| The Horatio Hornblower book series was written by C.S. Forester, and includes 11 books. One of the books is unfinished because at the time of writing it, Forester died before he could finish it. Horatio Hornblower is the son of a doctor and the book series’ main character. The books focus on Hornblower’s life, his thoughts, his feelings, and his adventures during the Napoleonic Wars. In the first book, he joins the King’s Royal Navy at the age of 17, becoming a midshipman aboard the ship, Justinian, and later, H.M.S Indefatigable. He is an unhappy and lonely young man and sees himself as being disloyal and a coward. However, Hornblower proves to be an outstanding officer; one who has an extreme sense of duty and is filled with loyalty, determination, courage, hope, and feelings for others. Everyone sees this except for Hornblower, himself. He is an expert in mathematics, gets seasick easily, is tone-deaf, and has a fondness for whist. Each of the eleven books tells a different chapter of Hornblower’s life. During his adventures, trials, and struggles, Hornblower meets an impressive cast of friends as well as enemies. His best and closest friend and fellow officer, William Bush, is another one of the book series’ main characters. Bush is first introduced in the second book as a lieutenant and later moves up in rank and becomes a captain. He has a heart of gold and is a very loyal and caring friend who sticks by Hornblower’s side until the very end. If you happen to be a new Hornblower fan from watching the movies and have not yet had a chance to read the books, I want to let you know that the character of Archie does NOT appear in the books! There is a guy named Kennedy in the first book for a very brief moment, but the character of Archie can only be enjoyed in the movies. So don't expect to read about him in the books. But don’t let that turn you off from trying the books because the books are totally awesome and breathtaking, just like the movies are. In fact, I advise anyone, who is new to Hornblower, to read the books first before they see the movies. Reading these books is a pleasure and a treat for anyone, and I highly recommend them to anyone who loves a good adventure and a good action book. I’ve heard a lot of fans say that they like the movies better than they did the books, but I say that the books are just as exciting and entertaining as the movies, maybe even more so. As always, the books have more to the story and also fill in gaps that were left open and unexplained in the movies. All of the Hornblower books are extremely exciting, very well written, and keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. And after reading them, you almost expect to be wet with sea water! And the characters are so heart touching and ‘real’ that you literally become close to them and feel for them throughout each book. You really get to know these characters to the point of becoming close friends with them. Each one, in their own way, is special. I honestly think that everyone can relate to one of the Hornblower characters in some way. I read some of the books first because they were the only way I had of getting into the world of Hornblower, since the movies had already been shown on TV (and I can’t get the A&E channel anyway) and I didn’t have the DVDs at the time. Little did I know that I would fall in love with these stories. After reading the first chapter of 'Mr. Midshipman Hornblower', I was hooked for life! It gripped me and I devoured each book after that until I read every one. If you’re hungry for adventure, then the Hornblower books are for you! |
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| A Complete List of the Hornblower Books in Order 1. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 2. Lieutenant Hornblower 3. Hornblower and the Hotspur 4. Hornblower During the Crisis (unfinished) 5. Hornblower and the Atropos 6. Beat to Quarters (aka ‘The Happy Return’) 7. Ship of the Line (aka ‘A Ship of the Line’) 8. Flying Colors (also spelt, ‘Flying Colours’) 9. Commodore Hornblower (aka ‘The Commodore’) 10. Lord Hornblower 11. Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (aka ‘Hornblower in the West Indies’) |
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