Forester again gives us another excellent story from the age of sail. As always he captures the spirit of life aboard an English warship during the Napoleonic wars, though this book is a little unusual in having, for the most part, very little battle action and instead it explores some of the other duties of a naval captain and warship of that era (including the funeral convoy of one Admiral Nelson and a salvage operation).
Hornblower is a little less self-condemning than he has been in previous books which making the book easier to enjoy and Hornblower easier to empathise with. The book is written very intimately from his perspective and is probably deliberate in not getting close to any other characters, reflecting Hornblower’s own reticence as well as emphasising the loneliness of command.
Another great volume in this excellent series.
Hornblower is a little less self-condemning than he has been in previous books which making the book easier to enjoy and Hornblower easier to empathise with. The book is written very intimately from his perspective and is probably deliberate in not getting close to any other characters, reflecting Hornblower’s own reticence as well as emphasising the loneliness of command.
Another great volume in this excellent series.
