Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "CAPTAIN SIR HORATIO HORNBLOWER sat in his bath, regarding with distaste his legs dangling over the end..." (more)
Key Phrases: sea pie, main topsail, Captain Bush, Commodore Hornblower, Grand Marshal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"In this ninth installment in the Hornblower series, the incomparable Horatio Hornblower, recently knighted and settled in as squire of the village of Smallbridge, has been designated commodore of his own squadron of ships, led by the two-decker Nonsuch and bound for the Baltic. It is 1812, and Hornblower has been ordered to do anything and everything possible, diplomatically and militarily, to protect the Baltic trade and to stop the spread of Napoleon's empire into Sweden and Russia. Though he has set sail a hero, one misstep may ruin his chances of ever becoming an admiral. Hostile armies, seductive Russian royalty, nautical perils such as ice-bound bays, assassins in the imperial palace--Hornblower must conquer all before he can return home to his beloved new wife and son, as his instructions are to sacrifice every man and ship under his command rather than surrender ground to Napoleon."

From the Publisher

7 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books; Revised edition (April 5, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316289388
• ISBN-13: 978-0316289382
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,792 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 9 in The Horatio Hornblower Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Baltic Battles for Hornblower, June 8, 2000

By	Bill Mac "hmcs_kenogami" (windsor, ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Commodore Hornblower was Forester's first attempt to replicate the pre-war success of his Horatio Hornblower trilogy; Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line and Flying Colours. After emerging victorious from the greatest war in human history, would his readership still be interested in a more distant conflict? The answer was "Yes", but Forester made sure by including strong parallels between the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. The result, as a historical novel, was as relevant to the readers of the day as if it had been written about WWII. Commodore Hornblower works as a historical novel of the Napoleonic era and as a reminder of the immense struggles and sacrifices of WWII.

Commodore Hornblower begins with Hornblower leaving his new wife and son to return to sea. How poignant this passage must have been for the first post-war readers. Hornblower, now in charge of a small squadron, must take his ships into the Baltic past hostile Danes and Swedes who maintain a sinister neutrality. What follows is a series of naval and land engagements that are typical of this type of novel. However nobody surpassed Forester in telling exciting yet realistic action stories. The battle scenes are both exciting and exhilarating yet horrifying at the same time.

During his stint in the Baltic, Hornblower rubs shoulders with the Tsar of Russia, Marshal Bernadotte of Sweden and the warrior/philosopher Clausewitz. Hornblower must try and win over those hanging onto to neutrality by a thread and those siding with the tyrant Napoleon. As always he acquits himself well although he is his own worst critic.

While Commodore Hornblower works as both an action novel and a historical novel, I think that it might have lost some of the impact that it had when it was first published. The parallels for the British people in 1940 and 1812 are very strong. There is a tyrant dominating Europe who is both willing and able to throw away far more lives than the British could manage or accept. There is Russia siding with the tyrant, invading Finland and ultimately resisting the tyrant's invasion from the west. There is Europe ready for an uprising to overthrow the tyrant. And, of course, there is Britain standing alone against the might of the entire continent until forces can be rallied to defeat the tyrant. Commodore Hornblower is a story of heroism in the Napoleonic era but it was published at the right time to remind the British people of the heroism that they had so recently shown. It's a marvelous sequel and worthy successor to Forester's pre-war efforts.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy the whole package, September 18, 2003

By	Jack Purcell (Placitas, NM USA) - See all my reviews

Start with Midshipman Hornblower and take a vacation. You won't put any book in the series down until you finish them all.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The saga continues, July 25, 2003

By	Michael H. Siegel (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Commodore Hornblower is an excellent continuation of the adventures of Horatio Hornblower. Fresh from his dramatic victory in Spain and France, Hornblower is dispatched to the Baltic. His mission is to both frustrate Napoleon and support Russia, one of the few nations yet to be conquered by the tyrant.

The result is a tale that fits in perfectly with the Hornblower cannon. Horatio's adventures in the Baltic cover the whole gamut from challenging French privateers to foiling assassination plots to fending off a siege in Riga. And Forester levens the action with a constant reminder of the historical context. 1812 was possibly the most desperate year for England, when it seemed the whole world was against her. (Although, perhaps with his audience in mind, Forester tacitly left out the fact that Britain was at war with America as well. For history buffs, this omission is conspicuous.)

Hornblower is his usual compelling self -- brave, brilliant but with his dark sides. He make decisions and has thoughts that would be considered far too complex and realistic for today's action heroes. I found myself as fascinated by Hornblower himself as I was by the thrilling action scenes.

This is an excellent continuation of the Hornblower series.