Classic fiction

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower

by C.S. Forester

310 pages · First published 1950

Young Horatio Hornblower enters the Royal Navy as an inexperienced midshipman during the wars with Revolutionary France. Seasickness, duels, dangerous assignments, captivity, and command tests expose the gap between the frightened young man Hornblower feels himself to be and the courageous officer others increasingly see. Each episode pushes him toward greater responsibility while preserving the self-doubt that will remain central to his character. C. S. Forester’s episodic naval novel serves as the chronological beginning of Hornblower’s career, combining maritime adventure with an unusually intimate portrait of a hero who rarely believes his own reputation.