Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga) by C. S. Forester
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Book Reviews of Lord Hornblower (Hornblower Saga)
Book Review: Great Story
Summary: 5 Stars
You are right there with Horatio in all his battles and adventures. I really enjoyed this book and all the others in the series.Book Review: Great series
Summary: 5 Stars
All the books I have read in the Hornblower series are absolutely terrific. I would highly recommend them.Book Review: Another great installment in a great series...
Summary: 4 Stars
This was another fine story. This book occurs late in the war, right before Napolean abdicates the throne the first time. Hornblower has been a lord for several months, however has been recuperating from an illness. He is sent on a mission to capture a brig that has mutinied and is threatening to surrender to the French.Hornblower is successful in the mission and at the same time lands himself right in the middle of political intrigue in a major seaport on the French coast. He is able, with the help of several leading citizens, to capture the town and have it reaffirm the old French King as the successor to Napoloean when he is defeated.
Of course, Napolean is not to happy about this situation and he send an expedition to fight the rebelling city and throw the English back into the sea. Hornblower expects this and send to England for help. Who should arrive? None other than Captain Bush, Hornblower's close friend.
Bush sets off inland via a river to intercept the oncoming seige train and wreck it while it is still in transport mode. He is successful, but at a terrible price. Around that time, Bonaparte abdicates and is exiled. France is returned to the Bourbons. Hornblower sets off the visit the Compte de Gracae that helped him escape when he was captured two years before. During his visit, Bonaparte escapes and reclaims the thrown.
Hornblower is deep inland at this time. He helps a local partisan movement. However, his small group of 30 guerillas is hunted down by several thousand French soldiers. He is eventually captured and sentence to be executed. On the day befor the execution, word comes from Paris that Bonaparte has been defeated at Waterloo and has again abdicated. Hornblower is released.
Not a lot of sea fighting going on this book. Most of the action takes place ashore in France. A lot of political intrigue. C.S. did a fine job of depicting the political situation in France at the end of the war.
Book Review: Naval hero helps end the war.
Summary: 4 Stars
After recovering from the typhus and attending to ceremonies of the knights of the bath, Commodore Hornblower is sent to Le Havre in Normandy to intervene in some mutineers who are demanding a pardon on threat of turning their ship over to the French. In typical Hornblower fashion he captures a very large French cargo vessel, the mutineers ship and another French navel vessel all in a couple of days. But Hornblower isn't done yet. He negotiates with the Mayor of Le Havre to turn against Napoleon with British naval support. Hornblower sails into the harbor with a few hundred marines and takes over. For some weeks he is bound up in administration of the port and it's defenses. A French siege army approaches but a daring row up river blows up their siege guns and powder. Captain Bush is killed in the explosion. The crown prince of France arrives and a whole entourage, along with Lady Barbara. With his army defeated in the south and Normandy held against him, Napoleon abdicates. Hornblower and the crown prince sail up the Seine toward Paris. For his achievements and for political reasons Hornblower is appointed "Lord Hornblower." Lady Barbara goes to Vienna with her brother for political peace talks, so Hornblower visits his friend from "Flying Colors." While he's there Napoleon retakes the country and Hornblower leads a small resistance force tying up several thousand men who might have made a difference elsewhere at Waterloo. There is plenty to like in Lord Hornblower, bravery and wit overcoming long odds at sea, adventures in politics and the splendor of the court. The saga continues.
Book Review: Cunning and determination
Summary: 4 Stars
A crew has mutinied and threatens to hang their captain and turn their ship over to the French if they don't receive pardons and their captain isn't tried for his cruelty. Simple force cannot subdue the mutineers, as they have only to sail into Napoleon's embrace to escape punishment. Their demands cannot be granted, lest every crew with a cruel captain take the law into their own hands. Our hero is summoned to solve the problem, which he does with aplomb. This leads to a gripping series of diplomatic and military moves, and the ultimate defeat of the French tyrant. This part is good; I would give it 5 stars.
The book has a second part: after Napoleon is exiled, Barbara goes to Vienna to help put Europe back together and Horatio goes to France...for a bad reason. When Napoleon returns to power, Horatio is trapped, and must use his wits and guts to survive. I didn't like this part as well: I don't understand the choices Horatio makes (perhaps because I started the series with Commodore Hornblower and have yet to read the earlier books), the ending struck me as a cop-out, and the whole thing just seemed so much smaller than the first part of the book. I would give this part 3 stars.