Horatio Hornblower
UK Title Story Dates UK Date of First Publication UK Publisher US Title US Date of First Publication US Publisher Notes
The Happy Return June - December 1808 4 February 1937 Michael Joseph Beat to Quarters 6 April 1937 Little Brown Novel
A Ship of the Line April - November 1810 4 April 1938 Michael Joseph Ship of the Line 18 March 1938 Little Brown Novel
Flying Colours December 1810 - June 1811 1 November 1938 Michael Joseph Flying Colours 3 January 1939 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower and His Majesty 1813 March 1941 Argosy ( UK ) Hornblower and His Majesty 23 March 1940 Collier 's Short story
Hornblower and the Hand of Destiny 1796 April 1941 Argosy ( UK ) The Hand of Destiny 23 November 1940 Collier 's Short story
Hornblower 's Charitable Offering July 1810 May 1941 Argosy ( UK ) The Bad Samaritan 18 January 1941 Argosy ( US ) Short story intended as a chapter of A Ship of the Line
The Commodore April - December 1812 12 March 1945 Michael Joseph Commodore Hornblower 21 May 1945 Little Brown Novel
Lord Hornblower October 1813 - July 1815 11 June 1946 Michael Joseph Lord Hornblower 24 September 1946 Little Brown Novel
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower January 1794 - February 1799 22 May 1950 Michael Joseph Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 13 March 1950 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower and the Big Decision November 1799 - July 1800 April 1951 Argosy ( UK ) Hornblower 's Temptation 9 December 1950 The Saturday Evening Post Short story subsequently published as Hornblower and the Widow McCool in Hornblower and the Crisis
Lieutenant Hornblower August 1800 - March 1803 11 February 1952 Michael Joseph Lieutenant Hornblower 27 March 1952 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower and the Atropos December 1805 - September 1806 9 November 1953 Michael Joseph Hornblower and the Atropos 10 September 1953 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower in the West Indies May 1821 - July 1823 29 September 1958 Michael Joseph Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies 28 August 1958 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower and the Hotspur April 1803 - May 1805 27 July 1962 Michael Joseph Hornblower and the Hotspur 1 August 1962 Little Brown Novel
Hornblower Companion , The The Hornblower Companion 99999 4 December 1964 Michael Joseph The Hornblower Companion 6 December 1964 Little Brown Supplementary book comprising The Hornblower Atlas and Some Personal Notes
Hornblower and the Crisis May - June 1805 4 June 1967 Michael Joseph Hornblower During the Crisis 8 November 1967 Little Brown Novel ( unfinished ) plus Hornblower and the Widow McCool and The Last Encounter
The Last Encounter September - December 1848 4 June 1967 Michael Joseph The Last Encounter April 1967 Argosy ( US ) Short story subsequently published in Hornblower and the Crisis
Bibliography
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Napoleonic Wars-era Royal Navy officer who is the protagonist of a series of novels and stories by C. S. Forester. He was later the subject of films, radio and television programmes, and C. Northcote Parkinson elaborated a definitive biography. The original Hornblower tales began with the 1937 novel The Happy Return (U.S. title Beat to Quarters) with the appearance of a junior Royal Navy captain on independent duty on a secret mission to Central America. Later stories filled out his earlier years, starting with an unpromising beginning as a seasick midshipman. As the Napoleonic Wars progress, he gains promotion steadily as a result of his skill and daring, despite his initial poverty and lack of influential friends. After surviving many adventures in a wide variety of locales, he rises to the pinnacle of his profession, promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.