Product Description

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 Turk 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48715 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
C.S Forester was born in Cairo in 1899, where his father was stationed as a government official. He studied medicine at Guy’s Hospital, and after leaving Guy’s without a degree he turned to writing as a career. On the outbreak of war he entered the Ministry of Information and later he sailed with the Royal Navy to collect material for The Ship. He made a voyage to the Bering Sea to gather material for a similar book on the United States Navy, and it was during this trip that he was stricken with arteriosclerosis, a disease which left him crippled. However, he continued to write and in the Hornblower novels created the most renowned sailor in contemporary fiction. He died in 1966.

Customer Reviews

Short Stories Featuring Early 19th Century Technology
Although the episodes in Hornblower and the Atropos are tied together with a modest connecting story line, each one could just as easily be an independent short story about Hornblower's experiences on his way to, during, and after his assignment as captain of the Atropos, the smallest three-master in His Majesty's fleet. What positively distinguishes these stories are fascinating details of some of the most advanced technologies in the Britain of 200 years ago. You will learn about the new fresh water canals and tunnels used then to speed shipments of people and fresh market goods, underwater demolition and salvage operations, coordinating naval battles through signaling, repairing ships on station, turning a ship without using the wind, treating gunshot wounds, and how to administer a very detailed operation without use of telephone, telegraph, or radio. The book is well worth reading just for these details.
The book's main disappointment for me is the absence of the redoubtable William Bush who plays such an important an interesting role as Hornblower's foil and partner in most of the novels. I missed Bush. I think you will, too.

As occurs increasingly in the books in the series, Hornblower comes into contact with famous people of the day. Hornblower's success with the Hotspur has won him friends in the Admiralty, and even higher places.

You will enjoy this book much more if you refer to the maps in the Hornblower Companion as you read this book.

Much of the appeal of the Hornblower series is involved in the naval engagements. While this book will make it seem like all of that is going to be missed here, just be patient.

One of the most interesting parts of this book comes when Hornblower uncharacteristically makes a rather large mistake, and has to face up to the fact that he may have no honorable way out. This situation reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk describes how he handled the insoluble problem provided to each cadet at Starfleet Academy. Yes, there is always a way out.

Be curious about all that is around you, and consider how it can be turned to new advantages . . . when you change your assumptions about what is most important!

Short Stories Featuring Early 19th Century Technology
Although the episodes in Hornblower and the Atropos are tied together with a modest connecting story line, each one could just as easily be an independent short story about Hornblower's experiences on his way to, during, and after his assignment as captain of the Atropos, the smallest three-master in His Majesty's fleet. What positively distinguishes these stories are fascinating details of some of the most advanced technologies in the Britain of 200 years ago. You will learn about the new fresh water canals and tunnels used then to speed shipments of people and fresh market goods, underwater demolition and salvage operations, coordinating naval battles through signaling, repairing ships on station, turning a ship without using the wind, treating gunshot wounds, and how to administer a very detailed operation without use of telephone, telegraph, or radio. The book is well worth reading just for these details.

The book's main disappointment for me is the absence of the redoubtable William Bush who plays such an important an interesting role as Hornblower's foil and partner in most of the novels. I missed Bush. I think you will, too.

As occurs increasingly in the books in the series, Hornblower comes into contact with famous people of the day. Hornblower's success with the Hotspur has won him friends in the Admiralty, and even higher places.

You will enjoy this book much more if you refer to the maps in the Hornblower Companion as you read this book.

Much of the appeal of the Hornblower series is involved in the naval engagements. While this book will make it seem like all of that is going to be missed here, just be patient.

One of the most interesting parts of this book comes when Hornblower uncharacteristically makes a rather large mistake, and has to face up to the fact that he may have no honorable way out. This situation reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk describes how he handled the insoluble problem provided to each cadet at Starfleet Academy. Yes, there is always a way out.

Be curious about all that is around you, and consider how it can be turned to new advantages . . . when you change your assumptions about what is most important!

Short Stories Featuring Early 19th Century Technology
Although the episodes in Hornblower and the Atropos are tied together with a modest connecting story line, each one could just as easily be an independent short story about Hornblower's experiences on his way to, during, and after his assignment as captain of the Atropos, the smallest three-master in His Majesty's fleet. What positively distinguishes these stories are fascinating details of some of the most advanced technologies in the Britain of 200 years ago. You will learn about the new fresh water canals and tunnels used then to speed shipments of people and fresh market goods, underwater demolition and salvage operations, coordinating naval battles through signaling, repairing ships on station, turning a ship without using the wind, treating gunshot wounds, and how to administer a very detailed operation without use of telephone, telegraph, or radio. The book is well worth reading just for these details.

The book's main disappointment for me is the absence of the redoubtable William Bush who plays such an important an interesting role as Hornblower's foil and partner in most of the novels. I missed Bush. I think you will, too.

As occurs increasingly in the books in the series, Hornblower comes into contact with famous people of the day. Hornblower's success with the Hotspur has won him friends in the Admiralty, and even higher places.

You will enjoy this book much more if you refer to the maps in the Hornblower Companion as you read this book.

Much of the appeal of the Hornblower series is involved in the naval engagements. While this book will make it seem like all of that is going to be missed here, just be patient.

One of the most interesting parts of this book comes when Hornblower uncharacteristically makes a rather large mistake, and has to face up to the fact that he may have no honorable way out. This situation reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk describes how he handled the insoluble problem provided to each cadet at Starfleet Academy. Yes, there is always a way out.

Be curious about all that is around you, and consider how it can be turned to new advantages . . . when you change your assumptions about what is most important!