The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero [Paperback]

C. Northcote Parkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

Many know of Horatio Hornblower's exploits during the Napoleonic Wars through the novels of C.S. Forester, but how many know the true Hornblower—the man who rose from Midshipman to Admiral of the British Fleet? Using Hornblower family papers discovered in the 1970s, C. Northcote Parkinson has set the record straight in this authoritative biography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is enough here to delight even the most enthusiastic of Hornblower's fans." -- Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Cyril Northcote Parkinson pursued a distinguished academic career on both sides of the Atlantic and first became famous for "Parkinson's Law"—work expands to fill the time allotted to it. Parkinson wrote many books on British politics and economics. His first fictional effort, a "biography" of Horatio Hornblower, met with considerable acclaim and led to the Delancey series. C. Northcote Parkinson died in 1993.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590130650
• ISBN-13: 978-1590130650
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biography of Fictional Naval Hero, August 11, 2006

By 

Zecon - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero (Paperback)

If you have read the entire Hornblower series, this is a marvelous capstone to that series. This biography of the fictional hero Hornblower fills in the blanks and ties the strands of his career and exploits over eleven books into a most readable biography. No issue is left unaddressed, even the mysterious death of Captain Sawyer. The only downside is that it is occasionally gossipy. Despite that, this Hornblower biography is still very much worth reading.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A biography of a character, June 24, 2007

By 

Naor Wallach (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero (Paperback)

It is not unusual to find biographies written of various famous people. This book is distinguished by the fact that it is a biography of a fictional character! Horatio Hornblower was the hero of a series of twelve books written by C. S. Forester between 1937 and 1967. The exploits of Hornblower followed his career starting from his first posting in the British navy during the Napoleonic wars as a Midshipman and all the way to the pinnacle of his career as an Admiral. the series was phenominally successful because it was the first that really explored life in the sailing ships of old and the character was believable in his progression through the ranks. By placing Hornblower as being younger than Nelson, and ending his career in the 1840's, Forester found a sweet spot in history where his protagonist could actually have existed - although he did not.

What Parkinson does is take the twelve novels and fill in many of the gaps in Hornblower's life between the novels. So, we start with his family situation and why he was posted to the Navy in the first place. By giving us this context, and filling in the various gaps left behind by Forester, a more complete picture of Hornblower's supposed life emerges. I think that Parkinson did a fine job of creating fictional accounts and fictional book references to give this work a feeling of authenticity. It is possible to forget that you are reading a fictional biography of a fictional character - it seems real!

Those who have read the Hornblower books will find all of the novels reflected in this book - in a shorter form. Many of the episodes detailed in the novels are in this book. The interesting reveal the sequences in between. So, for instance, Parkinson goes to great trouble to explain about the Hornblower manor in Kent (Smallbridge) and how Hornblower came to own it. Parkinson also adds many events to flesh out how Hornblower's life evolved - there is a almost a whole chapter talking about the marital coolness that developed between him and Barbara - and then how it was resolved so that the marriage survived and prospered. We are also treated to explanations of Hornblower's son's army career and a cousin's naval career - things that were only hinted at in the novels.

Parkinson wrote this story in 1970 - just after Forester's death. A modern reader would immediately notice the somewhat stilted and unnaturally seeming prose that creeps in at times due to the evolution of the English language in the last 35 years (not having read any of Parkinson's other works, I cannot state whether that is simply his style or not). But other than that, this is a fun book to read.

There are several appendices attached at the back which include the family trees of both Barbara and Horatio as well as an Appendix which is written in the form of a letter that Horatio wrote and made sure would remain private until 100 years have passed since Horatio's death. In this "letter" Horatio reveals that he was the one who caused Captain Sawyer's death by first throwing him down the hatch in the Renown, and then ensuring that he dies by sending his accomplice to kill Sawyer in his bed during a battle. I thought this appendix was totally unnecessary and in complete contradiction to the whole Hornblower story. Horatio is almost always shown in a positive light throughout Forester's writings so to have him admit to a murder is inconsistent. I removed one star from my rating for this blemish.

So, if you are a Hornblower fan, this book should be in your library alongside the twelve novels. If not, you may choose to read it as an interesting biography of a naval commander (which is all fiction), or you may not be interested in it at all. Your choice, but I suggest you get it and enjoy reading.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tribute to the Hornblower series, December 11, 2007

By 

Victor De Grande - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero (Paperback)

This book really fleshes out Forester's stories and makes some of them them easier to follow. Maybe it's because I'm a hopeless landlubber, but I couldn't follow the narrative of some of the action, particularly the coastal engagements. One of the strengths of this book is that it includes some invaluable diagrams that explain where everything was.

For instance, the attack on the fort in Lieutenant Hornblower. The diagram shows where Bush, Hornblower and the marines made their attacks. Another diagram depicts the coastline, the batteries and enemy ships. Best of all, there's a schematic of the Renown showing were Sawyer did his header, and the paths each of the lieutenants took when they made their escape. I think the best use of this book is to refer to it while reading the novels for the clarity it provides.

Personally, I was very satisfied with the explanation of Sawyer's fate. It made perfect sense, and there was a feeling of closure that Wellard got to finish him off. Well done!

Does that detract from Hornblower's moral stature? Not at all. We shouldn't judge people by modern-day standards. Caesar and Alexander committed what we would now judge to be atrocities. Hornblower's career and life were at stake, he did what was best for the service, and everyone in the court of inquiry knew it. If you liked the Hornblower books, this book is well worth reading.