May 1810, seventeen years deep into the Napoleonic Wars. Captain Horatio Hornblower is newly in command of his first ship of the line, the seventy-four-gun HMS Sutherland, which he deems “the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy List.” Moreover, she is 250 men short of a full crew, so Hornblower must enlist and train “poachers, bigamists, sheepstealers,” and other landlubbers.
Review Quotes:
" Ship of the Line contains such lucid explanations of naval maneuvers that before they have finished its readers may feel they could sail a frigate themselves."-- Time
"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: September 30, 1985
0.81" H x 8.32" L x 5.46" W
304 pages
paperback