In the aftermath of the storm to end all storms, Bass Foster's house is swept back in time to a war-torn medieval England that never was. Bass and five unexpected guests find themselves embroiled in a contentious holy war ignited by the Church against the rightful throne of 17th century England. Quickly, for survival's sake, the castaways in time must choose sides and adapt themselves to the turbulent socio-political climate of this parallel earth, harnessing their cumulative knowledge of science and technology and putting into use Bass's modest arsenal of modern weaponry - thusly significantly influencing the temporal tide of history. 

Before S. M. Stirling, Harry Turtledove, and Eric Flint first dabbled in time travel and alternate histories, Robert Adams' blood-and-guts six-book series Castaways in Time thrilled readers a generation past. This novel, titled Castaways in Time, is the opener to that series and is one of the better, more fully-realized time travel adventure stories I have read. It certainly is the best of the six installments. Robert Adams was a history and military buff and it shows in his detailed minutae of life and war in not so jolly, bloody old England. He narrates his medieval military campaigns with vivid authority and easy familiarity. There's a visceral feel conveyed by Adams which impacts the reader and places him or her right there in the heat of the skirmishes, on that wartorn battlefield. 

Bass Foster, our lead character, is a man in his mid-forties who has let the world pass him by. But it's a good thing he knows quite a bit about the art of war because his martial expertise comes in very handy in a savage world where "might makes right." It's not long before his consummate soldiering is recognized and hailed by his 17th century peers. His fellow temporally-challenged travellers also contribute greatly and are accordingly elevated in status, notably Pete Fairley (an innovative jack-of-all-trades), Bud Webster (a huge bear of a man and himself an accomplished soldier) and the initially meek Professor William Collier. In fact, the professor, whose hobby is studying military history, has a knack for strategy and tactics, as well as being an ace at firearms and the sword. Very early on, he becomes a trusted adviser to the king and is granted an earldom - which, it turns out, is a bad thing. His resulting enmity with Bass Foster provides a subplot that further ratchets up the action-packed storyline. Also, keep an eye out for Nugai, a taciturn but deadly local whom I grew to liked. 

The pace of this book is certainly frenetic. Lots of things transpire in a very short time. Events are described in brief but all-encompassing passages. There is no shortage of military action. One minor quibble I have is that Robert Adams chooses to minimize scenes of the moderns initially coping with their very odd situation. They get transported back into time; then, next thing you know, two weeks pass and they've already acclimated. But, I guess, the refutation to that is that in times of battle, you adapt or you die. Still, the narrative is a bit disjointed; there are abrupt transitions in continuity in the first third of the book which might ruffle the reader's sensibilities. I got used to it; hope you do too. 

During the course of the tale, several questions beg for answers. Why does Bass' house continue to have electric power in the 17th century? Who exactly was that slain enemy soldier with the exquisite armament and a gold class ring from the future? And what's up with the elderly Archbishop Harold of York, who claims he was born in 1968? Hmmm...