The editorial review set forth above does not even begin to do justice to this work. As with several of C.S. Forester's books, this one has been published under another name. I think it is better known as "Brown on Resolution." Long out of print, used copies command a good price. This is the story of what one determined man with a rifle can do, even in the face of great odds. Brown is a seaman on a British cruiser sunk by the German battlecruiser Zeithen. He is one of just a few survivors picked up by the Germans. After the German vessel puts into a desert island lagoon for repairs, Brown escapes with a Mauser rifle and some ammunition. Rather than hide out in hopes that his former captors choose not to bother with him, he takes action...

It's hard to write an objective review of Lieutenant Hornblower, chronologically the second novel in Forester's epic saga. Put simply, this was the book that addicted me to Horatio Hornblower and condemned to spend a small fortune acquiring the entire series.

This tells the tale of Horatio's first real mission. He is assigned to the Renown, a ship of the line destined to fight Napoleon in the Caribbean. It is here that Horatio really begins to distinguish himself -- helping his crew deal with a mad captain, then leading them into the teeth of a powerful Spanish presence in Haiti. We see his decisiveness, his daring and his courage -- as well as his darker side.

This book is cunningly different from others in the series in that Hornblower is not the main character. Rather, we see him through Lieutenant Bush -- destined to become one of Horatio's closest companions. At first, Hornblower seems distant and aloof. With Bush, we question his abilities and courage. And like Bush, we quickly see Horatio's heroism and intelligence. And it ends with a flourish that will have you scrambling to amazon to buy the next volume.

Once again, I must deduct a little bit for Forester's occasionally opaque description of the working of a ship of the line. But most of the time, he makes the action clear as crystal. During the most intense rivetting action scenes, I was never confused as to what was going on.

This is where the Hornblower series really takes off. Don't even hesitate to buy it.

This is the story of Hornblower as the junior lieutenant aboard HMS Renown, a British Ship of the Line. This one is probably tied in my mind with "Beat to Quarters" as the best Hornblower novel. The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester is, quite simply, the best in naval adventure literature.

In this novel, the Renown is dispatched to the West Indies on a secret mission. The captain becomes incapacitated, and the ship's second in command is nowhere near up to the job of captaining the Renown. Hornblower's intelligence and leadership ability must overcome the fact that he is a junior officer who must at all times be deferential to his superiors. And yet only Hornblower has a clear idea as to how the Renown might accomplish its mission. How he handles his superior officers under these circumstances is a wonderful study in character and leadership.

This is a novel about leadership, and how Hornblower, an emerging leader, deals with a series of crises. This book starts at a sprint and before it is done it breaks the sound barrier--the action never stops, and yet somehow in this novel there is time for analysis and introspection also. Forester's writing is fast-paced, his storyline never dawdles or drags.

This is one you'll want in hardbound form. I have one in near-mint condition, and another beat-up copy that I read every year or so! (That way my nice copy stays nice. I just can't imagine not being able to read this novel whenever I want to!) This one is a keeper.

Unique in the Hornblower series we see the story written from the perspective of Lieutenant Bush who begins as his superior officer and finishes as his junior (maybe?) It is a well written book which gives a better perspective to both characters. As always a ripping and accurate yarn of the sea and the times. Strangely it sufferes in comparison to the latest of the Hornblower series from A&E simply since the Characters of Hobbs and Captian Sawyer are fleshed out in the series but not in this book as much. Since the book is written in the eyes of Bush this could not be helped but it is a minor point. As always we see resourcefullness , action and of course Whist. A great book from a great series. It's worth the money.

The sixth book of the Hornblower series opens in May 1810, 17 years into the Napoleonic Wars. The 39 year old Horatio Hornblower is given command of the 74 gun HMS Sutherland, 'the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy list.' Also, being 250 men short of a crew, he must enlist and train new members. Will this ship and crew be able to handle BOTH the French navy and army? Is this the end of Hornblower? Of course not, otherwise there wouldn't be more books after this, but don't you want to know how he handles a blockaded Spanish coast AND four French warships?

In 'Ship of the Line' daring British sea capatin Horatio Hornblower fights not only the French under the tyrant Napoleon, but his own heart as well. After falling in love with Lady Pamela Wellesley his hopes are shattered when she marries an admiral whose ego considerably outweighs his talents. What is worse Hornblower's conscience is racked with guilt over his disloyalty to his own wife, Maria. But before this becomes too much of a soap opera Forester plunges Hornblower into the dangerous swashbuckling sea where he uses every trick in the book to ensnare his French opponents. The ending is perhaps the greatest cliff hanger in all the series which leads into the next novel, 'Flying Colours.' Only a writer of Forester's genius can create so well both the moving human story and great adventure that is 'Ship of the Line.'

The books about Horatio Hornblower include some of the most interesting and exciting novels ever written about warfare at sea during the days of sailing ships. Hornblower himself is a charming hero who doubts himself, has many weaknesses, and uses his sense of the odds to calculate the best course to take. He is more like Clark Kent than Superman in that way, but can turn into Superman briefly when the occasion calls for it.

Throughout the prior volumes of this wonderful series, there has been lots of "ship of the line" envy on Hornblower's part as he made do with commanding lesser vessels. In Ship of the Line, Captain Hornblower finds himself getting his heart's desire, a two-decker called the Sutherland.

Complications soon arise when Hornblower discovers that his new admiral has just married Lady Barbara Wellesley, with whom Hornblower is in love. Hornblower and his wife (Maria) meet the admiral and Lady Barbara in a social scene that you will not soon forget.

With too little time to prepare, the Sutherland is soon at sea with an under sized and inexperienced crew. What follows is as action-packed a book as you can imagine. Ship of the Line has a greater variety of difficult and unusual challenges thrown Hornblower's way than any reader could possibly hope for. The details of the conflicts are stunning in their scope and scale. If you are like me, you'll find yourself racing through the pages to see what happens next . . . knowing that there are surely big surprises ahead. As usual, Hornblower's imagination and quick thinking make for enormous differences in the outcomes from what would be expected.

You will enjoy the complications brought about by Lady Barbara's new husband. And Hornblower's thoughts of Lady Barbara intrude throughout the book, like the musings of a love-sick schoolboy.

The book is also interesting because Hornblower is faced with many decisions that could wreck his career, leaving him unemployed at half pay for the rest of his life. While many today would enjoy an early retirement, Hornblower is only happy at sea . . . and in battle. With his strong sense of duty, he makes decisions that may surprise you from time to time, which makes the story all the richer.

If you have never read any of the Hornblower books, I suggest that you start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and proceed through in the chronological order of Hornblower's career through the series (not the order in which they were written).

If you do decide to read this book first to see if you like the books, let me caution you that the book ends in such a way that you will probably immediately decide to read the next one. For that reason, try to resist reading Ship of the Line until you have read its six predecessor volumes.

Do you always take time to locate new solutions that others have not tried before? Once you see a possible solution, do you stick with that idea to work through the problems . . . or are you soon discouraged by the first foul wind?

Assume there is a solution vastly better than any you have tried before . . . or have thought of yet. And keep thinking until you find it!

I just ordered "Ship of the Line" and "Beat to Quarters" along with the companion. This is one of the most enjoyable, page-turning series I have ever read! I read one of the books in a sitting and none so far has lasted more than a week. Like most of the other reviewers, I got started with the A&E series. Do yourself a favor and get the companion from the start.

Hornblower, without a doubt, reflects the personality traits of people I know-honorable, self-critical, confused, alternately depressed/ecstatic, reflective, etc. His vigorous actions and direct approach despite uncertainty is so refreshing! It is the epitome of the philosophy "I'm not quite sure of exactly what to do, but moving forward with gusto beats the hell out of standing around!" I have found myself laughing out loud on several occasions! Hornblower's characteristics reflect those of successful real-life naval officers I have known and read about.

If you are looking for some enjoyable, accurate, and adventuresome reading, you're in for a good time! (I gave THIS book 4 stars, but some other books in the series are definitely 5.)

...When I was younger, I read a few of the Hornblower books and decided to shelve the series until I had them all.

As other readers have indicated, this book is not the first written. However it is the first in chronological order of Hornblower himself.

All that said, this was a really good book. The first night, I read over 100 pages without stopping. It's really not a flowing story as much as a collection of short stories about the life of a particular midshipman in 1794.

He is first stationed on a Line of Battle ship. CS doesn't really describe the ship much, but by what the surroundings seem to be like and the number of officers, I'd say she is a two decker of 74 guns or so. On this ship his life is one of misery until he gets a fair shake from the captain.

On he goes to a frigate and the real adventures begin. Enough said, I don't like to tell the story. You can read it.

This is a good book. Easy to read. Each chapter is 20 - 30 pages and tells an entire short story. They are unconnected stories(other than the characters and the ship).... They can be read individally.

I look forward to finishing the entire series. I too have the companion book. This is a good tool to help the reader keep up with the actual locations of the stories and some of the history surrounding this period in time.

I have finally begun to read Forester's Hornblower series, starting chronologically with respect to the fictional world of course. This is one series I've been intending to read for quite some time, and I don't plan to stop with just the first book.

As opposed to great and wonderful descriptions of naval battles, Forester uses a series of loosely connected short stories to acquaint the reader with the Hornblower character. Traveling from place to place, ship to shore, command to command, Hornblower is thrust into various situations which begin to define his command style and ability.

I urge everyone who is looking for a good classic to read, begin reading the Hornblower series. A little fun fiction helps you out every now and then.

Although it was the first book C.S. Forester wrote, Beat To Quarters is chronologically the sixth book in the Hornblower Series. One can see instantly why the series took off when this book hit the press. It is not only a thrilling adventure but establishes a depth of character rarely seen in its genre.

This book is the first of a trilogy of connected titles that cover Horatio's rise from an unknown frigate's captain to one of the most famous officers in the Royal Navy. Posted to duty west of Central America, he is expected to navigate not only the water of the Pacific, but the troubled political waters of rebellion and shifting alliances that characterized the Napoleonic wars. He's required to engage a ship of twice his might not once but three times. And of course, he meets Lady Barbara -- destined to become one of the most intruiging characters in his life.

I was surprised to find little discontinuity with the "prequel" books that were written after Beat to Quarters. The book almost seamlessly blends with the cannon of Horatio's life, referencing his previous adventures with the Castilla and Captain Pellow. The only real continuity problem is that Bush seems to have lost his memory of the events in the second and third books.

This books works because it doesn't try to confine itself to a simple genre. It is, of course, a splendid action adventure and wonderful historical fiction. But it also works as a simple character drama -- establishing three powerful characters -- the taciturn Hornblower, efervescent Bush and charming Barbara -- and creates memorable scenes built solely from conversation and interaction.

Beat to Quarters is the sixth book in the eleven book series covering the exploits of Horatio Hornblower. It is also, in my opinion, the best one out of the ones I have read. It's story flows from one point to the next and there is plenty of action in this installment.

The first thing I should mention is that Mr. Forrester's description of life onboard a War Ship is quite accurate. Being a member of today's Navy, it's amazing to see just how little has changed in 200 years. Sure, the ships are made of steel, we have satellite communications, etc... However, much has remained the same. We still spend hour after hour cleaning the ship, drilling for action, etc... and Mr. Forrester does a wonderful job capturing this.

The second thing about this novel I enjoyed was the description of the battle between the Spanish Warship and Hornblower's Frigate. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Captain Hornblower would be able to win a battle against the much more powerful Spanish ship. I'm sure you will enjoy this book for these reasons and many others. IF you like good historial Drama then I would HIGHLY recommend this one!

This book is the 5th in the "Horatio Hornblower" series by C.S. Forester. It is in my opinion the best book of the series, and this is high praise, because this is one of the best adventure series in all of literature.

In this novel, Captain Hornblower, Captain of HMS Lydia, a British frigate, is dispatched to the west coast of South America, on a mission to make trouble for Spain, which has allied itself with Napoleon, against whom Britain is in a desperate struggle. At first, all seems to go well, but events beyond Hornblower's control intervene, and soon he is fighting battles and using his wits. It is all wonderful adventure.

Forester's writing is taut. His storyline is brisk. The novel moves from adventure to adventure in a manner that is absolutely absorbing. This book never drags. This is a story of adventure and hardship. Captain Hornblower, El Supremo, Lady Barbara are all unforgettable. The battles at sea are so real you can smell the powder. This is a great story.

This is one you'll want in hardcover, because you'll want to read it over and over and perhaps later introduce to your children and friends.

The third book in Forester's Hornblower series is, like Lt. Hornblower, one heck of a ride and possibly the best in the series. In this novel, the freshly married Horatio is posted to blockade duty of Brest, France in his first command -- the sloop Hotspur. His duty is not an easy one. He is at sea for months on end, unable to see his new wife and often with nothing to do. This blockade duty is interrupted by occasional daring forays against Napoleon's navy, which explode with the action narrative that only Forester can deliver.

By now, the characters feel like old friends. Hornblower is still filled with doubt and an over-bearing conscience -- sometimes even unclear why he married Maria. But his courage and daring, his honor and leadership are finally making a name for him. Lt. Bush is solid and strong and his first officer. Even Admiral Cornwallis becomes familiar as Hornblower's mentor and admirer. And on shore there is Maria, Hornblower's tenuous link to the real world -- with her simple love for her husband.

I have only two complaints. First is one you will find throughout my reviews of this series -- no maps. A map of Brittany would be the most helpful thing in the world while reading this novel. I was occasionally utterly confused as to what was going on (such as when Hornblower escapes a French frigate to the west -- which makes sense if you know the geography well).

My other minor complaint comes later in the series. This was written after the original trilogy of Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line and Flying Colours. But it contradicts the continuity. Many of the adventures that take place in this novel are "later" referenced as having taken place on the Indefatigable when Hornblower was a Lieutenant. Bush seems to have forgetten the events in this book. These problems in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book, but retentive sticklers for continuity might be annoyed.

That trivia aside, this is a fantastic adventure.

I am very much enjoying this series of novels, they are difficult to put down. The scenes and the actions described seem so very real inside my head as I read.

C. S. Forester is best known for the series of novels about Horatio Hornblower, although he wrote many other good novels. I consider this novel as the best in the Hornblower series, and it is the one that I have best remembered over the years.

I have always advised friends to include incidental skills in their resumes, even if they have no direct relationship to the job (who knows, a company may be looking for a shortstop for its softball team). In Hornblower's case, he was an expert whist player. As an unemployed Royal Navy lieutenant, struggling to survive, his skill at whist puts him in the right place at the right time, and he receives command of the Hotspur.

Forester never presents Hornblower as a Superman. He has mathematical skills, is a good navigator, and has the courage to go forward to carry out assigned missions. He also has the intelligence to see opportunities for action. On the other side of the coin, he gets seasick, is tone deaf, speaks French with a horrible accent, has no particular luck with women (marrying a plain, lower class woman he feels some obligation to), and has no useful family connections.

In command of the Hotspur, he is inshore close to the enemy. He becomes involved in various successful actions, but rewards tend to go to others. He receives little prize money and leads a frugal life style. When he acquires a new steward, he must inform him that his "cabin stores" are limited to some lobsters taken from a French fishing boat.

Hornblower does have the good luck to survive, often the main criteria for advancement in the Royal Navy. He also is well regarded by senior officers, which could be a path to promotion.

Appropriate reading for Marines. (The book is on the Commandant's Professional Reading List, --A good choice) Rifleman Dodd's example personifies what clear thinking during times of extreme hardship and war can produce. Dodd continued to function and fight, showing great resourcefulness and the virtues of patience, leadership, and marksmanship. It is what Marine warrior training is all about. Cut off from his rifle unit he continued to fight and function. He protected himself utilizing terrain and land navigation techniques to his advantage. His ability to live off the land, care of his rifle, and marksmanship skills to wreck havoc and destruction on the enemy are commendable. Dodd exemplifies what one trained rifleman can accomplish under extremely harsh conditions. While the setting takes place in the Napoleonic Wars and behind enemy lines the circumstances are applicable to modern warfare and life in general. It's the Marine creed of dedication to duty and time honored principals that are personified in the performance of Dood's duty at the lowest ranking level. The book is well written but could use a glossary of terms used in those times that would make it even more understandable. Look up what you don't understand. Excellent reading choice when you think things are not going right for you. (Fits nice in pack) Good gift item for military personnel. Recommended and purchased for friends who are contemplating enlisting in USMC. Lt. Gary L. "snook" Hoffman, Director of Training and Education. CCSO.
Former Sergeant USMC.

I picked this up in the Marine Corps Association bookstore, and a few chapters into it I understood why the Marines placed it on the Commandant's Reading List. Rifleman Dodd is an exemplary soldier: cut off from his regiment, surrounded by the enemy in a foreign land whose language, people and customs he knows not, Dodd merely soldiers on, seeking to return to his unit and in doing so, wreak as much havoc on the enemy as possible.

In reading this book, you get a sense of what profesisonalism is in the military from the bottom-up. Moreoever, the book conveys to the reader the benefits of a professional military as opposed to a conscript force in terms of morale and training.

Also, Forester relates some of the nastiness for which the Peninsular Campaign was infamous. Dodd takes up with a bunch of Portugese irregulars, and the attrocities which one finds in history books committed by the locals and the French are often repeated in the course of the novel, Rifleman Dodd.

Rifleman Dodd brings out many themese and issues one often has in discussions of a professional military in the course of its flowing, exciting narrative.

I first read about "Rifleman Dodd" on the Commandant of the Marine Corps reading list. Dodd is a British soldier who is separated from his unit during the Napoleonic Wars, and must endure cold, thirst and hunger, all while trying to fight his way back to friendly lines. His training, motivation, and dedication to duty all take over to help him overcome his personal war. Aside from those underlying principles which the book tries to show the reader, its a great story. Any one who has gone to, or plans to go to USMC boot camp, or any of the services should read this book.

As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, I have a natural inclination towards nautical themes. I have fallen in love again with the Hornblower series. I just read them all back to back during the last year.

This book was very good, but I must admit it was my least favorite of the series. Very dark. The darkness of Forester's life at this time came through. And I felt the relationship with the Countess served little purpose in the book.

However, I felt that the book's military and nautical themes were very well done. Much like today's navy, Hornblower is engaged in a latorial warfare. His cunning and superb skills show through. One learns how he deals with his subordinate skippers, some good and some not so good.

As with the rest of the series, I will want my son to read about Hornblower, so as to learn duty, honor, sacrifice and the inward pains and costs of infidelity.

This Hornblower novel was a very good one. A lot of it is about politics on land just before and during the beginning stages of Napolean's invasion of Russia.

Hornblower has some new fangled weapons that he has never used before. Bomb ketches. He has two of them. What they really are is small vessels containing two 13 inch mortars each. The are ideal for bombarding with a plunging fire over walls and other obstacles. Incredibly accurate and very destructive. Hornblower has two occasions on which to use them. And, as might be expected, with great success.

Anyway, Hornblower is made commodore of a small squadron of ships, including Nonsuch captained by none other than his life long friend, Bush. He is set upon a mission to assist the Russians in the Baltic in any way in which he see fit. Perfect orders for someone that is willing to think outside the box.

Hornblower ends up sinking a French privateer. As can be expected, the French are outraged and invade the small country of Pomerania in defiance. This causes the Russions to become a little upset. Eventually, the French launch the invasion of Russia. The Russians are soundly beaten on all fronts except for the small port town of Riga. Hornblower is able to help with the defense of the town and it's approaches. He even leads an infantry assault into the French trench line.

This is another good book. Not a whole lot of naval action, but enough to keep the nautically minded interested. Lots of politics and history though. There is not a lot of information on the Baltic theatre of the war. Napolean was being attacked and beaten in the south by Wellington. For some unknown reason, Napolean thought that it would be a good time to attack Russia. His invasion started during the summer. They were in moscow by November. But Russia's ally, Old Man Winter, was waiting. He chased the French all the way back to Poland and beyond. During the withdrawal of the French, his allies were defecting left and right. First the Spanish and the Portugese. A few weeks later the Austriand and Germans, then the Prussians.

Well worth the read.

Commodore Hornblower was Forester's first attempt to replicate the pre-war success of his Horatio Hornblower trilogy; Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line and Flying Colours. After emerging victorious from the greatest war in human history, would his readership still be interested in a more distant conflict? The answer was "Yes", but Forester made sure by including strong parallels between the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. The result, as a historical novel, was as relevant to the readers of the day as if it had been written about WWII. Commodore Hornblower works as a historical novel of the Napoleonic era and as a reminder of the immense struggles and sacrifices of WWII.

Commodore Hornblower begins with Hornblower leaving his new wife and son to return to sea. How poignant this passage must have been for the first post-war readers. Hornblower, now in charge of a small squadron, must take his ships into the Baltic past hostile Danes and Swedes who maintain a sinister neutrality. What follows is a series of naval and land engagements that are typical of this type of novel. However nobody surpassed Forester in telling exciting yet realistic action stories. The battle scenes are both exciting and exhilarating yet horrifying at the same time.

During his stint in the Baltic, Hornblower rubs shoulders with the Tsar of Russia, Marshal Bernadotte of Sweden and the warrior/philosopher Clausewitz. Hornblower must try and win over those hanging onto to neutrality by a thread and those siding with the tyrant Napoleon. As always he acquits himself well although he is his own worst critic.

While Commodore Hornblower works as both an action novel and a historical novel, I think that it might have lost some of the impact that it had when it was first published. The parallels for the British people in 1940 and 1812 are very strong. There is a tyrant dominating Europe who is both willing and able to throw away far more lives than the British could manage or accept. There is Russia siding with the tyrant, invading Finland and ultimately resisting the tyrant's invasion from the west. There is Europe ready for an uprising to overthrow the tyrant. And, of course, there is Britain standing alone against the might of the entire continent until forces can be rallied to defeat the tyrant. Commodore Hornblower is a story of heroism in the Napoleonic era but it was published at the right time to remind the British people of the heroism that they had so recently shown. It's a marvelous sequel and worthy successor to Forester's pre-war efforts.

I would put this chapter in the life of Horatio Hornblower in the same category as Mr. Midshipman Hornblower -- good, not great

The 5th book in the Hornblower saga concerns a number of events related to Horatio's first command as Captain -- a 22-gun sloop of war. But it doesn't get there right away. First, we get a rather slow segment of Horatio guiding a canal boat into London, then an even slower segment in which Horatio is put in command of Lord Nelson's funeral procession. Both segments are interesting historically but drag in the narrative -- a rare occurance for Forester.

Once we get out to sea, the story picks with Horatio's tour of duty in the Mediterranean trying to recover sunken English treasure. It reaches its pinnacle with the dramatic confrontation between Horatio and the Turks.

I'm not sure why this didn't grip me the way the other novels did. There are some very good things about it -- the interesting dynamic with a German prince stationed aboard the Atropos for example. But the story spend a lot of time wallowing in irons instead of the usual racing before the wind. Horatio's character is static -- his usual daring and courage subdued. And the ending is rather abruptly tacked on.

Still, I will recommend this book as a good part of the Hornblower saga. But it's far from the best.

Although the episodes in Hornblower and the Atropos are tied together with a modest connecting story line, each one could just as easily be an independent short story about Hornblower's experiences on his way to, during, and after his assignment as captain of the Atropos, the smallest three-master in His Majesty's fleet. What positively distinguishes these stories are fascinating details of some of the most advanced technologies in the Britain of 200 years ago. You will learn about the new fresh water canals and tunnels used then to speed shipments of people and fresh market goods, underwater demolition and salvage operations, coordinating naval battles through signaling, repairing ships on station, turning a ship without using the wind, treating gunshot wounds, and how to administer a very detailed operation without use of telephone, telegraph, or radio. The book is well worth reading just for these details.

The book's main disappointment for me is the absence of the redoubtable William Bush who plays such an important an interesting role as Hornblower's foil and partner in most of the novels. I missed Bush. I think you will, too.

As occurs increasingly in the books in the series, Hornblower comes into contact with famous people of the day. Hornblower's success with the Hotspur has won him friends in the Admiralty, and even higher places.

You will enjoy this book much more if you refer to the maps in the Hornblower Companion as you read this book.

Much of the appeal of the Hornblower series is involved in the naval engagements. While this book will make it seem like all of that is going to be missed here, just be patient.

One of the most interesting parts of this book comes when Hornblower uncharacteristically makes a rather large mistake, and has to face up to the fact that he may have no honorable way out. This situation reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk describes how he handled the insoluble problem provided to each cadet at Starfleet Academy. Yes, there is always a way out.

Be curious about all that is around you, and consider how it can be turned to new advantages . . . when you change your assumptions about what is most important!

The fourth novel in the Hornblower series takes it's time getting started, but once the action is engaged it doesn't let go. The story begins with Hornblower and his family travelling to London where Hornblower has been called to organize the funeral of the victor of Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson. After saving a near disaster to his career, Hornblower is ordered to search for sunken treasure off the Turkish coast. Along for the ride is a German prince and his aide who have a lot to learn about seamanship. And finally, Hornblower must make a choice about whether to accept the office of post Captain in a foreign navy or 'in spite of all temptations to belong to other nations, to remain an Englishman.' The novel really doesn't pick up until after Hornblower leaves England but it soon gains momentum and doesn't stop. C.S. Forester is truly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and 'Hornblower and the Atropos' will attest to that.

I believe this book is an important source of knowledge for young readers who want to know about the naval battles of America. Many times, the naval battles are forgotten, but this book goes into great detail about the War Of 1812.

C.S. Forester, famous for the Hornbolower novels brings his talent for suspense, narration and story to the golden age of a young U.S. Navy. In addition to the unerring accuracy to be expected of a history, Forester brings the naval actions to life--knowing the outcome, I still found myself rooting for the crew of the Constitution during the chase with Guerriere, and triumphing in the numerous sloop and frigate actions. Most modern naval histories focus, appropriately ,on the triumphs of WWII. Forester's account is one of the few to focus on the actions that set the tone and tradition of the U.S. Navy for the next 125 years