Description
7. Ship of the Line
Hornblower, now a post-captain, takes command of the 74-gun Sutherland during the Napoleonic Wars. Ordered to join a squadron off the Spanish coast, he drives his ship and crew hard in raids on shore batteries and enemy shipping. When isolated, he heroically engages four French ships to protect the squadron’s retreat. Outgunned and wrecked, he is forced to surrender but wins admiration for his daring and humanity. The book shows his growing tactical brilliance, his loneliness at sea, and his complicated feelings for Lady Barbara, now married to an admiral.
8. Flying Colours
A direct sequel: Hornblower, a prisoner of war in France, faces court-martial and execution for his exploits. He engineers a daring escape down the Loire with his coxswain Bush and the boatman Brown, aided by the Comte de Graçay and his daughter. Through danger and near-death he reflects on duty, mortality, and love. He reaches England a hero, promoted to commodore. The novel deepens Hornblower’s character, revealing his humility, resilience, and vulnerability behind the public legend.
9. Commodore Hornblower
Hornblower is sent to the Baltic as commodore of a small squadron charged with supporting allies and countering Napoleon’s influence. He navigates icebound seas, political intrigue in Russia, and a duel with a powerful French ship. His diplomatic skill is as crucial as his seamanship. The campaign succeeds, earning him honors but leaving him inwardly restless. The book shows Hornblower’s shift from daring lone captain to strategist balancing war, diplomacy, and personal honor.
10. Lord Hornblower
Now a peer of the realm, Hornblower must suppress a mutiny and negotiate the defection of a French garrison at Le Havre during the waning days of Napoleon’s empire. He orchestrates the town’s surrender, juggles complex alliances, and risks disgrace to protect others. The story blends action with political maneuvering and portrays Hornblower’s struggle to reconcile his public duties with his private emotions, particularly after a personal tragedy. It is both a naval adventure and a meditation on leadership’s costs.
11. Hornblower in the West Indies
Set after the Napoleonic Wars, Hornblower is now a rear admiral stationed in the Caribbean. In five linked episodes he foils a plot to rescue Napoleon from exile, confronts pirates and slave-traders, and survives kidnapping and hurricanes. Age and rank bring new challenges: paperwork, diplomacy, and moral dilemmas in an imperial setting. Yet his ingenuity and sense of justice remain. This final volume closes the saga by showing Hornblower as a seasoned, humane officer still wrestling with insecurity but acting decisively, completing his transformation from awkward midshipman to legendary admiral.
