Hornblower Books in Order
Horatio Hornblower is a shy, seasick, self-doubting naval officer who rises to become one of Britain’s great sea captains in the wars against Napoleon. Exciting, intelligent sea stories, full of sailing detail and battles at sea.
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Series facts
- Books
- 11
- Published
- 1937 to 1967
- First book
- The Happy Return
- Latest
- Hornblower and the Crisis (1967)
- Setting
- Set at sea
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every Hornblower book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Happy Return1937With Horatio HornblowerIn 1808, Captain Hornblower takes the frigate Lydia on a secret voyage to the Pacific coast of Central America, to support a rebel leader against Spain.Buy on Amazon
- 2A Ship of the Line1938With Horatio HornblowerHornblower commands the ship of the line Sutherland in the Mediterranean, raiding the coast of Spain and fighting against the odds.Buy on Amazon
- 3Flying Colours1938With Horatio HornblowerHornblower, now a prisoner of the French, is taken across France to face trial in Paris, and plans an escape with his loyal lieutenant Bush and his coxswain Brown.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Commodore1945With Horatio HornblowerIn 1812, Commodore Hornblower is sent with a small squadron to the Baltic, to keep Russia in the war against Napoleon.Buy on Amazon
- 5Lord Hornblower1946With Horatio HornblowerHornblower is sent to deal with mutineers who have seized a brig, and then finds himself in France as Napoleon’s empire falls.Buy on Amazon
- 6Mr Midshipman Hornblower1950With Horatio HornblowerIn 1794, seventeen-year-old Horatio Hornblower joins the navy, seasick and unsure of himself, and learns his trade in a series of adventures.Buy on Amazon
- 7Lieutenant Hornblower1952With Horatio HornblowerTold by William Bush, a fellow officer, as Lieutenant Hornblower serves under a captain who seems to be losing his mind, on a voyage to the West Indies.Buy on Amazon
- 8Hornblower and the Atropos1953With Horatio HornblowerIn 1805, Hornblower commands the small sloop Atropos, organises the procession for Nelson’s funeral on the Thames, then sails for the Mediterranean on a secret salvage mission.Buy on Amazon
- 9Hornblower in the West Indies1958With Horatio HornblowerRear-Admiral Hornblower is sent to command in the West Indies, where he faces pirates, slave ships and a plot to rescue Napoleon.Buy on Amazon
- 10Hornblower and the Hotspur1962With Horatio HornblowerHornblower marries Maria and takes command of the sloop Hotspur, spying on the French coast at Brest as war with France begins again.Buy on Amazon
- 11Hornblower and the Crisis1967With Horatio HornblowerHornblower’s final adventure, left unfinished at Forester’s death, in which he is sent on a mission carrying forged orders, with two short stories.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
C. S. Forester wrote the books out of order. Read them in story order: Mr Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, Hornblower and the Hotspur, Hornblower and the Crisis, Hornblower and the Atropos, The Happy Return, A Ship of the Line, Flying Colours, The Commodore, Lord Hornblower, then Hornblower in the West Indies. The Happy Return is published in America as Beat to Quarters.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Horatio Hornblower | William Bush | Lady Barbara Wellesley | Maria Mason | Brown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Happy Return | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 2 A Ship of the Line | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 3 Flying Colours | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 4 The Commodore | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 5 Lord Hornblower | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 6 Mr Midshipman Hornblower | LLead | ||||
| 7 Lieutenant Hornblower | LLead | MMajor | |||
| 8 Hornblower and the Atropos | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 9 Hornblower in the West Indies | LLead | MMajor | |||
| 10 Hornblower and the Hotspur | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 11 Hornblower and the Crisis | LLead | ·Minor |
Characters in the Hornblower books
5 characters from C. S. Forester’s chart, with the number of Hornblower books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Horatio HornblowerNaval officer who rises to admiral | 11 | The Happy Return 1937 |
| William BushHornblower's loyal first lieutenant | 7 | The Happy Return 1937 |
| Lady Barbara WellesleyHornblower's great love | 6 | The Happy Return 1937 |
| Maria MasonHornblower's first wife | 5 | The Happy Return 1937 |
| BrownHornblower's coxswain | 3 | Flying Colours 1938 |