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Liked It “This is the first Hornblower book I've read, even though it is the sixth of an eleven book series (although it was the first written by the author). Forester's depiction of Captain Hornblower is one of the best character sketches I've read in a long time. I found myself taking mental notes of...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“The entire Hornblower series is excellent. C.S. Forester is a master story-teller. I love anything to do with sailing ships and maritime history, but often this genre of fiction can be quite boring. Forester brings the days of fighting ships and sailors to life in a very special way. I highly recommend this series of Horatio Hornblower books. Thought they were written in the 1930's, they are timeless.”
Porter Versfelt III wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is the first Hornblower book I've read, even though it is the sixth of an eleven book series (although it was the first written by the author). Forester's depiction of Captain Hornblower is one of the best character sketches I've read in a long time. I found myself taking mental notes of his leadership qualities (both strengths and weaknesses) and how they should be implemented (or avoided) in today's world. Captain Hornblower does a superb job of juggling the interests of the crown, his mission, his ship, his crew, his allies, and even his enemies, nearly always able to adequately satisfy the interests of all parties. He struggles with confidence, always thinking about what his subordinates and people back in England will think of the decisions he's made. This trait in particular makes him appear completely realistic. All in all, Hornblower is a fascinating character cast in an excellent story upon the high seas. By the end of the book, I found myself both celebrating and lamenting the captain at the same time. I am anxious to continue the series with "Ship of the Line" and "Flying Colours" per the recommendation of sixpack, after which I will start with the first book in the series.”
Brett J wrote this review Saturday, March 8 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“While this is book six in the series, it is actually the first novel Forester wrote featuring the intrepid Horatio Hornblower, one of my favorite literary creations. You can certainly read the books in numbered order (starting with the collection "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower"), this is also a perfectly good place to begin as you won't find a better intoduction to the character. Hornblower is a Captain at this point in his career in command of the HMS Lydia, and is on a top secret mission on the far side of the world from England. Hornblower's strengths are on full disply here, as are the very human weaknesses and self-doubt that make him such a fascinating character. There's also some spectacular battle sequences, unexpected twists of fate, heroism, villiany and even a little romance. Be ready to follow this one up with "Ship of the Line" and "Flying Colours", as the three go together well as a kind of trilogy (and formed the basis for the 1950s film version starring Gregory Peck). If your only knowledge of Horblower is the outstanding A&E films or as the inspiration for Captain Kirk or David Weber's "Honor Harrington series, this is one to check out. For fans of the Age of Sail and the British Navy, it doesn't get much better than this!”
Sixpack wrote this review Wednesday, January 23 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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