity as the People's Republic's leadership sorted out the death of Cordelia Ransom, Tourville returns to active duty as part of Citizen Admiral Javier Giscard
Javier Giscard
Javier Giscard is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber.An admiral in the People's Navy, Javier Giscard was once one of Alfredo Yu's students. By the beginning of Haven's war with Manticore Giscard had the rank of Commander, as...
's "Twelfth Fleet", leading the attack on the Zanzibar System, an ally of Manticore, during "Operation Icarus", a massive multi-pronged offensive conceived by the ambitious Secretary of War of the People's Republic, Citizen Admiral Esther McQueen
Esther McQueen
Citizen Admiral Esther McQueen is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber....
, as depicted in the series' eighth novel, Echoes of Honor
Echoes of Honor
Echoes of Honor is the eighth Honor Harrington novel by David Weber.The novel is divided into six "books". Books 1, 3 and 5 describe the unfolding course of the Manticore-Haven war, while Books 2, 4 and 6 focus on the exploits of Honor and her allies in the prison planet Hades, also known as...
.
Later on, Tourville remains under Giscard's command and is again targeted for purging following the death of the People's Republic's leader, Robert Stanton Pierre
Rob S. Pierre
Robert Stanton Pierre is a fictional character and primary antagonist in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber....
, during Admiral McQueen's attempted coup, but the timely intervention (and covert sabotage of the State Security ships sent to capture him) from one of his staffers, Commander Shannon Foraker
Shannon Foraker
Vice Admiral Shannon Foraker is a fictional character in the Honorverse, a series of military science fiction novels written by David Weber.An expert tactical officer, she has served under Warner Caslet on board the light cruiser PNS Vaubon during the early years of the war, gaining a reputation of...
, allows Tourville and Giscard to survive and support Admiral Theisman's successful coup against the tyrannical Havenite government (Ashes of Victory
Ashes of Victory
-Plot summary:The book begins hours after the end of the previous novel. Honor Harrington and her "Elysian Space Navy" arrive at Manticoran-controlled space, only to discover that she was believed dead, that her mother had given birth to twins , her cousin Devon has inherited her Manticoran title,...
).
In the subsequent years, Tourville reaches the rank of full Admiral and becomes one of the Havenite Navy's top commanders during the civil war that followed the overthrow of the People's Republic. When hostilities with Manticore resume after five years of truce, Admiral Tourville is sent to attack the Manticoran fleet based at Sidemore, but his fleet suffers a crushing defeat at the hands of Honor Harrington, forcing his ships to return to Haven amid heavy damage (War of Honor
War of Honor
War of Honor is a science fiction novel by David Weber, his tenth Honor Harrington novel. It was first published in 2002.-Plot summary:Five years have passed since a truce was reached between Manticore and Haven, but there is still no formal peace treaty...
).
As the renewed war with Manticore continues, Tourville is assigned more missions, including a brazen attack on the Zanzibar System and the massive and desperate attack on the Manticore Binary System itself, which results in a disaster for his fleet even though he managed to crush two of Manticore's three main battle fleets. He was last seen surrendering to the Manticoran Eighth Fleet, commanded by Admiral Honor Harrington, at the end of At All Costs
At All Costs
-Plot summary:Due to the actions of the High Ridge government in War of Honor, which led to a successful attack on key Alliance shipyards by the Republic of Haven, the Star Kingdom of Manticore finds itself decidedly on the short end of the strategic balance between the two warring star nations...
, and becomes a prisoner of war of the Star Kingdom. In Mission of Honor
Mission of Honor
Mission of Honor by David Weber and published on June 22, 2010 by Baen Books, is the twelfth novel set in the Honorverse in the main Honor Harrington series. It debuted at #13 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller List.-Cover summary:...
Adm. Harrington later questions Tourville about President Eloise Pritchart and her Administration in preparation for her diplomatic mission to Haven.
Lester Tourville is named after the historical French admiral Anne Hilarion de Tourville
Anne Hilarion de Tourville
Anne Hilarion de Costentin, comte de Tourville was a French naval commander who served under King Louis XIV. He was made Marshal of France in 1693.-Military career:...
.