Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)
by C. S. Forester

List Price: $13.99
Our Price: $5.99
You Save: $8.00 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.56 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of Ship of the Line (Hornblower Saga)

Book Review: 4.5 stars -- Fantastic!
Summary: 4 Stars

Hornblower, flesh off his triumph in the Pacific, is now assigned to the least desireable two-deck ship of the line, the Sutherland, with only half the crew he needs. Worse yet, he's assigned to duty under Admiral Leighton -- an inexperienced, over-cautious and frankly incompetent commander who also happens to have married the love of Hornblower's life -- Barbara Wellsley.

Will Hornblower overcome these obstacles? You haven't been paying attention if you don't the answer to that already. He quickly becomes the "Terror of the Mediterranean", leading brilliant daring raids against the French on the coast of Spain and finally ending in a stunning battle against four French ships that is possibly the exciting, most heart-rending and most terrifying battle sequence Forester ever wrote. It perfectly capture both the excitement and the horror of warfare.

As usual, it the character of Horatio that elevates this novel from historical drama to classic adventure. He in introspective and moody, intelligent enough to be scared of battle but brave enough to face his fears. He also represents the spirit of the Enlightenment in his disdain for the aristocracy and his belief that his men will fight better if they love him than fear him.

This ranks with Hotspur as the pinnacle of the series. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was the occasional confusion over events and (wait for it) lack of maps. Otherwise, this is a great story.

Action & Adventure Books

• Books > Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction
• Historical
• Sea Adventures