Horatio Hornblower series - CS Forester

[Valandil]

Has anyone read these books? I read them all in my teen years - and have re-read at least some (most) in years since. They're about a British sea captain during the Napoleonic wars. There are something like 10-11 books in the series. They were actually written about the same time Tolkien was cranking out his works.

A&E has recently made some of the stories in the first book (chronologically, not as written) into a couple mini-series. In 1951, Gregory Peck starred in a feature film which combined the first three books written.

In Chronological order:

1. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
2. Lieutenant Hornblower
3. Hornblower and the Hotspur
3A* Hornblower During the Crisis
4. Hornblower and the Atropos
5. Beat to Quarters (aka - 'The Happy Return')
6. Ship of the Line
7. Flying Colors (Colours)
8. Commodore Hornblower
9. Lord Hornblower
10. Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

#1 begins in 1793, Hornblower at 17 has just joined the Navy as a junior officer. #3A was published posthumously - and actually has a collection of stories, but the main one (incomplete) fits where I show it. #5 was the first written, and features Hornblower in command of a medium-sized / smaller ship (called a 'frigate') on special assignment to the west coast of Central America in 1808... great story. #9 is set at the end of Napoleon's rule - and #10 has Hornblower in command of a small squadron of British ships in the early 1820's.

Good stuff... and Forester is accurate with his seamanship. There's also a nice companion book available that details Hornblower's sailing escapades.