Book info

• Title The Commodore
• Author C. S. Forester
• Year 1945
• Genre Historical

1812 and the fate of Europe lies in the hands of newly appointed Commodore Hornblower... Dispatched to northern waters to protect Britain's Baltic interests, Horatio Hornblower must halt the advance of Napoleon's empire into Sweden and Russia. But first he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow and icebound waterways; overcome Russian political and commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; and contend with hostile armies and French privateers. With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore's shoulders...

Thoughts

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as previous ones, although the opening scenes about Hornblower having mixed feelings about a luxurious bath was fun. Obviously more and more as Horatio grows and climbs the career ladder, he’s less hands on, and that’s so clear in this book as he has to send others off to the action and just wait for the results. An interesting personal problem, but not necessarily a fascinating read! But we end on another cliffhanger as Hornblower is clearly very unwell!

Rating: 2 / 5