Customer Reviews

Admiral Hornblower in West Indies

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2 star:		(1)
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Like the first novel in the series, 'Mr. Midshipman Hornblower,' 'Admrial Hornblower in the West Indies,' is a collection of short stories rather than a single novel. And, like 'Mr. Midshipman,' it is one of the lower points in the series. 'Admiral Hornblower,' is the only Hornblower novel to take place during peacetime and so the action, where it is, seems a little forced. Lacking is the adventure of Hornblower braving the odds to meet an impossible objective. Instead, many of the stories focus on much more trivial aspects of Her Majesty's Navy. Of course this is still a Hornblower book by the master, C. S. Forester, and he doesn't leave the reader competely high and dry. The first story, by far the best, deals with Hornblower's attempt to intercept a French vessel bound for St. Helena. Hornblower must use all his cunning to stop the would-be liberators of Napoleon Bonoparte from his island prison. Also there are a some moving moments as Hornblower takes the time to relect on his brilliant career and years of service. A must read for fans of the series but certainly not Forester's best.

While reading Hornblower is always refreshing, this final (chronological) installment of the series simply does not generate the excitement that crackles in the earlier works.

The arc of the Hornblower series begins with 'Beat to Quarters' and reaches its zenith with 'Commodore Hornblower.' For readers still giddy with the aftereffects of those books, 'Admiral Hornblower' may be a bit disappointing. More an epilogue than a coda, this book finds Horatio at his last post as commander-in-chief of His Majesty's squadron in the West Indies.

It may be that Forester simply had no exploits to offer on par with Horatio's earlier adventures. Without the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, one finds a distinct lack of urgency to this book. That said, it's worth noting the first adventure in 'Admiral Hornblower' brings back the old magic of the earlier books and manages to quicken the pulse.

Still, no first-time Hornblower reader could resist reading any installment. Nor should he. These are the greatest sea stories ever written; each one to be savored. Read, enjoy, and bid farewell to Admiral Lord Hornblower.

This is really a collection of short stories. Not really a book.

It has been several years since the end of the Napoleanic Wars. Hornblower is assigned to the squadron in the West Indies (Carribbean) as the commander in chief. A frigate is his largest ship. Most of the squadron consists of sloops and brigs.

A lot of politics and philosophy going on. A couple of historical incidents.

Overall, this feels like the end of a career. Not real graceful, but worth the reading.

This, the last in C. S. Forester's Hornblower series, is very unlike the novels which proceeded it. This book is segmented into five stand-alone short stories, the first four of which could be read in any order. The fifth story needs to be last as it relates Admiral Hornblower's retirement from active duty and return to Britain with his wife, Barbara, whom we first met in "Ship of the Line." The Napoleonic wars are over, Bonaparte is in prison for the second time, in St. Helena, and our aging (46) hero is in the twilight of his career. He is effectively waging a police action defending British interests in the Caribbean and fighting stateless piracy (the terrorism of that age). In the first story Hornblower discovers through stealth that a French ship in New Orleans has taken on six hundred muskets and bales of French uniforms. When he learns the the captain plans on racing to St. Helena, freeing Bonaparte, and restoring the French Empire, we are off to the last naval engagement of the Napoleonic wars. In the second story Hornblower engages a large topsail schooner, the Estrella del Sur, in a desperate race to prevent her cargo of slaves from reaching it's destination, Havana. Flying Spanish colors, she takes refuge in San Juan. Hornblower's plans to capture this much faster ship pits his daring and ingenuity against his opponent's two knots superiority in speed. The third story takes place entirely on land, on the island of Jamaica. Hornblower and his secretary, Mr. Spendlove, are captured and held for ransom by pirates. The pirates' impregnable lair is on a ledge on the face of a high cliff. The conclusion involves a weapon we see here for the first time, a ship mortar, which fires bombs with a timed fuse. The fourth story has a more historical setting, Bolivar's defeat of royalist forces in Venezuela's fight for independence from Spain. Readers familiar with Lord Cochrane's campaigns in Chile and Peru will see his persona recreated in Mr. Charles Ramsbottom. He is the wealthy son of a Bradford wool merchant, and arrives in Kingston harbor in his private yacht, a decommissioned brig. Eventually we discover that he is what was then called a "Liberal," come to the assistance of the revolutionary, Bolivar.

C. S. Forester hasn't lost his knack for a tale: "There was something just over the horizon of his mind, some stirring of an idea. And within a second the idea was up over the horizon, vague at present, like a hazy landfall, but as certain and as reassuring as any landfall. He could not help glancing over at the Estrella, sizing up the tactical situation, seeking further inspiration there, testing what he already had in mind."

C.S Forester receives high praise for his writing style, complex Hornblower character, and stirring action scenes from the age of fighting sail. This is one of the shorter complete series by a major British author (although none of the American ones have reached 11 books). The series is uneven, the original wartime trilogy of complete and continuous novels undoubtedly the best part while the other books (the ones with "Hornblower" in their titles) include several (like this one) consisting of short stories, or containing extended land episodes, and one that is seriously unfinished ("Crisis"). Despite being written in a completely different order, it is fascinating to see how Forester was able to consistently develop Hornblower appropriately across the series. Here HH reflects on his career and values, and actually obtains some determined confidence in his final actions, although now largely confined to command of some rather pipsqueak boats in a post-war and ostensibly peaceful Caribbean. The writing is always excellent and the puzzles HH faces are always diabolically difficult, not least those of the heart.

One of the great rewards of reading all of the Hornblower novels is that C.S. Forester does quite a nice job of developing Hornblower's character and his personal ethics over the decades covered in the books. While young, Hornblower toes the line and is impeccable about appearances. Gradually, he begins to focus on doing justice instead, even if that means violating the rules. Eventually, he violates his own standards on occasion and learns to live with that. By the time readers arrive at Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies, his personal standards are all that matter to him. In particular, you will enjoy comparing how he handled the duel in Mr. Midshipman Hornblower with the fifth section of this book.

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies is a series of five novellas that cover three chronological years at the end of Hornblower's naval career. His title is now "Rear Admiral Lord Hornblower" and he has quite a small squadron which is mostly engaged in stopping pirates and the recently outlawed slave trade in the West Indies. Each story involves some apparently impossible problem, which Hornblower or someone close to him solves.

The first story involves trying to stop an American ship, while the two nations are at peace, with a smaller, slower vessel. The second story addresses a fast slave ship in neutral waters that Hornblower wants to capture. The third tale touches on Hornblower becoming embroiled in the problems of an escaped pirate crew. The fourth entry looks into trying to remain neutral during the wars of liberation in South America. The final story is an adventure tale involving Lady Barbara and Hornblower and considers the problems of a marine who refuses orders to play his music the way it is written.

Part of the appeal of this book is that it shows the messy way that the challenges of life often evolve. So, what's the best thing to do? It's hard to tell, and circumstances are often different from what they seem. Even though taking action may have long-term negative consequences for oneself, what is the right thing to do? That's the focus here.

What opportunities did you have today to do the right thing? How did you do?

C.S. Forester was at his best when he stuck to the short story or novella sizes. Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies is a series of several short stories set during a 3 year period when HH is assigned command of the Royal Navy in the West Indies. What could go wrong in the West Indies at that time one wonders? After all, the Napoleonic and 1812 Wars were over. Britannia ruled the waves. What could go wrong? Well, lots could go wrong and does for HH in this charming collection of exciting short stories.

Horatio Hornblower, now in his mid-40s with a wife and son in England, has to police the entire Caribbean for slavers and pirates with limited resources now that the world is at peace. Furthermore, he can't upset the sensibilities of the Americans who are laying down the Monroe Doctrine or the Spanish who have Simon Bolivar on their doorstep. Furthermore, the spectre of Bonaparte, defeated but still defiant in his St. Helena exile, still hangs over HH's head.

In each of the short stories HH faces an apparently insoluble problem that he must solve in his usual self-doubting manner. By creating a group of short stories that covers the length of his assignment in the West Indies CSF managed to provide a more complete summation of HH's experiences than if he had tried to write the book as a novel. There is plenty of action in the novel although it's not as bloody as earlier efforts or anywhere near as bloody as Kent's efforts. HH has to think his way through problems not hack and slash his way through. It's also good as an HH reader to see that our hero has become a happier man after 25 years of war and sorrow. In Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies we have our hero enjoying himself as he does what he does best and as only he can do it.

Most reviewers recommend reading the HH books in chronological order and I concur. Save this one for last. A mature and confident Hornblower is at work in this collection of stories, from the improbable encounter with expatriate French troops to the exciting conclusion when Hornblower and Barbara face a hurricane. As the storm builds, Barbara resolves an issue from years earlier and HH is his usual resourceful self is saving the day. This book provides an interesting contrast with his earlier life; one filled with doubts, poverty, and difficulty. It is like a beautiful sunset after a stormy day.

This isn't the greatest Hornblower work, but very good none the less. It is a collection of five short stories, all based in the West Indies during Hornblower's tenure as the Commander-in-Chief of Britian's West Indian Fleet. Very similiar to the format used in Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. A very satisfying read.

My favorite literary series, and my favorite hero. Wonderful action, and a beautiful character study. By all means, though, read them chronologically, starting with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower.