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Horatio Hornblower

by C.S. Forester

11 books Started 1937 Latest 1967
Publication Reading Order

The Horatio Hornblower is a Children's Fiction series by C.S. Forester, made up of 11 books published between 1937 and 1967. It begins with The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters (1937), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Hornblower During the Crisis / Hornblower and the Crisis (1967), spanning 30 years of storytelling.

11books
30years active
4decades
~3yrs between books
1967latest release
# Title Year Buy
1930s
1 The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters 1937 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2 Ship of the Line 🏆 James Tait Black Memorial Prize 1938Full award history → 1938 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
3 Flying Colours 1938 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1940s
4 The Commodore / Commodore Hornblower 1945 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
5 Lord Hornblower ★ NYT 6w · peaked #5 1946 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1950s
6 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower ★ NYT 8w · peaked #8 🎬 4 adaptations → 1950 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
7 Lieutenant Hornblower ★ NYT 13w · peaked #5 🎬 Adapted for film/TV → 1952 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
8 Hornblower and the Atropos ★ NYT 2w · peaked #13 1953 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
9 Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies / Hornblower in the West Indies 1957 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1960s
10 Hornblower and the Hotspur ★ NYT 9w · peaked #6 🎬 3 adaptations → 1962 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
11 Hornblower During the Crisis / Hornblower and the CrisisLatest 1967 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

Horatio Hornblower series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Horatio Hornblower series?

Start with The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters (1937), the first book in the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the Horatio Hornblower series?

There are 11 books in the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, published between 1937 and 1967.

What is the first book in the Horatio Hornblower series?

The first book in the Horatio Hornblower series is The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters, published in 1937 by C.S. Forester.

What is the latest book in the Horatio Hornblower series?

The most recent book in the Horatio Hornblower series is Hornblower During the Crisis / Hornblower and the Crisis (1967) by C.S. Forester.

More books by C.S. Forester View all series and reading orders →
More series by C.S. Forester
Chronological Horatio Hornblower 11 books
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About C.S. Forester

Cecil Scott Forester, an Englishman, was born in Cairo in 1899, the son of a British army officer. He was educated in London, and for a time he studied medicine. After a World War I stint in the infantry, however, he decided to be a poet. This was a shortlived pursuit and he soon turned to biography and fiction. He then wrote many best-selling novels—African Queen and The General among them—before he wrote the first of his Hornblower stories in 1937.

View all C.S. Forester series →