Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wartide | 1992 | John Barnes | Buy |
| 2 | Battlecry | 1992 | John Barnes | Buy |
| 3 | Union Fires | 1992 | John Barnes | Buy |
The Timeraider trilogy – Wartide, Battlecry, and Union Fires – was published in 1992 as part of the Timeraider series. All three books appeared the same year, making them a tightly connected set. The series follows soldiers who are sent backward through time to fight in historical wars, with the larger context of a future conflict playing out behind the individual missions.
The books are action-oriented and move quickly. Barnes wrote them in a pulpy military SF register, prioritizing momentum and combat over the sociological depth of his longer-form work. They are shorter than his main series novels and designed to be read in sequence.
The Timeraider books are a minor entry in Barnes’s catalog, written early in his career alongside more ambitious projects. They are of interest primarily to readers who want a complete picture of his bibliography or who enjoy compact military time-travel adventures.