Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)
by C.S. Forester
(Click here)
Book Summary Information
Author: C.S. ForesterEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1989-04-05
ISBN: 0316289388
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316289382
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)
Book Review: COMMODORE HORNBLOWER by C. S. Forester
Summary: 3 Stars
Commodore Hornblower (1945), also known as The Commodore, is C. S. Forester's ninth Hornblower novel by chronology, fourth by publication. Horatio Hornblower, now rich and married to Lady Barbara but still pathetic and miserable, is sent with his faithful one-legged minion Bush and a flotilla to the Baltic Sea to engage in some anti-France international diplomacy and action.
There is some character development here that shows either Hornblower's inconstancy or Forester's inconsistency. Lady Barbara acts toward Hornblower in much the same way his first wife Maria did - but where Maria's behavior annoyed him to no end, he enjoys the same treatment from Barbara. Even so, Hornblower escalates his philandering in this novel, and reaps some consequences that will leave the reader unsympathetic.
Commodore Hornblower is one of the longer books in the series, and it's also one of the hardest to get through. Hornblower has a number of ships to work with here, and he has plenty of opportunities to use them, however none of his escapades are particularly interesting or remarkable, and neither he nor his squadron are ever in any real danger. The novel also suffers from the fact that Hornblower, as a flag officer, is a step removed from many of its most interesting conflicts.
Commodore Hornblower hardly features Forester's best writing. The whole thing is more muddled than one expects from him, and it seems clear, particularly given the date of publication, that one of his main priorities with this book was to draw parallels to World War II. And land battles are certainly not Forester's forte. They play a pivotal role here, but are mostly glossed over and rushed through, and so the reader may well be confused about the specifics.
Therefore, Commodore Hornblower is, for a variety of reasons, one of Forester's weaker entries in the Hornblower series.
Summary of Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)
"In this ninth installment 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."Action & Adventure Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Hornblower
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.97
Price in other shops:
Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Commodore Hornblower (Hornblower, 9)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-04-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Flying Colours (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-04-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.79
Price in other shops:
Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1985-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower : Beat to Quartersby C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1985-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1999-04-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1990-04-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops:
Hornblower and the "Hotspur" (Hornblower Series)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1998-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Lieutenant Hornblowerby C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1998-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.64
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1984-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.14
Price in other shops:
Lieutenant Hornblowerby C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1998-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.63
Price in other shops:
Hornblower and the "Hotspur" (Hornblower Series)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1998-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1990-04-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower : Beat to Quartersby C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1985-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1999-04-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1985-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.40
Price in other shops:
Flying Colours (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-04-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.28
Price in other shops:
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.79
Price in other shops:
Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)by C.S. Forester
Back Bay Books; Published: 1989-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.45
Price in other shops: