Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

For any reader who loves adventure, I can recommend C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower books without reservation. They are written in a clear, accessible style, easily understood by landsmen, and give a fascinating lesson of the history of Europe as well as the Royal Navy. Mr Forester presents the world-famous sailor's entire career, as well as insights to his character and thoughts, and will stand as a definitive depiction of Nelson's navy.

Once the entire series is read and re-read, we can rely on Mr Forester himself to fill out the notes on the writing of the books, with his Hornblower Companion. The body of work is good for many months of enjoyment, but for those who just have to have One More Fix - consider The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower by C. Northcote Parkinson.

The work takes form of a scholarly biography, seriously undertaken and exhaustively researched. Every one of Hornblower's heroic deeds is discussed, and placed into context, with maps and engravings of the most famous exploits. Mr Parkinson treats Forester's work with all the respect it deserves, and then some, for the author then goes on to round out the original books and cast light on a few of the mysteries.

Where, for example, is Smallbridge, and why did the Viscount Hornblower continue to live on an estate barely large enough for a recently-titled Captain?

We knew that Richard Hornblower was "in the service of the young Queen", but why in the cavalry rather than the Royal Navy? What became of Richard, and who are his descendants?

What is the untold story of the odd estrangement between Horatio and Lady Barbara, and what was his relationship with her famous relatives?

Using letters and papers "unavailable" to Mr Forester, Parkinson brings a whole 'nother dimension to the saga of Hornblower, even shedding the final light on the death of Captain Sawyer. Through the entire volume, Parkinson stays faithful to Forester's original work. The added biographical details not only ring true, they are as good and occasionally superior.

Interestingly, Hornblower's uncharacteristic seasickness is never mentioned, but this is also consistent with a biography. If the biographer had only contemporary accounts to draw from, and if Forester's work had also been strictly biographical rather than fictional, the seasickness probably would not have been known. Therefore, something which may be seen as an omission becomes instead a wry inside joke based on the format of the book.

If you are a fan of Hornblower and fail to read The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower, you have missed out on the best of the experience.

I agree with other reviewers who have said this is a great capstone to CS Forester's Hornblower series. It puts the adventures of the novels into the context of an actual life, providing backstory that helps explain Horatio Hornblower's remarkable aptitudes and his lifelong preoccupations and concerns. I particularly enjoyed the author's efforts to put Hornblower into the context of British naval politics at that time--letting us know how his promotions would have been viewed by others, and providing some explanation for why he was assigned to take on certain engagements but not others. Great fun to read and a must, really, for Hornblower fans.

This fictional biography is so detailed and believable, it drives the reader to start googling to find out if the characters and events are actually true. After reading the entire Hornblower series, the craving for more was finally satisfied with this encompassing encyclopedia of the Hornblower saga. All the missing events, characters and pieces are put together and laid to rest.

If you are fan of the Hornblower series, as you must be to consider buying this book you may find it slow and filled with a lot of dry information that really isn't in the style of Forester's writing. I did not expect this to be another Hornblower book, but for me, it just went on and on with details that had little to do with the important storylines in the series. It purports to solve a major mystery in one book, but does so in the easiest and most uncreative way.

The Hornblower novels are among my best bookshelf friends and over the years I have read them many, many times. So in my heart I knew this book, "The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower" was a likely waste of my money. If you've missed out reading the novels, you could gain insight by reading this book, but it is actually just a summary written cleverly to appear as though it's a historical treatise on an actual person. As though the writer checked all the history books and presents what's real and what's fictional about a historical figure. Because there can never be another Hornblower book by Forester, I succumbed to temptation and added this to my library. It has a beautiful cover, and is a high-quality paperback. By that I mean the paper, the printing process and binding are all top-notch. Unfortunately the content is wanting.

This "biography" is an okay retelling but strays a bit too much from Forester's books.

I've re-read the Hornblower series several times and always enjoy it. However, this "biography" was flat, boring and unimaginative with nothing to recommend it.