Rating: 
Summary: More An Epilogue Than a Coda
Review: While reading Hornblower is always refreshing, this final (chronological) installment of the series simply does not generate the excitement that crackles in the earlier works. The arc of the Hornblower series begins with 'Beat to Quarters' and reaches its zenith with 'Commodore Hornblower.' For readers still giddy with the aftereffects of those books, 'Admiral Hornblower' may be a bit disappointing. More an epilogue than a coda, this book finds Horatio at his last post as commander-in-chief of His Majesty's squadron in the West Indies. It may be that Forester simply had no exploits to offer on par with Horatio's earlier adventures. Without the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, one finds a distinct lack of urgency to this book. That said, it's worth noting the first adventure in 'Admiral Hornblower' brings back the old magic of the earlier books and manages to quicken the pulse. Still, no first-time Hornblower reader could resist reading any installment. Nor should he. These are the greatest sea stories ever written; each one to be savored. Read, enjoy, and bid farewell to Admiral Lord Hornblower.
Rating:
Summary: More An Epilogue Than a Coda
Review: While reading Hornblower is always refreshing, this final (chronological) installment of the series simply does not generate the excitement that crackles in the earlier works. The arc of the Hornblower series begins with 'Beat to Quarters' and reaches its zenith with 'Commodore Hornblower.' For readers still giddy with the aftereffects of those books, 'Admiral Hornblower' may be a bit disappointing. More an epilogue than a coda, this book finds Horatio at his last post as commander-in-chief of His Majesty's squadron in the West Indies. It may be that Forester simply had no exploits to offer on par with Horatio's earlier adventures. Without the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, one finds a distinct lack of urgency to this book. That said, it's worth noting the first adventure in 'Admiral Hornblower' brings back the old magic of the earlier books and manages to quicken the pulse. Still, no first-time Hornblower reader could resist reading any installment. Nor should he. These are the greatest sea stories ever written; each one to be savored. Read, enjoy, and bid farewell to Admiral Lord Hornblower.
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