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Summary: The fifth novel in the Hornblower series....
Review: It is the year 1808 and Hornblower, with the 36 gun ship HMS Lydia, is sent somewhere west of Nicaragua to join forces with an insane Spanish landowner to fight the Spanish government. Little did he know how complex things would become. First he had to deal with the Spanish ship-of-the-line, the Natividad, a 50 gun warship or face being court-martialed. THEN add the Lady Barbara Wellesley, who is very distracting for even a married man, and add a tiny twist that, half-way through the book, Spain switches SIDES! What will happen now?
Rating:
Summary: The fifth novel in the Hornblower series....
Review: It is the year 1808 and Hornblower, with the 36 gun ship HMS Lydia, is sent somewhere west of Nicaragua to join forces with an insane Spanish landowner to fight the Spanish government. Little did he know how complex things would become. First he had to deal with the Spanish ship-of-the-line, the Natividad, a 50 gun warship or face being court-martialed. THEN add the Lady Barbara Wellesley, who is very distracting for even a married man, and add a tiny twist that, half-way through the book, Spain switches SIDES! What will happen now?
Rating: 
Summary: Put this one at the head of the queue
Review: No matter how large your queue of books-in-process (waiting to be read) is, drop them all and read the Hornblower series. As Hemingway said, "no literate person should skip Forester" (or words to that effect :-).Hornblower's inspired leadership has spurred countless stories of courage under fire... everything from O'Bryan to Roddenberry's depiction of Kirk in _Star Trek_ and a host of other action/adventure stories. My real recommendation is to order all eleven books and to start with "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower". If you have any - even the slightest - proclivity for action/adventure, you will not stop until Hornblower does.
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Summary: Like Really Good Popcorn
Review: Once your get started, you can't stop, and it's satisfyingly corny. Hornblower is in corner, gets out by the skin of his teeth. And does it again. He's gruff, but really compassionate and admired by all of his men. Meanwhile an aristocratic beauty falls in love with him. Great stuff.
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Summary: Tremendous Irony and Character Development!
Review: One of the strengths of the C.S. Forester series about Horatio Hornblower is that Hornblower's character is developed in great depth in a variety of different ways in each book. Beat to Quarters places Hornblower at the center of a spectrum between madness and mental incapacity on the one hand, and being ruled by the emotions and passion on the other hand. Hornblower finds it quite challenging to deal with both extremes, and you will enjoy reading about his reactions. To make the story even more delicious, it involves a series of misadventures based on the slowness and uncertainty of communications. Those who have studied the War of 1812 will probably remember that the Battle of New Orleans was fought well after the British and Americans had already made peace. But the word had not yet gotten to New Orleans. Similar issues are involved in this book. Unlike most of the other books in the series, Beat to Quarters will probably be as appealing to female readers as to male ones. For over half of the book, Lady Barbara Wellesley is a central character. Unlike the earlier books where male-female relations are made as simple and brief as possible, Beat to Quarters shows how two outstanding people of opposite sexes might come to respect and appreciate each other, despite vast differences in their circumstances and social standing. Beat to Quarters is an extremely important book in the series, because it sets up major plot developments in Ship of the Line (the next book chronologically in Hornblower's life in the series) which many people feel is the best action book that Mr. Forester wrote about Hornblower. If you have not yet read any of the Hornblower novels, I strongly urge you to begin with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and continue through in the order of Hornblower's chronological life, rather than the order in which the books were written. Mr. Forester went back and added books here and there in the chronology, later in his life. How can you keep your focus strong, by balancing your emotions and thoughts? What benefits will you achieve? When should you be willing to let emotion reign?
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Summary: Forget O'Brian
Review: Recently I was consumed by the O'Brian series, devouring all in a short time. Since I an a surgeon, Maturin was appealing. Simply out of curiosity, I returned to Forester, whom I have not read in thirty years. There is no comparison. The writing flows,the language is not contrived, the battle scenes are riveting. Contrasting the description of his feeling towards Lady Barbara is just wonderful. Beat To Quarters is the best of the two series that I have read.
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Summary: Best Hornblower Book of All!
Review: The best book in the series, this one presents HH with some of his hardest obstacles yet,to be unparalleled by any of the other books. In this installment, C.S Forrester's indomitable charactor is sent away with a very "daunting set of orders" to the Pacific coast of the Central American isthmus, being instructed to aid an insane land-owner in a revolt against Spanish control, to open up a route across the isthmus, and to encourage trade- all under the menace of the Spanish 50- gun ship, the Natividad.
CSF reaches his pinnacle with several stunning single- ship duels in which Hornblower pitts his diminutive but capable 36- gun Lydia against the fearsome Natividad.These are, by far, the best battles in the series, and that's saying a lot.
And then, of course, there is yet another problem for HH- the quick- witted and determinded Lady Barbara, to whom the captain must pledge a passage to England, although already harrassed by the turns of fortune he previously had to endure.
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Summary: The best of the Hornblower series
Review: The first Hornblower book that Forester wrote, and the best. Exciting action, wonderful characterization--particularly Hornblower himself, who is a three-dimensional human with failings, not a cardboard cutout action hero--and even a bit of romance for those who like that sort of thing (me! me!). The scenes with Hornblower and Lady Barbara were so evocative and delightful--I felt as if I was sitting on the deck with them under the stars, listening to their conversations. I would recommend that the series be read in chronological order of Hornblower's career, rather than the order in which Forester wrote them, but BTQ is the jewel in the crown.
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Summary: Stirring saga
Review: The Hornblower novels are famous as the first in the age of fighting sail novel revival. First published in 1938, this and the following two volumes (Ship of the Line and Flying Colours) were quickly reissued on the eve of WW II as a trilogy, with illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. These three "Captain" novels come midway in Hornblower's career, but were written first.
Set midway in the Napoleonic era, with Britain against the Spanish, then with them (as Hornblower learns to his chagrin), we first encounter Hornblower as already a frigate captain, with frequent references to mysterious battles and escapades in his past. Currently he is dealing with the consequences of a secret, long, seven month voyage across the Pacific to a dead-on landing in Central America, during which he has vowed not to utter an unnecessary word! Captains are already omnipotently separate from their men, but HH goes to an extreme out of fear of some career-ending embarrassment. Indeed there is little dialogue, aside from interior monologues. We learn considerably about the running of a ship under sail, but the detail and jargon is not so heavy as in the Patrick O'Brian novels, nor is the language so authentic. (If overwhelmed by either at first read, there is an admirable book on all the terminology, Dean King's wryly titled A SEA OF WORDS, where you can learn of the origins of such common expressions as "scuttlebutt, the bitter end, in the doldrums," as well as the esoteric sailing terms.) "Hornblower" might be thought to be a joke name, but as a character he is much too serious and shy, indeed full of self-doubt (that never threatens to pull the story down), and not too lovable. Once on station, Hornblower engages in diplomacy with all parties, and fights battles with a more powerful ship. His greater battle is with his petulant self concerning a young Lady who has imperiously sought his aid to return to England, which leads to some delicious scenes at sea as Hornblower's emotions gradually overman his desire to have her speak well of him to the Naval Lords in aid of his career. Forester balances well the setting, action, and characters, but with a lighter tone and fleeter pace than O'Brian (whom you might wish to read only after the Hornblower saga). I think most people would find something to enjoy in this novel of adventure on the high seas.
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Summary: This is the best series i have ever read
Review: The series about the life of Horatio Hornblower is amazing. I am currently needing book 6, Beat to Quarters, which i will purchase tonight. C. S. Forresters writing style kept me up all night. I finished some of the books in less than 24 hours because i coulden't put it down, it was so exciting. Hornblower's life of sailing through molten shot and through a hail of grapeshot (bullets) is so amazing, i almost wanted to live during his time (exept the fact that i would probably die at a young age.) Unfortunatly, Mr. Forrester did not live to finish his story, and so book 4 is uncomplete. However, the books are written out of order, so you can enjoy readin about almost of Hornblowers life.
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