Horatio Hornblower is the ideal action hero, a character created by talented British author C.S. Forester, who also wrote The African Queen. Hornblower is a man subject to the same anxieties and doubts that plague us all, but he overcomes his shortcomings and learns from his mistakes. Hornblower is a man of honor, a man who realizes that his mind is his greatest weapon in the fight for King and Country, a man with a heart of gold who sometimes subtly defies the conventions of his day. Hornblower has left a mark on many readers- including, apparently, Jimmy Carter, who once introduced Hubert Horatio Humphrey to a Democratic Party Convention as Hubert Horatio Hornblower! The books were written in the 1950s and 1960s. The more recent A&E film series shows that Hornblower's appeal is timeless, and also shows that the military adventure story can sometimes verge on great literature. These are not just "guy books"! My wife read them all and loved them, and my 17 year old daughter is reading them all as a summer project.
Yes, you can experience Hornblower through watching the A&E series. Ioan Gruffud does a great job at being Hornblower: he is bright, clever, courageous, charming, and sensitive. But really, "belay that!" There is not enough room in the film series for all the little details that make the books so special. Read the books first, then watch the movie series. FYI the film series is several years old. You might spot a repeat on A&E, or you might have to buy it or find it on DVD in a library.
If you need to know, the Hornblower series charts the career of a British navy officer through the Napoleonic Wars, one of history's great conflagrations. The British Navy of that time period was one of the two things that prevented Napoleon from conguering all Europe- the other thing being the Russian winter. We are talkin' wooden warships, the age of cannon under sail. "Loose the halyards and reef the topgallants" .....and other nautical expressions! "Confusion to the Frogs!" (whoops, apologies to any Gather readers who may happen to be French) Don't worry about it, you will catch on.
Start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and continue through the entire series. You will need quite a bit of time to do this, because the Hornblower series is eleven books long. The last two books are not quite as fascinating as the rest.
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Comments: 19
Thanks, good reviews.
Forester's dialogue is always interesting, mostly because he works so hard to keep it historically correct.
Great review!
as in this short piece about sharing out of the 'prize money'...
"And so it went, right through the list: there were a few men with no dependents of any kind, and they walked off with the entire hundred and fifty-seventh part of half the splendid prize; but most over thirty had yielded to the representations of their captain and divisional officers to send at least some money home; and all eagerly agreed with the clerk's reckoning. At one time Stephen Maturin, the frigate's surgeon, had been calculating the degree of literacy aboard; but melancholy, no doubt helped by the increasing wind and the spindrift, had welled up and he lost count among the names beginning with N. 'How I do wish,' he murmured to Jack in a moment's pause, 'that William and his Ringles might have been here.'
'So do I indeed: but, you know, as a privately-owned tender to what is in fact a hydrographical vessel I do not think they would stand in line for more than fourpence. In any case I could not refuse Lord Keith—he had no other suitable craft at hand—he asked it as a personal favour. And I owe him a great deal: I owe both of them a great deal.' "
:)
Great stories.
Is this the correct chronology?
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, Hornblower and the Hotspur, Hornblower During the Crisis, Hornblower and the Atropos, Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line, Flying Colours, Commodore Hornblower, Lord Hownblower, Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
...and would you recommend reading the whole series in chronological order? It's my understanding that 'Beat to Quarters' was actually the first one written. Often the first written is the best and can you say whether that's true in this case?
I have not read any of the Aubrey/Maturin novels so I can offer no comparisons. I have had a couple people tell me that they are excellent!
Have any of you read both the series, in order to make a comparison for us?
Great piece here and I, too, became a fan of the series when it aired on A&E (never knew it was taken from a book series, though). Like Christine mentioned above, I also really loved "Master and Commander" (entire cast and crew with that film did a fantastic job), and seeing that movie actually encouraged me to go try and read some of the Aubrey books. I made it through one, but the second one was a bit much at the time...I shall give it a go again later. Just seemed to get bogged down a bit at times...but you quickly realize when reading the book just what attention to detail director Peter Weir did while making the movie. Shame they only have made one of the movies and not others, though. Again, a great movie from the technical, design, photographic and acting aspects.
Then again, I also loved watching "Sharpe's Rifles" with Sean Bean, too, (also on A&E, or maybe PBS) which also takes place during this same time period, but is based on land battles. Haven't read any of the books that series was based on either, but plan on doing so one of these days.
Again, thanks for adding this post. Horatio Hornblower is a great character to follow, and Gruffudd is a very talented actor. Did you happen to see him in "Amazing Grace"?
Yes I have read both, though I must admit not in the ertirty, but I have the entire Hornblower.
My comparison for those who read comics as kids might be that of Spiderman to Superman.. Hornblower is Spidey, Aubrey is ol Sup.
Both great in their way.
here are mine... :)