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

By C. Northcote Parkinson

Many know of Horatio Hornblower's exploits during the Napoleonic Wars through the novels of C.S. Forester, but how many know the true Hornblower—the man who rose from Midshipman to Admiral of the British Fleet? Using Hornblower family papers discovered in the 1970s, C. Northcote Parkinson has set the record straight in this authoritative biography.

• Language: English
• Publisher: McBooks Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781590137437

Reviews for The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower

[denise_tzumli · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Horatio Hornblower was the central character in C.S. Forester's series of twelve novels set in the age of fighting sail when Britannia ruled the waves. In this fictional biography of Hornblower, Cecil Northcote Parkinson chronicles the rise to eminence of a young Royal Navy officer, from midshipman in 1794 to revered admiral of the fleet in 1847....

[marthajeanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like the Hornblower series you will probably enjoy this book. There is, of course, not a lot of new material about Hornblower. (Except in the appendices. Don't skip them!) But to fans it is very satisfying to have the whole laid out and treated as a serious life. There is also a good deal of historical background made clear that is taken for granted in the series. This book also follows the family after Hornblower's retirement. BTW Isn't it high time I reread the series?

[tallydi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My husband and I bought this book when it came out in 1971, read it, and tucked it away in a box when we moved. I've just re-discovered it, slightly battered from being stored in an outdoor shed. It's a good today as it was then. Everything, including the blurb on the cover, presents this book as a detailed biography of a real historical figure including genealogical charts of his descendants up through 1949. And if you're a Hornblower fan, like we were, you'll want to believe every word is the truth.

[baggette · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This reads like an actual biagraphy. Fun for one who loves both the fictional hero and actual biographies. I was almost convinced HH was a real person!

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent synthesized life of Hornblower by quite a good novelist in this Age of Fighting Sail era.