Lieutenant Hornblower [Paperback]

C.S. Forester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1984

The nineteenth century dawns and the Napoleonic Wars rage as Horatio Hornblower faces the fury of the French and Spanish fleets combined. Amidst the hissing of wet wads, the stifling heat of white-hot cannonshot and the clamour of a mutinous crew, new Lieutenant Hornblower will need all of his seafaring cunning to overcome his first challenge in independent command on the high seas. And while blood and violence flow thick and fast aboard a beleaguered HMS Renown, the aftermath of war promises intrigue of an entirely different order: Maria, a young senorita, who might just soften the steely resolve of a young lieutenant. This is the second of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester's inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This trio offer more of the salty adventures of the title character, who sailed the ocean blue during the Napoleonic Wars.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

8 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (September 30, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316289213
• ISBN-13: 978-0316289214
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,153,832 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

131 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Series order for the Hornblower books, December 27, 1999

By 

P. Caldwell "meredevice" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lieutenant Hornblower (Paperback)

Here is the series order: 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 Hownblower, Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies. The other titles you'll see are different 3-in-1-cover combinations of the above titles, though not always in series order (go figure), Cadet versions of the same titles above by different titles (REALLY go figure), and companion books.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 broadsides and a trumping finesse as Hornblower advances, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lieutenant Hornblower (Paperback)

Lieutenant Hornblower is not a novel that should be read in isolation. It was originally published in the early 50s after the success of earlier, although chronologically later, Hornblower books and a movie. Forester's purpose was to show the development of the character of Hornblower while providing a good sea story in itself. He succeeded on both accounts.

Lieutenant Hornblower is set in 1803, several years after Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. We are told nothing of what has occurred to Hornblower in years preceding the book. Lieutenant Hornblower is seen through the eyes of Lieutenant William Bush, a brother officer, who although slightly senior comes increasingly to look to Hornblower for leadership. Although initially distrusting, Bush sees greatness in Hornblower and the two develop a strong friendship. Bush is portrayed as a dull, stodgy and not too bright English career naval officer. He is also a very decent man and solid friend. One is reminded of the friendship between Holmes and Watson and Conan Doyle's device; which was to make Holmes appear more brilliant by making Watson appear to be slow. In fact, I could imagine a young Basil Rathbone and a young Nigel Bruce playing the Hornblower and Bush roles.

As the novel runs its course, the two men overcome a mad captain, a Spanish fort, an attempt by prisoners to overtake the ship, a night in the fleshpots of the Caribbean, a court of inquiry, and perhaps most challenging of all, peace. Forester skillfully develops Hornblower's character while creating some unanswered questions. Was Hornblower responsible for the mad captain's downfall? What was the relationship between Hornblower and the servant girl in London? We learn more about Hornblower but mystery is maintained, perhaps even enhanced.

One of the most important things that we learn about Hornblower is that while he is a brilliant warrior, he is also highly aware of war's cost. Hornblower is a reluctant warrior but when driven to fight, he does his duty magnificently. Written as it was shortly after the end of World War II, one can see that Forester was striking a chord in both Britain and the United States. The men of the RN and USN would be the legitimate descendants of Horatio Hornblower.

Like Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower does not reach its climax with a battle scene. Instead the climax is a game of wist. During peacetime, Hornblower is reduced to playing wist to survive and must gamble his limited resources to stay afloat. Britons must have been able to relate strongly to this post war poverty. Americans conversely could recognize the gambling scene from any number of westerns. As always, Forester is able to meet the conflicting demands of both British and American readers.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and well performed!, October 5, 1999

By 

M. Beth Thomas (Central Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga) (Audio Cassette)

Young Mr. Gruffudd makes a marvelous performance and his well trained acting abilities pour through with astounding affect! He slides easily in and out of characters and accents. There's never a break to make one lose the feel and atmosphere of the story. And, he delivers the story surely as real as C.S. Forester could have dreamed it! One need only to close ones eyes and be taken back into the days of Horatio Hornblower!