Aug 22 2008
The Cross-Time Engineer: Book One in The Adventures of Conrad Stargard
When I was in college, I dated two very different guys who both loved the Adventures of Conrad Stargard series by Leo Frankowski. I read the entire series, and also enjoyed it very much, passing it on to my dad who calls it a favorite. I picked up book one off my dad’s shelf on a whim Sunday afternoon, and finished it this morning.
In some ways, this is a guy’s book. Conrad is an engineer - very intelligent, but nothing nerdy about this engineer - he’s a complete hit with the ladies. But, along side the guy-oriented descriptions of various maidens is a pretty good story.
Conrad passes out in the basement of a tavern near Cracow while on a hiking vacation from his work as an engineer. He wakes up in 13th century Poland - just 10 years before the Mongols are due to invade and decimate the country. Conrad uses his modern knowledge, his engineering skills, and a few things from his knapsack to become a revered - and feared - knight. Realizing that he has no idea how to find his way back to modern times, he settles in to make the best of things - and save Poland from the Mongol invasion.
These are very light reads - filled with wit, great descriptions of the machines Conrad builds, and a little bit of romance mixed with some bawdy humor.
3 out of 5 stars
