An excellent book and my first five star read since the early summer. Probably my favourite of the series so far. Promoted to Commodore and given his first flag mission (in command of other captains) Hornblower travels to the Baltic just before and during Napoleon’s disastrous Russian campaign. I think one of the features of this book is how much more alive Forester has made the history; the previous books are, of course, all set against the real history of the Napoleonic wars but the actual history been very much in the background. So long as England is still at war with Bonaparte and there are French ships to attack not much more knowledge was required. This time however the history moves very much out of the background and into the thick of the plot. And all without any tedious lecturing.
Despite Hornblower’s new flag position we are still very much in the action and so once again Forester delivers a rip roaring sea adventure that I devoured in just two sittings. Hornblower’s bipolar swings from depression to inspired performance were also handled better with the first real hints at explanation given based on better self-awareness gained with age and experience. Two short quotes illustrated this nicely. The post action depression: “It would read well in a report, and brother officers would tell each other of Hornblower’s new achievement…. Only he would know of this feeling of inglorious anticlimax.” And the pre action genius: “Hornblower’s brain should be planning and thinking still, with that swift clarity and that fevered rapidity which he knew by now portended some new development.”
An excellent book with fantastic action and pacing perfectly balanced with some fascinating insights into the politics of the time. Sadly this means I have only two more complete Hornblower novels to go!
5/5 stars
Despite Hornblower’s new flag position we are still very much in the action and so once again Forester delivers a rip roaring sea adventure that I devoured in just two sittings. Hornblower’s bipolar swings from depression to inspired performance were also handled better with the first real hints at explanation given based on better self-awareness gained with age and experience. Two short quotes illustrated this nicely. The post action depression: “It would read well in a report, and brother officers would tell each other of Hornblower’s new achievement…. Only he would know of this feeling of inglorious anticlimax.” And the pre action genius: “Hornblower’s brain should be planning and thinking still, with that swift clarity and that fevered rapidity which he knew by now portended some new development.”
An excellent book with fantastic action and pacing perfectly balanced with some fascinating insights into the politics of the time. Sadly this means I have only two more complete Hornblower novels to go!
5/5 stars
