Book info

• Title Flying Colours
• Author C. S. Forester
• Year 1938
• Genre Historical Fiction

A humiliated and shipless captive of the French, Horatio Hornblower faces execution unless he can escape and make a triumphant return to England Forced to surrender his ship, HMS Sutherland, after a long and bloody battle, Captain Horatio Hornblower is held prisoner in a French fortress. Prospects turn bleaker when he learns that he and Lt. Bush are to be tried and executed in Paris as part of Napoleon's attempts to rally the war-weary Empire. Even if Hornblower can escape this fate and make it safe to England, he still faces court-martial for surrendering his ship. With little hope for the future and little left to lose, Hornblower throws caution to the wind once more.

Thoughts

I enjoyed this more than the previous one, mostly because it picks up where that cliffhanger left off and resolves it. It’s also a fun adventure that sees Hornblower as a prisoner, planning and executing an escape and ultimately facing the music for everything that went down in the last book. I liked the moments where Hornblower was questioning small things, like how etiquette works when there are just three people in the boat, and dealing with his feelings for the family left behind. A good one!

Rating: 4 / 5