Dispatched to northern waters to protect Britain’s Baltic interests, Horatio Hornblower must halt the advance of Napoleon’s empire into Sweden and Russia. But first he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow and icebound waterways; overcome Russian political and commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; and contend with hostile armies and French privateers. With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore’s shoulders …

This is the eighth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

‘A recipe for pure pleasure’ Bernard Cornwell

As an admiral struggling to impose order in the chaotic aftermath of the French wars, Horatio Hornblower, Commander-in-chief of His Majesty’s ships and vessels in the West Indies, must still face savage pirates, reckless revolutionaries and a violent hurricane.

And while his retirement at half-pay might well be in sight, Hornblower will need every ounce of his rapier wit and quick thinking – not to mention his courage and leadership – to ensure that the lasting peace in Europe reaches the turbulent seas of the West Indies.
This is the tenth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.
‘The true master of the genre’ Boris Johnson

Sir Horatio Hornblower has received strict and highly confidential orders from the highest rank: he must embark upon a grave and perilous mission to recapture the Flame in the Bay of Seine, where the brutal and foul-tempered Lieutenant Augustine Chadwick is being held prisoner by a mutinous crew. Rescuing the Lieutenant demands all of Horatio’s spirit and seafaring prowess – for at the same time, he must contend with capturing two French cargo vessels and take part in negotiations to topple the faltering Napoleon once and for all . . .

This is the ninth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C.S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

‘A recipe for pure pleasure’ Bernard Cornwell

Though the seventy-four-gun HMS Sutherland is ‘the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy’ and a crew shortage means he must recruit two hundred and fifty landlubbers, Hornblower knows that by the time Sutherland and her squadron reach the blockaded Catalonian coast every seaman will do his duty. But with daring raids against the French army and navy to be made, it will take all Hornblower’s seamanship – and stewardship – to steer a steady course to victory and home . . .

This is the sixth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

‘I recommend Forester to every literate I know’ Ernest Hemingway

Forced to surrender his ship, HMS Sutherland, after a long and bloody battle, Captain Horatio Hornblower is held prisoner in a French fortress. Prospects turn bleaker when he learns that he and Lt. Bush are to be tried and executed in Paris as part of Napoleon’s attempts to rally the war-weary Empire. Even if Hornblower can escape this fate and make it safe to England, he still faces court-martial for surrendering his ship. With little hope for the future and little left to lose, Hornblower throws caution to the wind once more.

This is the seventh of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

‘A joyous creation, perfection in words’ Conn Iggulden

1805, and Hornblower is both humbled and honoured in quick succession . . .

After near disaster on board a canal barge, Horatio Hornblower is given his first assignment as Captain, taking charge of the Atropos, a 22-gun sloop that will act as flagship for the funeral procession of Lord Nelson. Soon the Atropos is part of the Mediterranean fleet’s assault upon Napoleon, and Captain Hornblower must execute a bold and daring salvage operation for buried treasure lying deep in Turkish waters. Under the guns of a suspicious port captain and the threat of a Spanish frigate more than double Atropos‘s size, Hornblower must steer his ship unscathed and triumphant. . .

This is the fourth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C.S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horation Hornblower.

‘I recommend Forester to every literate I know’ Ernest Hemingway

‘I find Hornblower admirable, vastly entertaining’ Sir Winston Churchill

1805 and Horatio Hornblower is in possession of confidential dispatches from Bonaparte after a vicious hand-to-hand encounter with a French brig. The admiralty rewards Hornblower by sending him on a dangerous espionage mission that will light the powder trail leading to the battle of Trafalgar . . .

Hornblower and the Crisis was unfinished at the time of Forester’s death, but the author left notes – included here – telling us how the tale would end. Also included are two further stories – Hornblower and the Widow McCool and The Last Encounter – that tell of Hornblower as a very young and very old man, respectively.

This is the eleventh and final book chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

‘The true master of the genre’ Boris Johnson

April 1803, and the Peace of Amiens is failing as Horatio Hornblower takes a sloop on a vital reconnaissance mission . . .

On the day of his marriage to Maria, Hornblower is ordered to take the Hotspur and head for Brest – war is coming and Napoleon will not catch His Majesty’s navy with its britches round its ankles. With thoughts of his new life as a husband intruding on his duties, Hornblower must prove himself to be not only the most capable commander in the fleet, but also its most daring if he is to stop the French gaining the upper hand.

This is the third of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

Featuring an exclusive introduction by Bernard Cornwell, creator of Sharpe

‘A master of the genre’ New York Times Book Review

The nineteenth century dawns and the Napoleonic Wars rage as Horatio Hornblower is ordered to the Caribbean and dangerous waters.

New Lieutenant Hornblower’s latest ship is HMS Renown, a sound vessel whose captain is unfortunately of rather unsound mind. When ordered to attack a Spanish anchorage, the chain of command breaks down and it requires all of Hornblower’s seafaring cunning to avert disaster. As cannons pound and splinters fly aboard their beleaguered vessel, and the men are forced to engage at close quarters, the young lieutenant knows that to save his ship and crew he must prove himself a master of the high seas . . .

This is the second of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester’s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.

Featuring an exclusive introduction by Bernard Cornwell, creator of Sharpe

‘One of the best. Everyone interested in war, or in human nature, should read this fascinating tale’ The Times Literary Supplement