Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga) [Paperback]

C. S. Forester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 1999 | Series: Hornblower Saga (Book 5)

In the wake of a humbling incident aboard a canal boat in the Cotswolds, young Captain Horatio Hornblower arrives in London to take command of the Atropos, a 22-gun sloop barely large enough to require a captain. Her first assignment under Hornblower's command is as flagship for the funeral procession of Lord Nelson. Soon Atropos is part of the Mediterranean Fleet's harassment of Napoleon, recovering treasure that lies deep in Turkish waters and boldly challenging a Spanish frigate several times her size. At the center of each adventure is Hornblower, Forester's most inspired creation, whose blend of cautious preparation and spirited execution dazzles friend and foe alike.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

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

About the Author

C.S Forester was born in Cairo in 1899, where his father was stationed as a government official. He studied medicine at Guy's Hospital, and after leaving Guy's without a degree he turned to writing as a career. On the outbreak of war he entered the Ministry of Information and later he sailed with the Royal Navy to collect material for The Ship. He made a voyage to the Bering Sea to gather material for a similar book on the United States Navy, and it was during this trip that he was stricken with arteriosclerosis, a disease which left him crippled. However, he continued to write and in the Hornblower novels created the most renowned sailor in contemporary fiction. He died in 1966. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Co. (April 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316289299
• ISBN-13: 978-0316289290
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

C. S. Forester (1899-1966) wrote several novels with military and naval themes, including The African Queen, The Barbary Pirates, The General, The Good Shepherd, The Gun, The Last Nine Days of the "Bismarck," and Rifleman Dodd. But Forester is best known as the creator of Horatio Hornblower, a British naval genius of the Napoleonic era, whose exploits and adventures on the high seas Forester chronicled in a series of eleven acclaimed historical novels. Over the years Hornblower has proved to be one of the most beloved and enduring fictional heroes in English literature, his popularity rivaled only by Sherlock Holmes.

Born Cecil Louis Troughton Smith in Cairo, Egypt, Forester grew up in London. At the start of World War II he traveled on behalf of the British government to America, where he produced propaganda encouraging the United States to remain on Britain's side. After the War, Forester remained in America and made Berkeley, California, his home.

The character of Horatio Hornblower was born after Forester was called to Hollywood to write a pirate film. While the script was being drafted, another studio released Captain Blood, starring Errol Flynn, based on the same historical incidents about which Forester was writing. Rather than seek another movie project, and to avoid an impending paternity suit, Forester jumped aboard a freighter bound for England. By the end of the voyage he had outlined Beat to the Quarters, which introduced the now legendary character Hornblower, Bush, and Lady Barbara.

Forester died in 1966 while working on Hornblower During the Crisis.

Back Bay's editions of the Hornblower novels are numbered according to the chronology of Hornblower's life and career, not according to the sequence in which they were written. The series is comprised of the following titles:


Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower and the Hotspur
Hornblower During the Crisis
Hornblower and the Atropos
Beat to Quarters
Ship of the Line
Flying Colours
Commodore Hornblower
Lord Hornblower
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful tale, and very period-enlightening; a must-read., August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga) (Paperback)

C.S. Forester creates an outstanding image of life aboard a Napoeonic-era British naval vessel, with a fascinating insight into the mind of the main character... Captain Horatio Hornblower. With assignments ranging from England to Sicily to Turkey, the crew of the Atropos must deal with everything from doldrums to privateers to political maneuvering... with words where possible, and carronade-fire when they must. To borrow an over-used term, it is a gripping tale and one that any lover of naval adventure *must* read.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars -- occasionally drags, but still good, May 2, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga) (Paperback)

I would put this chapter in the life of Horatio Hornblower in the same category as Mr. Midshipman Hornblower -- good, not great

The 5th book in the Hornblower saga concerns a number of events related to Horatio's first command as Captain -- a 22-gun sloop of war. But it doesn't get there right away. First, we get a rather slow segment of Horatio guiding a canal boat into London, then an even slower segment in which Horatio is put in command of Lord Nelson's funeral procession. Both segments are interesting historically but drag in the narrative -- a rare occurance for Forester.

Once we get out to sea, the story picks with Horatio's tour of duty in the Mediterranean trying to recover sunken English treasure. It reaches its pinnacle with the dramatic confrontation between Horatio and the Turks.

I'm not sure why this didn't grip me the way the other novels did. There are some very good things about it -- the interesting dynamic with a German prince stationed aboard the Atropos for example. But the story spend a lot of time wallowing in irons instead of the usual racing before the wind. Horatio's character is static -- his usual daring and courage subdued. And the ending is rather abruptly tacked on.

Still, I will recommend this book as a good part of the Hornblower saga. But it's far from the best.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 recovered treasures for Hornblower, May 10, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga) (Paperback)

In previous Hornblower novels as well as other fictional stories, C.S. Forester never failed to deliver an enjoyable story. Hornblower and the Atropos is an enjoyable story although perhaps not one of the strongest of the series. It is more a collection of short stories than a novel and perhaps can be enjoyed best in that light.

Hornblower and the Atropos begins with Hornblower, his pregnant wife and child travelling along the canals of England to Hornblower's new posting. The trip is interesting in its description of the canal system and for its exploration of Hornblower's character and his relationship with his wife. Otherwise it has little relation to the subsequent action in the novel.

When Hornblower returns to duty his first task is to plan and choreograph Nelson's funeral, which he does with his usual combination of dedication, competence and self-doubt. I think that the only reason to put this scene in the novel is to show that Hornblower's star is rising. I also wonder if it was written at the time of George VI's death and might have been poignant to the British readers of the day.

HH's next task takes him to Turkey to recover a sunken treasure without causing a diplomatic incident. On his return he must interrupt an attack on a convoy along the way playing cat and mouse with enemy shipping.

The final scene on his return is a powerful counterpoint to the opening scene. However, the whole is not greater than the sum of individual actions. Hornblower and the Atropos is an enjoyable collection of short stories told with CSF's great gift for storytelling. As a novel it is weaker than its chronological predecessors but still well worth the time spent reading it.