order of publication of horatio hornblower’s books
chronological order of horatio hornblower’s books
horatio hornblower collections publication order
publication order of horatio hornblower’s nonfiction books
independent novel publication order
story/novel publication order
story collection publication order
children’s book publication order
order of publication of the works
non-fiction publication order
the assumed pseudonym of a cecil louis troughton smith, c.s. Forester, or ‘Cecil Scott’ Forester, was a highly acclaimed British novelist of his day. Known primarily for his ‘hornblower’ series of novels, he was a highly respected novelist who amassed around thirty-five novels during his sixty-six years.
early years and personal life
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Born August 27, 1899, Cecil Scott Forester originally came from Cairo before moving to Britain at a young age due to the breakup of his family. growing up in london with his mother, he learned at alleyn school, then dulwich university and then guy’s hospital. After a while, he made an unsuccessful attempt to enlist in the military, but failed, as he was rejected after failing to complete his physical. it was in 1921 that he turned to writing after leaving behind his early career in medicine and academia. After this, he married Kathleen Belcher in 1926 and they had two children; John and George.
Divorced from his wife Kathleen in 1945, he spent the duration of World War II in the United States while trying to urge them to join the war through his various propaganda efforts. It was during this time that he met renowned author Roald Dahl whom he also encouraged to write. He later met his would-be second wife, Dorothy Foster, in 1947. He eventually settled in Berkeley, California after moving there from Washington, D.C.
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writing career
He originally published a book of short stories in 1924 called “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, and quickly followed up with his first novel titled “A Pawn Among Kings”, which was published that same year. Later, in 1935, he would write “The African Queen,” which became the basis for a well-received screenplay and movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn and directed by John Houston. he would later receive the Hollywood treatment again with the 1960 film ‘sink the bismark!’
In addition to his novels and nautical stories, mostly sailors, c.s. Forester also wrote two crime novels called ‘Deferred Payment’ in 1926 along with ‘Simple Murder’ in 1930. Not only this, he also wrote some children’s books; ‘Poo-Poo and the Dragons’ in 1942 and ‘The Barbary Pirates’ in 1953, which were written with the sole intention of keeping his youngest son George well-behaved. There was even a television appearance on the game show ‘You Bet Your Life’ in 1956, in which he discussed his book ‘The Age of the Combat Sail’. His last novel, ‘The Persecuted’, was to be published posthumously in 2011 following his discovery in 2003.
However, the most famous was his ‘Hornblower’ series of novels, which traced the life story of the fictional officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic era in a set of twelve books. it was this that was to be the most enduring saga, as it followed the career of a very distinctive character, leaving a strong legacy for other authors to add to, thus creating a rich and vibrant story. There was also to be a 1951 film starring Gregory Peck and a long-running British television series from 1998 to 2003 following his various adventures. however, this was just one of the jobs for which he would be warmly remembered.
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the African queen
Opening in the year 1914, this particular c.s. Forester’s story is set in central Africa. telling the story of rose sayer, a 33-year-old english lady, describes her marooned in an african village as an anglican missionary during the outbreak of the first world war. after her brother samuel de ella dies, it seems that she is alone there. That’s when allnutt, a cockney mechanic, arrives with the ship ‘the african queen’, owned by a mining company based in belgium. crewless himself, since everyone has abandoned him, he also finds himself alone. Helping Rose bury her brother, they then proceed to embark on a journey together as they attempt to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of the Germans and return home.
Embarking on a plan to attack the German gunship Konigin Luise, their goal is to weaken the German defenses of the fictional Lake Wittelsbach setting. by doing this, the English will be able to attack by water much more easily, as they will leave the German-occupied city vulnerable to their advances. The main problems they face are Allnutt’s initial reluctance to undertake the mission he must be persuaded to complete by the fiercely patriotic rose, and the defenses that await them as they travel up the river. Will they succeed by overcoming their differences and defeating the enemy? Will they make it home safe and sound while rescuing the city from the German troops holding it?
the happy return
Originally published in 1937, this was to be the first novel to feature Horatio Hornblower. From the month of June of the year 1808, he presents us for the first time c.s. ranger to horatio, as he commands a 36-gun frigate called hms lydia. they are going to head for the pacific coast of nicaragua where they have been ordered to supply gunpowder and muskets to don julian alvarado, a local landowner based there. Once Horatio gets there, he soon discovers that Alvarado is completely insane with megalomania, declaring himself a god with the title of ‘the Supreme’, a descendant of the Aztec god Moctezuma. anyone who disputes this is painfully dispatched by being tied to the stake and left to die of thirst in the sun.
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Once Horatio gives Alvarado the supplies he needs, it’s up to him to capture the incoming Spanish ship, the ‘Natividad’. Reluctantly handing over the captured ship to Alvarado, while freeing his crew beforehand, he quickly sets sail south. It is then that he meets a ship that tells him that the English and Spanish are now allies against Napoleon’s forces. It is then that it occurs to him that he must return to prevent Alvarado from destroying the coast with the use of the ‘nativity’. Can he do it and save the day? where will this take horatio hornblower in the future? the first in a series of exciting novels, it establishes who he is along with the morals and virtues he holds dear.