Rating: 
Summary: The best of the series so far.
Review: This book in stands out from the its predecessors in the series, it is much better. There is more feeling and more writing than usual about Hornblower the person and his thoughts and feelings and mental struggles. And the battle scene descriptions seem even better than previous novels in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: A ripping adventure of victory at sea! Unforgettable
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Pinnacle of Naval Fiction
Review: This book is, quite simply, the best novel of naval warfare ever written. Upon reading it some eighteen years ago, I became interested in a naval career. Now, after nine years of commissioned service, and counting, I have reread Beat To Quarters at least four times. I enjoy it more each time. The character of Captain Hornblower is an excellent leadership study. While the uninitiated reader may question Hornblower's efforts to remain distant from his men, the military leader will recognize in Forester's hero a human being struggling to maintain a necessary distance from men whom his orders may kill. His moment of self-satisfaction at a perfect landfall after weeks out of sight of land, his self-doubts as he makes momentous decisions without contact with higher authority, and his sobering knowledge that, as captain, he is all alone make us believe that Horatio Hornblower is a very real man.
The battle scenes are extremely well written, and the presence of Lady Wellesley, which could seem contrived, adds to the quality of the book by showing the reader one more facet of Hornblower's personality. As she sees through his protective callousness, so do we.
After nearly a decade in the Naval Service, I still view the Hornblower saga as the best naval fiction I have ever read. The only book which approaches Forester's ability to place the reader into the minds of men on board a ship of war is Wouk's The Caine Mutiny.
I cannot praise this book highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: The book that started it all
Review: This is the book which launched the tale of the greatest navel hero in fiction. For that alone it rates at least four stars. Forester however goes one better. At a time when the traditional hero is confident, invunerable, and a rock he makes what could be considered the first of the "modern heroes." Yet this modern hero doesn't let doubt freeze him in situations. He has the dreads and doubts but does his duty anyway. This book is the father of not only the rest of the series, but of all the naval sagas that would follow and a fine series of movies for the big screen (Peck) and small (A&E). Quite a legacy.
Rating:
Summary: Best o' the Lot
Review: This is unquestionably the best of the Hornblower books, and also the first written. The only problem is that you can't stop at one because the story doesn't end at the end of the book so naturally you have to get the next one to find out whether he ever gets to make love to Lady Barbara and marry her. So you read the next two books but they are all good. It's hard to stop reading any of these books.
Rating:
Summary: A mission to the Pacific
Review: This was the first Hornblower novel written. The original Hornblower motion picture was based on this novel and the following two novels ("Ship of the Line" and "Flying Colours"). The author later went back to fill in the details of Hornblower's early career, explaining the early relationship with Bush, etc. You could actually start reading the novels with this one, but it is better to start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, and follow Hornblower's career from the beginning. C. Northcote Parkinson wrote a fictional biography of Hornblower which fills in a fictional account of his early life. C.S. Forester later wrote "the Hornblower Companion" which should probably be acquired when you start reading the series.
Hornblower is sent off to the Pacific to aid a revolutionary leader who is in rebellion against Spain (an enemy of my enemy is my friend), a dangerous practice (Germany later aided Lenin to start the Russian Revolution during World War I). After arming the revolutionary army, and capturing a Spanish ship which he gives to the rebel leader (who has him under the guns of a fortress), he discovers that Spain is no longer at war with England. Slow communications across the ocean caused many miscues during that historical period.
Having turned loose a rebel army, Hornblower now finds he is allied with Spain, and must now fight the rebel army he created. He must retake the ship which he had captured and turned over to the rebels. He is fortunate that the rebel leader is not a seaman, and prevails at some cost in casualties.
Hornblower also acquires a romantic interest, meeting the woman he later marries as his second wife (see Commodore Hornblower), a woman with considerable influence at court. As usual with Hornblower, he gets no prize money but lots of official recognition, so starts out in the next novel as a financially poor captain in command of a ship of the line.
The three novels, "Beat to Quarters," "Ship of the Line," and "Flying Colours" should be read as a trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Series' Best!
Review: Though 'Beat to Quarters' falls in the middle of the Hornblower series it was the first written, as well as one of the best. The story takes place when Hornblower is ordered to assist colonial Spanish rebels. After defeating a Spanish warship and handing the vessel over to the rebels Hornblower recieves shocking news: Napoleon has invaded Spain. Now that Spain has become Britian's ally Hornblower must reagain control of the Spanish warship from the rebels and give it back to the rightful owners. The action that follows is the naval adventure that author C. S. Forester is known for. Also, Forester throws his gallant protagonist a curve ball by introducing him to Lady Pamela Wellesely, sister of the Duke of Wellington. The attraction is sudden and unexpected but more than a little complicated. One of the best novels in the series, 'Beat to Quarters' is consistantly exciting and absolutly entertaining. Fans of the series and those new to it will applaud Forester's first Hornblower novel.
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