C.S. Forester Books In Order

The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters

June 1808, somewhere west of Nicaragua a site suitable for spectacular sea battles. The Admiralty has ordered Captain Horatio Hornblower, now in command of the thirty six gun HMS Lydia, to form an alliance against the Spanish colonial government with an insane Spanish landowner; to find a water route across the Central American isthmus; and ‘to take, sink, burn or destroy’ the fifty gun Spanish ship of the line Natividad or face court martial. A daunting enough set of orders even if the happily married captain were not woefully distracted by the passenger he is obliged to take on in Panama: Lady Barbara Wellesley.

Ship of the Line

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. By the time the Sutherland reaches the blockaded Catalonian coast of Spain, the crew is capable of staging five astonishing solo raids against the French. But the grisly prospect of defeat and capture looms for both captain and crew as the Sutherland single handedly takes on four French ships.

Flying Colours

Forced to surrender his ship, the Sutherland, after a long and bloody battle, Captain Horatio Hornblower now bides his time as a prisoner in a French fortress. Within days he and his first lieutenant, Bush, who was crippled in the last fight, are to be taken to Paris to be tried on trumped up charges of violating the laws of war, and most probably executed as part of Napoleon’s attempt to rally the warweary empire behind him. Even if Hornblower escapes this fate and somehow finds his way back to England, he will face court martial for his surrender of a British ship. As fears for his life and his reputation compete in his mind with worries about his pregnant wife and his possibly widowed lover, the indomitable captain imetierntly awaits the chance to make his next move.

The Commodore / Commodore Hornblower

These thrilling tales of high seas adventure in the Napoleonic era, which Winston Churchill found ‘vastly entertaining’ and Ernest Hemingway recommended to ‘every literate I know’, are being eagerly embraced by a new generation of readers. Back Bay takes pleasure in reissuing these classic tales in handsome new trade paperback editions. The Hornblower renaissance is in full sail with a nearly tenfold increase in sales: more than I5O, OOO Hornblower books sold in the first six months of 1999. The A&E television network’s series of original movies based on Hornblower’s adventures have been tremendously successful praised by critics, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of viewers, and winner of the Emmy Award for best miniseries. Two new movies will be premiering in the spring on A&E. Readers and booksellers who admire Patrick O’Brian’s novels delight in discovering this ‘new’ series of nautical adventure stories.

Lord Hornblower

It’s 1813, and Horatio Hornblower is propelled toward the heart of the French Empire and his old enemy, Napoleon…
Sir Horatio Hornblower has received strict and highly confidential orders from the highest rank: he must embark upon a grave and perilous mission to recapture the Flame in the Bay of Seine, where the brutal and foul tempered Lieutenant Augustine Chadwick is being held prisoner by a mutinous crew. Rescuing the Lieutenant demands all of Horatio’s spirit and seafaring prowess for at the same time, he must contend with capturing two French cargo vessels and take part in negotiations to topple the faltering Napoleon once and for all…
This is the ninth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower

‘Oxford Bookworms’ offer students at all levels the opportunity to extend their reading and appreciation of English. There are six stages, taking students from elementary to advanced level. At the lower stages, many of the texts have been specially written for the series, to provide elementary and lower intermediate students with an introduction to real reading in English. At the higher stages, most of the books have been adapted from works originally published for native speakers. The language controls used in ‘Oxford Bookworms’ are based on a syllabus specially created for the series by Tricia Hedge. This takes account of the more traditional approaches to grading and recent research into the nature of reading difficulty. The approximate vocabulary count for each stage is: Stage 1 400 words; Stage 2 700 words Stage 3 1000 words; Stage 4 1400 words; Stage 5 1800 words; Stage 6 2500 words. All stages have exercises for classroom or private use, plus a supporting glossary to help students with vocabulary. Illustrations are used, especially at the lower stages, to help comprehension.

Lieutenant Hornblower

In this second act of the Hornblower saga, the reader has an opportunity to revel in a gripping, rip roaring tale of turmoil and triumph on the high seas. Lieutenant Hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as a midshipman, to the new responsibilities thrust upon him by the fortunes of war between Napoleon and Spain. Enduring near mutiny, bloody hand to hand combat with Spanish seamen, deck splintering sea battles, and the violence and horrors of life on the fighting ships of the Napoleonic Wars, the young lieutenant distiguishes himself in his first independent command. And, at the end of this book, he faces an adventure unique to his experience: Maria.

Hornblower and the Atropos

In the wake of a humbling incident aboard a canal boat in the Cotswolds, young Captain Horatio Hornblower arrives in London to take command of the Atropos, a 22 gun sloop barely large enough to require a captain. Her first assignment under Hornblower’s command is as flagship for the funeral procession of Lord Nelson. Soon Atropos is part of the Mediterranean Fleet’s harassment of Napoleon, recovering treasure that lies deep in Turkish waters and boldly challenging a Spanish frigate several times her size. At the center of each adventure is Hornblower, Forester’s most inspired creation, whose blend of cautious preparation and spirited execution dazzles friend and foe alike.

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

These thrilling tales of high seas adventure in the Napoleonic era, which Winston Churchill found ‘vastly entertaining’ and Ernest Hemingway recommended to ‘every literate I know’, are being eagerly embraced by a new generation of readers. Back Bay takes pleasure in reissuing these classic tales in handsome new trade paperback editions. The Hornblower renaissance is in full sail with a nearly tenfold increase in sales: more than I5O, OOO Hornblower books sold in the first six months of 1999. The A&E television network’s series of original movies based on Hornblower’s adventures have been tremendously successful praised by critics, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of viewers, and winner of the Emmy Award for best miniseries. Two new movies will be premiering in the spring on A&E. Readers and booksellers who admire Patrick O’Brian’s novels delight in discovering this ‘new’ series of nautical adventure stories.

Hornblower and the Hotspur

April 1803, and the Peace of Amiens is failing as Horatio Hornblower takes a three master on a vital reconnaissance mission. On the day of his marriage to Maria, Hornblower is ordered to take the Hotspur and head for Brest war is coming and Napoleon will not catch His Majesty’s navy with its britches round its ankles. With thoughts of his new life as a husband intruding on his duties, Hornblower must prove himself to be not only the most capable commander in the fleet, but also its most daring if he is to stop the French gaining the upper hand. This is the third of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

Hornblower During the Crisis / Hornblower and the Crisis

Although unfinished at the time of C. S. Forester’s death, Hornblower During the Crisis delivers a full measure of action at sea the hallmark of this incomparably exciting series of historical adventures. On the threshold of securing his first post as captain, Hornblower finds himself forced by the exigencies of war to fight alongside a man whom he has unintentionally helped to court martial. And for the first time Hornblower assents to engaging in espionage in his efforts to bring victory and glory to England in the Napoleonic Wars. This extant fragment of Forester’s final Hornblower novel is followed by the author’s notes regarding the novel’s conclusion. Also included in this volume are two stories ‘Hornblower’s Temptation’ and ‘The Last Encounter’ that depict the great sea dog Hornblower in his youth and old age, respectively.

Captain Hornblower R.N.

‘Hornblower and the Atropos’ Skippering the flagship for Nelson’s funeral on the Thames is not Hornblower’s idea of thrilling action. But soon his orders come, and he sets sail for the Mediterranean in the Atropos. ‘Battle, storm, shipwreck, disease what were the chances that he would never come back again?’ ‘The Happy Return’ Hornblower sails the South American waters and comes face to face with a mad, messianic revolutionary in a novel that ripples with risk and gripping adventure. ‘A Ship of the Line’ Commando raids, hurricanes at sea, the glowering menace of Napoleon’s onshore gun batteries Hornblower must deal with them all as he sails his ship to the Spanish station. Throughout his escapades Forester remains gallant, resourceful and courageous the embodiment of all the most vivid in a great naval tradition.

The Hornblower Companion

This book is a beautifully illustrated companion to Hornblower’s fictional career describing and illustrating all the main incidents in the ten novels. C S Forester’s Hornblower novels have been avidly read for over two generations and are as popular today as when they were first published. They recount stirring adventures in the Royal Navy during the era of the Napoleonic wars and paint a vivid picture of the Senior Service at a time when it grew to dominate the world’s oceans. C S Forester’s companion to his hero’s career describes all the incidents as they appeared in the ten novels, starting with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and running through to Hornblower in the West Indies, and the chapters are all illustrated with beautifully drawn maps and charts. Some thirty of these, and over one hundred drawings and marginal decorations, bring to life both the events and characters that appear in the novels. In the second part of the book the author describes how the novels were written, what inspired the adventures and how they relate to the real world of the Royal Navy.

Payment Deferred

Forester’s masterpiece of suspense. A middle aged bank clerk with a mountain of debt and an extravagant wife commits a murder in secret. Later, a profitable investment brings him a fortune. Haunded by his crime, he suffers an ironic fate in an excellent final twist.

Brown on Resolution

For all his young life Albert Brown had known that he was to join the Navy, and the beginning of the First World War finds him a Leading Seaman. Alone on the barren island of Resolution in the South Pacific, he fights against the might of a German battleship. This is the first of C.S. Forester’s novels about the sea.

Plain Murder

An excellent story, told in style: Three advertising men decide to kill a colleague to avoid dismissal and the grim prospect of joblessness. Their leader acquires a taste for crime, but eventually gets his comeuppance.

Rifleman Dodd / Death to the French

From the author of The African Queen and the Hornblower series, comes a thrilling novel of guerrilla warfare against Napoleon’s troops. In 1810, with Wellington’s army penned behind the Tigus, Rifleman Dodd becomes separated from his regiment. When he stumbles upon a band of Portuguese guerrillas, he transforms this ramshackle group into an organized fighting force that continually harries the infuriated enemy. A rousing war and adventure story.

The Gun

Abandoned by the retreating Spanish Army during the Peninsular war, The Gun was an eighteen pounder bronze cannon, thirteen feet long, a foot in diameter at the muzzle, and weighing three tons. When a group of Spanish partisans come across it two years later they see in it a chance for victory against the French. But first they must take it a hundred miles across the mountains, with nothing but a handful of donkeys and half starved oxen to haul it. First they must gather forces…
On its epic journey over the mountains, the ornamented bronze cannon begins to gain almost mystical significance for the ever swelling force that surrounds it. With The Gun going on before them they are no longer a mere band of Spanish irregulars, they are an army. With the might of The Gun on their side they can take on the cream of Napoleon’s troops, they can march openly across the plains, they can batter great fortresses into subjection…

The African Queen

The African Queen is an old, dirty, ugly, unreliable steamboat. No one would take a boat like that down a dangerous river through the jungles of Central Africa during the First World War. But Rose Sayer and Charlie Allnut do just that. They come close to death many times, but no one would expect a missionary’s sister and a rough, uneducated mechanic to fall in love…
The film of this famous love and adventure story, made in 1951, starred Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and went on to become one of the most popular films ever made.

The General

Herbert Curzon is a former cavalry officer who earned fortuitous distinction in the Boer War. He knew little then; he learned nothing since. But the army, desperate for officers in the opening months of WW I, hands Curzon, a new division to train.

A few months later his formations dissolve at the Somme, hosed down by German machine guns. Uninstructed, Curzon still thinks himself a leader. When a German offensive threatens his remaining troops, he gallops suicidally into the fighting. He prefers death to self knowledge.

‘The General is a superb novel. It blends Forester’s preference for military subjects and solid unreflective characters, his irony, his grasp of history and his gift for lean, hypnotic narrative.’ The New York Times

The Captain from Connecticut

No one but a madman would put to sea in such conditions. A blizzard cut visibility to yards. Long Island Sound was galloping whitecaps. But in this second year of the war of 1812, conditions like these spelled opportunity to Captain Josiah Peabody, USN. His mission: break the British Blockade. The only thing in his favor was surprise. Who would expect a Yankee frigate in Long Island Sound at night? Peabody is a fictional character, and C.S. Forester’s first American hero. Yet it was men like him who compensated for our tragic lack of warships and set the world sounding with the feats of our small navy. ‘His exploits have the ring of the truth. There is no better man than C.S. Forester to tell the tale.’ B O T Editorial Review Board

The Ship

The true story on the life on a British light cruiser on the Mediterranean during WW2.

The Sky and the Forest

Loa was not just king of his Central African tribe, he was a god to his people. He controlled life and death in his village. Then he turned outward and conquered his neighbors. He felt very fierce. But this was not to last. Europe was on the march in Africa, and destiny in the form of King Leopold’s agents trod on Loa. They sacked his kingdom with an avarice unimaginable to the natives. Soon nothing was the same…
nor would it ever be again. ‘A dazzling exhibition of the author’s storytelling virtuosity.’ The New York Times

The Good Shepherd/Greyhound

This novel details moment by moment a trans Atlantic convoy cruise during World War II. Vividly described with the accuracy of nonfiction are the complex manoeuvres with which the convoy commander shepherds his close packed flock of 37 escorts and tankers as they evade or occasionally destroy the deadly U boats of Hitler’s infamous wolf packs. The reader experiences the action from the perspective of the man who alone bears the ultimate responsibility for the fates of the 3,000 men under his command, as well as countless other lives dependent upon the safe arrival of the convoy’s cargo; this novel explores the decision making process of the commander who must thoroughly analyze all the tactical and moral element of each situation yet act in seconds with unflinching decisiveness. From start to finish it is a suspenseful, compelling account of naval training, seamanship, and self discipline put to the ultimate test. Chosen as a Book of the Month Club selection in 1955, the novel was widely acclaimed for its authenticity, accuracy, and detail.

The Barbary Pirates

C.S. Forester, creator of the beloved Horatio Hornblower series, takes young readers on an exciting adventure to the shores of Tripoli in North Africa. That’s where, more than 200 years ago, the United States was threatened by pirates who snatched American merchant ships and imprisoned sailors and the country s young, untested navy took on the task of fighting the pirates in their home waters. This true tale features thrilling ocean battles, hand to hand combat, and the first landing on foreign soil by the US Marines, and it s as fresh and relevant today as when it was first published.

African Queen

The African Queen is an old, dirty, ugly, unreliable steamboat. No one would take a boat like that down a dangerous river through the jungles of Central Africa during the First World War. But Rose Sayer and Charlie Allnut do just that. They come close to death many times, but no one would expect a missionary’s sister and a rough, uneducated mechanic to fall in love…
The film of this famous love and adventure story, made in 1951, starred Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and went on to become one of the most popular films ever made.

Man in the Yellow Raft

THE Man in the Yellow Raft is a collection of eight stories about the American destroyer Boon and the men who served on her during WW II. The stories have a point: they remind us that courage and clear thinking in the midst of great danger go hand in hand and are the keys to survival. Not only is cowardice disgraceful, it is frequently lethal. ‘With great insight into the character of men and their behavior in naval warfare, Forester gives us a story of how battle must have looked to those who fought it.’ B O T Editorial Review Board

Napoleon and His Court

A well researched, comprehensive and delightfully written early work of the celebrated author of the Hornblower series and other great novels.

Victor Emmanuel II and the Union of Italy

The history of Italy from the Congress of Vienna to the rise of Mussolini is treated in detail, with the clarity and fine writing one came to expect from C. S. Forester.

Louis XIV: King of France and Navarre

A brilliant and entertaining description of the apogee of the age of absolute monarchy ruled by divine right, the rise of mercantilism, centralized bureaucracy and france’s military might during the life of the ‘Sun King,’ written by the great novelist best known by his Hornblower series.

Lord Nelson / Nelson

The celebrated author of the Hornblower series presents the biography of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, the victor of the naval battle of Trafalgar.

The Age of Fighting Sail

No one has been so well equipped as C. S. Forester to dramatize the sea battles of the War of 1812, to characterize the heroes more skillfully, or to comprehend more shrewdly the world unrest that made it possible for an infant republic to embarrass a great nation rich in one hundred years of sea triumphs.

Long Before Forty

Before C.S. Forester achieved literary success with his famous saga of Captain Horatio Hornblower and the great romantic novels such as THE AFRICAN QUEEN, he had a difficult time making his start as an author. Long Before Forty is the account of his lonely struggle to learn how to write. The concluding section, ‘Some Personal Notes,’ is a memoir of his creation of the famous Captain Hornblower.