In this ninth volume in the Hornblower series, the incomparable Horatio Hornblower, recently knighted and settled in as squire of the village of Smallbridge, has been designated commodore of his own squadron of ships, led by the two-decker "Nonsuch" and bound for the Baltic. It is 1812, and Hornblower has been ordered to do anything and everything possible, diplomatically and militarily, to protect the Baltic trade and to stop the spread of Napoleon's empire into Sweden and Russia. Though he has set sail a hero, one misstep may ruin his chances of ever becoming an admiral. Hostile armies, seductive Russian royalty, nautical perils such as ice-bound bays, assassins in the imperial palace - Hornblower must conquer all before he can return home to his beloved new wife and son, as his instructions are to sacrifice every man and ship under his command rather than surrender ground to Napoleon.
Review Quotes:
"The colors are vivid, the heroics stirring...You come away with the notion that life in the British Navy was indeed like this, the hardship and foulness along with the glory."-- New York Times
"I find Hornblower admirable, vastly entertaining". -- Winston Churchill
"A rousing tale of history, character, and adventure."-- Chicago Tribune
Notes about Other Books:
THE HORNBLOWER NOVELS OF C. S. FORESTER
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 Hornblower
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
C. S. Forester (1899-1966) wrote many highly acclaimed novels, including the eleven-volume Hornblower saga and The African Queen.
Back Bay Books
Pub Date: April 05, 1989
0.93" H x 8.38" L x 5.4" W
320 pages
paperback