Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional officer in the Royal Navy, created by C.S. Forester, with significant similarity to Horatio Nelson.
Forester, a pseudonym for Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, wrote many nautical works, some fictional and some not, some under his name and others under pseudonyms such as . The Hornblower series was the only series written under that name, although other works, such as The African Queen were good books turned into memorable movies.
The Hornblower character became the standard for naval historical writing; other authors' works, both Napoleonic era historical fiction such as the Master and Commander series, and science fiction about future navies, such as the Honor Harrington universe, often are described as "Hornblower-like".
The books
The novels were not published in order of the character's career. The first novel Forester wrote about Hornblower was published under the somewhat ironic title The Happy Return, also titled Flying Colors. It took place in the middle of his career, as a junior captain on an independent command. It took place in the Pacific Ocean, complicated by Spain switching from being allied to Napoleon Bonaparte's France, to being an ally of the United Kingdom.
Other books take the reader back to his first days in the navy, and to the highest ranks. Hornblower and the Crisis is a collection of stories and novelettes, with vignettes from his midshipman days, to a story in his retirement as Admiral of the Fleet. Forester also wrote The Hornblower Companion, a guide to the series written as a biography of the fictional character.
| Order in character life | Publication order | Character rank |
|---|---|---|
| Midshipman Hornblower | Midshipman and lieutenant | |
| Lieutenant Hornblower | Lieutenant and commander* | |
| Hornblower and the Hotspur | Commander and junior captain* | |
| Hornblower and the Atropos | Commander and junior captain* | |
| Flying Colours | Mid-level captain (frigate) | |
| Ship of the Line | Senior captain third-rate ship | |
| Lord Hornblower | Senior captain | |
| Commodore Hornblower | Commodore | |
| Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies | Rear admiral |
The next three novels: A Ship of the Line; Commodore Hornblower; and Lord Hornblower, were written chronologically. Lord Hornblower ends with Hornblower learning that Bonaparte has had his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. An additional five novels were written out of order: Mr Midshipman Hornblower; Lieutenant Hornblower; Hornblower and the Crisis; Hornblower and the Hotspur; Hornblower and the Atropos; and Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies.