Not a lot of fighting takes place in this book, but still a lot of descriptive action from HH organizing Adm. Nelson's funeral after Waterloo, salvaging treasure off a sunken ship, and finally shadowing a Spanish frigate. This book shows HH tuning his skills as a Captain both tactically and in treatment of his crew.

The best Hornblower I've read so far. This is the first one where we move away from the evils of Napoleon and into the Med.

It begins by Hornblower going along the canal to London from Gloucester and through the famous Sapperton Tunnel (the longest in the world when opened) and from there he takes command not only of HMS Atropos, but also for the arrangements for Nelson's funeral (and even that has a problem).

He then sees off the French in the Thames estuary, before taking his ship to the coast of Turkey, along with some Sinhalese divers for a very special reason.

Definitely one of my favourites so far!

I've been revisiting this classic series this summer as audio books. I think this is one of my favorites, the writing is tighter and the action is splendid

General Overview
Jumping forward in time, the next installment of the Hornblower Series is another triumph. The skill of Mr [a:C.S. Forester|932179|C.S. Forester|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1218219226p2/932179.jpg] as a writer shines throughout, to deliver a gripping and varied story on the high seas.

Style
Mr Forester takes the decision to miss the Battle of Trafalgar. We start Hornblower and the Atropos shortly after the news that Admiral Nelson has died in his victory. The fact that the story following these events is just as gripping and dramatic as any that would cover Hornblower's experiences in this epic conflict is a sign of the skill of the writer above all others.

That the author took the efforts, based on the known facts of the battle to exclude Hornblower is great. It shows the great interest he places on the accuracy of his historical fiction. He places Hornblower in other key events following this battle, without falsely, or poorly shoehorning him in to such a momentous battle in the conflict that defined an era.

Focusing for the vast majority in the perspective of our titular hero, how Mr Forester writes Hornblower works throughout. His unique was of seeing the world and himself, put against the great variety of well researched and detail characters is nothing but a delight for any reader.

Story
Shortly after the Battle of Trafalgar, Horatio Hornblower is recalled to serve on the Atropos. It is one of the, if not THE, smallest ship in the service that can take his rank of Captain. However, regardless of its size, his new command has many important matters to attend to.

Starting in the currents of the Thames, to as far as the Ottoman Turkish coast, Hornblower is throw into a great variety of drama and conflict. The characters he deals with are as colourful and deep as the varied coasts he sails upon.

Returning to his homeland in the end, the book finishes triumphantly, even in the lose to Hornblower, setting us up well for the next installment.

Final Thoughts
A grand read. I have the next book in the series on my shelf good to go in a few months time.

I was loving this until the unexpectedly DEPRESSING final chapter - WTF!

Continuing my leisurely reading of the Hornblower series. Given that I first read these books over 40 years ago it's amazing how some scenes stick in the mind almost word-for-word: the canal boat journey, the sinking funeral barge, the diving for the wreck. This novel may seem rather "bitty", with a sea battle quickly tacked on at the end, but it's one of my favourites both for the above scenes and for its varied cast of characters, including the German princeling and his chancellor, and the crotchety dive master. Hornblower as ever is wracked by doubt and pessimism, and whenever he's optimistic it turns out to be misplaced.

Hornblower is a fascinating character, and for various reasons this is my favorite book of his so far. One reason is the supporting cast--the doctor required to heal the man he'd almost killed in duel, the Ceylonese divers dragged to a strange world to dive for lost treasure, the German princeling and grand-nephew of the King of England literally learning the ropes--all intrigued me. But Horatio's glum pessimism (a pessimism justified by events) and morbid self-doubt and self-absorption, combined with his bravery, intelligence, and basic kindness make for a very complex and interesting character.

Oh yeah, and the plot was fun and gripping. Forester has a thing about ending on a horrible, painful note that leaves everything as a downer right after a triumph for Hornblower--I don't know if I hate it or love it, but it's very involving.