Hornblower : Beat to Quarters by C. S. Forester
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Book Reviews of Hornblower : Beat to Quarters
Book Review: The best boy's adventure book ever
Summary: 5 Stars
This book (often collected with "Ship of the Line" and "Beat to Quarters" as "Captain Horatio Hornblower" is the best "boy's" adventure book ever, the gold standard by which all others are measured. It inspired, among others, O'Brien's Aubrey, Cornwell's Sharpe, Kent's Bolitho, and Weber's Harrington. It works perfectly as a sea story and romance, as the middle class Hornblower, Captain of the Lydia, meets and falls in love with Lady Barbara, the sister to the Duke of Wellington. Along the way he battles enemies of superior force, overcoming them as well as his own inferiority complex. Historical detail is superb and this book, as well as the series as a whole, is a superb introduction to the Napoleonic period, particularly class society in Britain. Forester passed away before he could write to Trafalgar, but Hornblower and the Atropos has a lovely description of Lord Nelson's funeral that I remember vividly 39 years later and used as a guide on a recent trip to London last month.Book Review: Story Telling AT Its Best
Summary: 5 Stars
The entire series of the Hornblower books are a must read. Forester was able to tell stories that had no boring sections, unlike Master and Commander, a book written of the same period and about the same types of life. This was Forester's first book of the series, but I think it is best to start with the first of the eleven books, all paper back and all done by the same publisher with the same type of cover illustrations. I read the entire series many years ago and found a fair number of inconsistencies based largely on the fact things happened in the books covering Horblower's earlier life that were not considered when Forester started the series. Some still remain, such as Hornblower's ability to speak French. As a younger officer he spoke it well. Later, he knows only a few words. Still, the books are so excellent it is best to overlook the inconsistencies.Book Review: This is the best series i have ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
The series about the life of Horatio Hornblower is amazing. I am currently needing book 6, Beat to Quarters, which i will purchase tonight. C. S. Forresters writing style kept me up all night. I finished some of the books in less than 24 hours because i coulden't put it down, it was so exciting. Hornblower's life of sailing through molten shot and through a hail of grapeshot (bullets) is so amazing, i almost wanted to live during his time (exept the fact that i would probably die at a young age.) Unfortunatly, Mr. Forrester did not live to finish his story, and so book 4 is uncomplete. However, the books are written out of order, so you can enjoy readin about almost of Hornblowers life.Book Review: Put this one at the head of the queue
Summary: 5 Stars
No matter how large your queue of books-in-process (waiting to be read) is, drop them all and read the Hornblower series. As Hemingway said, "no literate person should skip Forester" (or words to that effect :-).Hornblower's inspired leadership has spurred countless stories of courage under fire... everything from O'Bryan to Roddenberry's depiction of Kirk in _Star Trek_ and a host of other action/adventure stories.
My real recommendation is to order all eleven books and to start with "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower". If you have any - even the slightest - proclivity for action/adventure, you will not stop until Hornblower does.
Book Review: The best of the Hornblower series
Summary: 5 Stars
The first Hornblower book that Forester wrote, and the best. Exciting action, wonderful characterization--particularly Hornblower himself, who is a three-dimensional human with failings, not a cardboard cutout action hero--and even a bit of romance for those who like that sort of thing (me! me!). The scenes with Hornblower and Lady Barbara were so evocative and delightful--I felt as if I was sitting on the deck with them under the stars, listening to their conversations. I would recommend that the series be read in chronological order of Hornblower's career, rather than the order in which Forester wrote them, but BTQ is the jewel in the crown.