The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
Lieutenant Hornblower

Lieutenant Hornblower

Summary

The Second Horatio Hornblower Tale of the Sea

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

Reviews

  • I recommend Forester to every literate I know
    Ernest Hemingway

About the author

C.S. Forester

C. S. Forester (1899-1966) was born in Cairo, where his father was a government official. On the outbreak of the Second World War, he entered the Ministry of Information. As well as the famous Horatio Hornblower series, his novels include The African Queen, adapted into the famous film, and crime novels Plain Murder and The Pursued.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more