A Place For Everything

The Horatio Hornblower series of books by C.S. Forester tell the story of a lonely, insecure man with immense talent and ambition. Though he is extremely competant, even brilliant; he is plagued with self doubt.

Hornblower is an English sea captain of the Napoleonic period. The first book written of this series is entitled Beat to Quarters. The story begins as Hornblower arrives on the Pacific coast of the ithsmus of Panama. His mission is under sealed orders. The ship is 7 months from England with no sight of land. They are low on food and water approaching a hostile coast. Due to th secret orders Hornblower has shared the mission with no one. He is isolated by the secret. He is a young captain who fears that familiarity with the crew will undermine his authority. The book mixes adventure with introspection.

Following Beat to Quarters, Forester wrote two more books, Ship of the Line and Flying Colours to create a trilogy.

Other books in the series follow his career from Midshipman to retirement as an Admiral. The book Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is a collection of short stories written for Saturday Evening Post.

I have enjoyed this series since my teens. It is an enjoyable and thoughtful read for anyone.


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