Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Exciting Short Stories about Hornblower's First Voyages:

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is the prequel to the Horatio Hornblower series. Written as the sixth book chronologically, it covers the very first times when Hornblower served in His Majesty?s navy. My recommendation is that you read it first, so that you can follow Hornblower chronologically along over his career as it develops.

Since much of service aboard a naval vessel is routine, C.S. Forester gives us the high spots of Hornblower?s first years in the form of short stories beginning at age... more info

Classic though not Hornblower's best outing:

This first Hornblower book that Forester wrote was BEAT TO QUARTERS, and that is still arguably the best Hornblower book to read first (though not the best in the series). Because MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER comes first in the saga's timeline, though, many readers start here and unfortunately do not get Hornblower at his best point of entry. The pacing of this collection of stories simply does not grip the reader as well as that of the novels. I'm sure they worked fine when published individually in the... more info

Fine for what it is:

I instantly fell in love with the Hornblower saga through the wonderful series of A&E movies (available on DVD). I thought I'd give the first Hornblower book a try but was rather disappointed. You won't find the nuanced, charismatic versions of Hornblower, Pellew, Matthews, Stiles, and other characters in this book; it turns out that much of what makes the films great is actually the work of the screenwriters and actors, not Forester.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is simply a well-paced but... more info

Similar Products:

Lieutenant Hornblower by C.S. Forester

Hornblower and the Hotspur (Hornblower Series) by C.S. Forester

Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga) by C.S. Forester

Hornblower : Beat to Quarters by C.S. Forester

Hornblower and the Atropos (Hornblower Saga) by C.S. Forester

?