The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower Author:C. Northcote Parkinson Horatio Hornblower, the central character in C.S.Forester's series of twelve celebrated novels set in the age of fighting sail when Britannia ruled the waves, has achieved cult status alongside the novels of Patrick O'Brian and Alexander Kent. In this acclaimed fictional biography chronicling Hornblower's rise from a midshipman in 17... more »94 to a revered admiral admiral of the fleet in 1847, Northcote Parkinson has written a powerful evocation of life at sea in a British man o'war due to his attention to the minutae of naval life during the Napoleonic period. First published in 1970.« less
As a big fan of the Hornblower series of books as I was growing up (and Gregory Peck as the visual Hornblower) this book brought back great memories while providing new backstories never thought of at a younger age. An excellent read.