The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero - Horatio Hornblower Books - Marine Electronics - Boat Parts - Fishing Tackle

Raymarine - Marine Stereos - Furuno - Boat Parts - Marine EPIRB - Minn Kota Trolling Motor - Shimano Reel - Sage Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo - Abel Reel - Daiwa Fishing Reel - Fishing Tackle

Advanced Search

View Cart Checkout

Location: Home » Horatio Hornblower Books » Action & Adventure » The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero

December 3, 2008

Site Navigation

Our Home Page

Used Jet Skis For Sale

Used Power Boat For Sale

Used Rafts-Kayaks For Sale

Used Sailboats For Sale

Used Boat Trailers For Sale

International Orders & Shipping

VIEW CART

Checkout

Categories

•	Docking-Anchoring
•	Handheld GPS
•	Furuno - All Products
•	Garmin - All Products
•	Raymarine - All Products
•	Fish Finders
•	Marine Speakers
•	Marine Stereos
•	Stearns Boat Covers
•	Warehouse Direct Boat Covers
•	Boat Cleats
•	Rub Rail
•	Michigan Wheel Propellers
•	Teleflex - All Products
•	Minn Kota
•	Motorguide Trolling Motor Parts
•	Tohatsu Outboard Motors
•	Marine Alternators - Regulators
•	Marine Inverters
•	Solar Panels
•	Marine Engine Spare Part Kits
•	Fishing Charts - Maps
•	Bait Storage
•	Abel Reels
•	Daiwa Reels
•	Daiwa Rods - Combos
•	Penn Reels
•	Penn Rods - Combos
•	Shimano Reels
•	Fishing Reel Bearing Parts
•	Ugly Stick Rods
•	Fishing Knives
•	Swiss Army Knife
•	Fishing Nets
•	Fishing Pliers - Tools
•	Tackle Boxes
•	SeaScooter
•	Bullhead Sunglasses
•	Gill Sunglasses
•	H2Optix Sunglasses
•	Serengeti Sunglasses
•	Smith's Sunglasses
•	Columbia Sportswear Hat
•	Gill Sailing Gloves
•	Harken - All Products
•	Sperry TopSiders
•	Motion Sickness Relief Band Products
•	Waterproof Cameras
•	Horatio Hornblower Books
•	Log Books
•	Jimmy Buffett Music
•	Sailing Hardware
•	Sailing Rigging
•	Boat Safety - Flotation Devices
•	Boat - Marine EPIRBs
•	Marine - Boat Signal Flares
•	Abu Garcia Reels
•	Galvan Reels
•	Okuma Reels
•	Pflueger Reels
•	Quantum Reels
•	Ross Reels
•	Tica Reels

The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower: A Biography of C. S. Forester's Famous Naval Hero

enlarge

Author: C. Northcote Parkinson
Publisher: McBooks Press
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$16.95~~
Buy New: $10.12
You Save: $6.83 (40%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $6.50

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

(8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 204399

Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1

ISBN: 1590130650
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781590130650
ASIN: 1590130650

Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-8 of 8

« PREV

1 2

A biography of a character June 24, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

It is not unusual to find biographies written of various famous people. This book is distinguished by the fact that it is a biography of a fictional character! Horatio Hornblower was the hero of a series of twelve books written by C. S. Forester between 1937 and 1967. The exploits of Hornblower followed his career starting from his first posting in the British navy during the Napoleonic wars as a Midshipman and all the way to the pinnacle of his career as an Admiral. the series was phenominally successful because it was the first that really explored life in the sailing ships of old and the character was believable in his progression through the ranks. By placing Hornblower as being younger than Nelson, and ending his career in the 1840's, Forester found a sweet spot in history where his protagonist could actually have existed - although he did not.

What Parkinson does is take the twelve novels and fill in many of the gaps in Hornblower's life between the novels. So, we start with his family situation and why he was posted to the Navy in the first place. By giving us this context, and filling in the various gaps left behind by Forester, a more complete picture of Hornblower's supposed life emerges. I think that Parkinson did a fine job of creating fictional accounts and fictional book references to give this work a feeling of authenticity. It is possible to forget that you are reading a fictional biography of a fictional character - it seems real!

Those who have read the Hornblower books will find all of the novels reflected in this book - in a shorter form. Many of the episodes detailed in the novels are in this book. The interesting reveal the sequences in between. So, for instance, Parkinson goes to great trouble to explain about the Hornblower manor in Kent (Smallbridge) and how Hornblower came to own it. Parkinson also adds many events to flesh out how Hornblower's life evolved - there is a almost a whole chapter talking about the marital coolness that developed between him and Barbara - and then how it was resolved so that the marriage survived and prospered. We are also treated to explanations of Hornblower's son's army career and a cousin's naval career - things that were only hinted at in the novels.

Parkinson wrote this story in 1970 - just after Forester's death. A modern reader would immediately notice the somewhat stilted and unnaturally seeming prose that creeps in at times due to the evolution of the English language in the last 35 years (not having read any of Parkinson's other works, I cannot state whether that is simply his style or not). But other than that, this is a fun book to read.

There are several appendices attached at the back which include the family trees of both Barbara and Horatio as well as an Appendix which is written in the form of a letter that Horatio wrote and made sure would remain private until 100 years have passed since Horatio's death. In this "letter" Horatio reveals that he was the one who caused Captain Sawyer's death by first throwing him down the hatch in the Renown, and then ensuring that he dies by sending his accomplice to kill Sawyer in his bed during a battle. I thought this appendix was totally unnecessary and in complete contradiction to the whole Hornblower story. Horatio is almost always shown in a positive light throughout Forester's writings so to have him admit to a murder is inconsistent. I removed one star from my rating for this blemish.

So, if you are a Hornblower fan, this book should be in your library alongside the twelve novels. If not, you may choose to read it as an interesting biography of a naval commander (which is all fiction), or you may not be interested in it at all. Your choice, but I suggest you get it and enjoy reading.

4 out of 5 stars

Liberties taken September 25, 2006
2 out of 10 found this review helpful

Parkinson wrote a great book. This edition, however, has changed his writing in a number of places. Illegal liberties were taken. Parkinson is rolling in his grave.

4 out of 5 stars

Biography of Fictional Naval Hero August 11, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

If you have read the entire Hornblower series, this is a marvelous capstone to that series. This biography of the fictional hero Hornblower fills in the blanks and ties the strands of his career and exploits over eleven books into a most readable biography. No issue is left unaddressed, even the mysterious death of Captain Sawyer. The only downside is that it is occasionally gossipy. Despite that, this Hornblower biography is still very much worth reading.

The Discount Marine Supply and Boat Parts Store From HaveBlueMarine.com

International Orders & Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

Shipping Restrictions

Warranty issues and manufacturer restrictions prevent us from shipping certain products to all geographical locations. You'll be notified while placing your order if we're unable to ship specific items to the address you've selected.

International Addresses

The following items can be shipped to destinations outside the U.S.:

* books*
* DVDs
* music
* VHS videos

Additionally, some software, tools, and kitchen items can be shipped to the following countries:

* Australia
* Austria
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Japan
* Ireland
* Italy
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Sweden
* United Kingdom

These items can be shipped only via Priority International Shipping and are subject to an import fees deposit.

*Note: Books that require special handling because they are extremely heavy (for example, multi-volume sets) cannot be shipped outside the U.S. If this is the case, it will be noted on the product detail page.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Shipping date estimates will appear in the order form. After placing your order, you will see both shipping and delivery date estimates in the order confirmation e-mail and in the order summary in Your Account.

Calculating Cost

Shipping costs depend upon the method and option you choose.

If you choose to group items into as few shipments as possible, you'll be charged for one regular per-shipment fee, as well as a per-item fee for each item in that shipment.

If you choose to ship items as soon as they become available, we'll charge you full per-shipment fees for each shipment as well as a per-item fee for each item.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.