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Summary: YOU CAN FEEL THE SPRAY OF THE SEA ON YOUR FACE
Review: C.S.Forester has such an uncanny way of letting the reader get the true feel of the sea. One can hear the creaking and moaning of the rigging. I was truly transported. The character of Horatio Hornblower enters the heart easily and Forester makes it impossible to guess what situation our hero will be involved in next. Everything is here: history, adventure and a good rollicking tale.
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Summary: Hornblower series
Review: 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.)
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Summary: Series order for the Hornblower books
Review: For those of you getting started with this series, here is the series order (hey, we need to know this in order to buy the darn books!): Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, Hornblower and the Hotspur, Hornblower During the Crisis, Hornblower and the Atropos, Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line, Flying Colours, Commodore Hornblower, Lord Hownblower, Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies. The other titles you'll see are different 3-in-1-cover combinations of the above titles, though not always in series order (go figure), Cadet versions of the same titles above by different titles (REALLY go figure), and companion books. There IS one omnibus, so I'm told, with some short stories in it that fall chronologically somewhere in the time span covered by the first three books, but I don't know any more than that yet.
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Summary: If you liked this book....
Review: Horatio is great stuff, and if you liked this, you will also like Patrick O'Brien's 19 book series, which covers the same historical period. the first book is Master and Commander, the second is (I think), Post Captain. Beautifully written.
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Summary: Masterful, historical adventure at its riveting best
Review: Although they were written decades ago, C.S. Forester's Hornblower books rival the best of present-day historical fiction. I'm a big fan of current 90's style best sellers like 'The Triumph and the Glory' and 'War of the Rats', but classics are classics, and 'Mr. Midshipman Hornblower' is one. The storytelling is first-rate, the characters memorable, and the thematic appeal remains as strong as ever.
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Summary: I agree... the whole series is a must-read!
Review: Others have written thorough reviews of this book, so I will only agree that it is an exciting, excellent series. I started reading them to check (as I often do) to see how well the (A&E) made-for-TV series and the old movie (starring Gregory Peck) held up against the books. I found myself pulled through the entire series by the personal struggles and strengths of Hornblower and others (does a man really think like that?), the thrilling descriptions of the handling of ships under sail (I needed a nautical glossary!), and the detailed historical settings (how much was non-fiction?). Four stars because parts could have been handled better, but on the whole it was a great reading experience.
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Summary: A brilliant opening salvo by the master. 5 broadsides
Review: Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is the first installment chronologically in the saga of Horatio Hornblower, certainly one of the most beloved characters of 20th century fiction. Unlike other works, this one is not so much a novel as a series of short stories intended to show the progression of Hornblower from a scared schoolboy to a young adult exercising leadership. As such the series opener can be read with equal enjoyment by young or old. Younger readers will certainly identify with the scared midshipman who is bullied by a senior midshipman and in light of the Columbine High School tragedy, this section bears re-reading. For older readers, like me, it will help rekindle the spirit of adventure that seemed to fill life in earlier years. I am reluctant to give it a five star rating, as I know later works in the series will be even better but I am justifying it because it is a series of short stories as opposed to a novel. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower was first published in 1950 by an English author who had lived extensively in the US and who was having some of his novels made into films. It only makes sense for Forester to avoid offending a very large American audience. He achieves this goal with incredible marketing panache. He establishes Hornblower's birth date as July 4, 1776 and manages a double coup. First, he avoids having Hornblower fight in the American Revolution. Second, he says as an Englishmen to his American audience, 'We are the same people you are with the same values and heroes.' Given the close relationship of Britain and the US following the end of WWII and the non-reflective American patriotism of the time, Forester could not have his hero countering American values, as those were the same values that Britons espoused. Forester also included some parallels for his fellow Britons. The most obvious is the British supported landing of French monarchists on French soil. As expected the monarchists crumble under republican assaults and the British have to conduct a rear guard action. The stolid British infantry give at least as good as they get but are forced to withdraw due to their ally's collapse. All this sounds very reminiscent of Dunkirk and there are other parallels to WWII in the book. Surprisingly, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower does not end with a furious sea battle but with a rescue of an enemy's crew. How soon after the Berlin Blockade was this written?
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Summary: An exellent sea adventure
Review: This is a well written adventure novel about a young man named Horatio Hornblower. He joins the navy as a Midshipman the lowest rank in the navy. The rest of the novel describes his exiting adventures such as destroying french ships and escaping spanish prisons. C.S. Forester's humorous and exiting stories shouldn't be missed by any reader
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Summary: Great
Review: One of the best books in the Hornblower saga... the best books in the history of mankind.
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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: Hornblower has captured my heart. There is just the right balance of elements in this book! A good read!!!
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