What do you think?
Rate this book
Hornblower Saga: Chronological Order #companion
The Hornblower companion;: An atlas and personal commentary on the writing of the Hornblower saga,
An Atlas and Personal Commentary on the Writing of the Hornblower Saga.
149 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
7 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Forester
238 books1,003 followersCecil Scott Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of adventure and military crusades. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, about naval warfare during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen (1935; filmed in 1951 by John Huston). His novels A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours were jointly awarded the 1938 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 29, 2012
Not quite as in-depth as I would have liked it to be, but it's still good to have!
It's not a must-have, but every kind of fan will probably be able to get something out of reading it. The maps are quite useful for orientation if you ever got confused about the geography of Hornblower's exploits (as can happen. It never bothered me while reading the novels, but it's certainly fun to re-read some parts of the action with a map!)
The personal notes provide mostly insight on the writing process, less on the actual content of the novels. But it's nontheless a fascinating set of essays that acquired, in retrospect, a bitter-sweet tone through the post scriptum in which Forester writes about the first ideas for Hornblower and the Crisis settling in his mind. A book that sadly remained unfished, due to his sickness and death that struck only a few months after the P.S. was written.
It's not a must-have, but every kind of fan will probably be able to get something out of reading it. The maps are quite useful for orientation if you ever got confused about the geography of Hornblower's exploits (as can happen. It never bothered me while reading the novels, but it's certainly fun to re-read some parts of the action with a map!)
The personal notes provide mostly insight on the writing process, less on the actual content of the novels. But it's nontheless a fascinating set of essays that acquired, in retrospect, a bitter-sweet tone through the post scriptum in which Forester writes about the first ideas for Hornblower and the Crisis settling in his mind. A book that sadly remained unfished, due to his sickness and death that struck only a few months after the P.S. was written.
May 2, 2022
Well worth having for two audiences - Hornblower fans who will find the included maps very useful, and writers who are curious about how other writers go about the business of creating their work. Forester focuses almost entirely on his Hornblower novels, although at one point he mentions a missing manuscript, turned in to his publisher but forgotten when he followed it almost immediately with a Hornblower book. This is almost certainly the noir crime novel The Pursued, which was discovered and finally published by Penguin in 2011. Forester's description of the creation of his famous series is endlessly interesting as he probes the influences that came to bear on each book, but in the end agonizing - as he was finishing The Hornblower Companion he realized he had another Hornblower novel in him. Forester, who had been ill for years, died only about a third of the way through Hornblower During the Crisis.
July 31, 2019
The maps of where Hornblower spent his naval career are interesting, but the real gems of this book are Forester's notes on his own story-building process. A great read for aspiring writers!
January 8, 2022
I wish I had known about this book when I was 10 years old and read my first Hornblower novel. Would have been much more enjoyable looking at the accompanying maps that help readers visualize the battles Hornblower and his men engaged in.
But I wouldn't have understood much about Forester's essay about how he created the character and developed each story. I appreciate that much more now that I'm a novelist. So in a way, it was worth the wait.
This is strictly a book for Hornblower fans and CS Forester fans. Others will likely get little of use or interest from this book
But I wouldn't have understood much about Forester's essay about how he created the character and developed each story. I appreciate that much more now that I'm a novelist. So in a way, it was worth the wait.
This is strictly a book for Hornblower fans and CS Forester fans. Others will likely get little of use or interest from this book
April 23, 2010
I've been a fan of C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series since pointed to them as a teen by a classmate. They're wonderful yarns about the days of sail focusing on a character akin to Horatio Nelson and the inspiration for Captain Kirk of Star Trek, Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe, Weber's Honor Harrington and more. So I think this should be in every fans collection--particularly those interested in the writing process. In it Forester gives you a peak at such things as the reason Lieutenant Hornblower is told from Lt. Bush's point of view or the origins of tales such as "The Even Chance" in Midshipman Hornblower. And Forester is a warm and engaging presence--not always the case in memoirs were the writer can be inadvertently self-revealings in off-putting ways. And I loved the maps. :-)
July 30, 2016
This is a must read for all Hornblower fans! The maps alone are invaluable, and the notes about how Hornblower was written was very entertaining. It is interesting that the author did not write the series in chronological order so the experience I had reading the books wasn't the intended experience of the author. I found ti very useful to read this book while reading the series for reference. It aided in my understanding and allowed me to become more immersed in the world. This is unfortunately out of print, but I was able to find it using Link+ through my public library. It is very much worth the search!
keep-in-mind
May 16, 2015Added 5/16/15.
I borrowed this book from our public library. Its maps and information are a helpful guide to use when one reads the Hornblower stories.
Also see the GR review of Jim of KY at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It contains invaluable information about the Hornblower books including a chronological list and a list of the publishing order as well.
I borrowed this book from our public library. Its maps and information are a helpful guide to use when one reads the Hornblower stories.
Also see the GR review of Jim of KY at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It contains invaluable information about the Hornblower books including a chronological list and a list of the publishing order as well.
January 24, 2019
For any Hornblower/Forester nerd like me, this companion is really helpful for getting the different battles and time periods of the books in perspective. It has maps of each adventure as well as details of historical context that were not explicitly stated in the stories. Also, this companion was written by Forester himself, so it doesn't get much better than that! The man did his research.
July 10, 2019
Forester's personal recollections concerning the writing of the Hornblower Saga. The first half of the book is a series of maps showing Hornblower's actions from each of the books. Forester describes a little of what Hornblower encountered but centers more on his own personal experiences with the places involved and how he came to choose the locale. Includes some anecdotes about Forester's extensive world travels.
The second half of the book is Forester explaining his writing method and then the genesis of each Hornblower novel. Forester's method is to travel all over the place until all the parts of the novel come together in his mind and then sit down and write it all out longhand without stopping until it is finished. He describes it as grueling. He explains how Hornblower came to be, how a particular plot came into his mind and one very important person was needed to bring this plot about. That plot took place in Fonseco Bay, and the initial person to birth the entire Hornblower Saga was, of course, El Supremo. Then Forester needed another person to move the plot along into the sea. That person was, of course, Lady Barbara. Naturally since all this action was to take place at sea there would need to be a ship captain, and finally Horatio Hornblower came into being.
Forester explains how each book developed after that, usually with a substantial time gap between writings in which he wrote some of the other 16,000 books that he wrote. This includes trips to Hollywood and much traveling around Europe and the Caribean. Sometimes a book was born just to give a vehicle for a particular idea, like the use of bomb ketches or the fate of royalists during Napoleon's Hundred Days. In this way the second half of Hornblower's life was published. Later, after many years and much prodding by his fans and publishers, plus a major heart attack, Forester filled in the early years and thus the great British Hero had a full life.
The maps are basic but easily clarify Hornblower's travels, but the books are so well written that they merely confirm what was earlier read. The second part of the book was terribly engaging. This is well worth the time of aniy Hornblower fan.
The second half of the book is Forester explaining his writing method and then the genesis of each Hornblower novel. Forester's method is to travel all over the place until all the parts of the novel come together in his mind and then sit down and write it all out longhand without stopping until it is finished. He describes it as grueling. He explains how Hornblower came to be, how a particular plot came into his mind and one very important person was needed to bring this plot about. That plot took place in Fonseco Bay, and the initial person to birth the entire Hornblower Saga was, of course, El Supremo. Then Forester needed another person to move the plot along into the sea. That person was, of course, Lady Barbara. Naturally since all this action was to take place at sea there would need to be a ship captain, and finally Horatio Hornblower came into being.
Forester explains how each book developed after that, usually with a substantial time gap between writings in which he wrote some of the other 16,000 books that he wrote. This includes trips to Hollywood and much traveling around Europe and the Caribean. Sometimes a book was born just to give a vehicle for a particular idea, like the use of bomb ketches or the fate of royalists during Napoleon's Hundred Days. In this way the second half of Hornblower's life was published. Later, after many years and much prodding by his fans and publishers, plus a major heart attack, Forester filled in the early years and thus the great British Hero had a full life.
The maps are basic but easily clarify Hornblower's travels, but the books are so well written that they merely confirm what was earlier read. The second part of the book was terribly engaging. This is well worth the time of aniy Hornblower fan.
October 19, 2021
This has been a grail book of mine for at least 30 years. I found it in a charity shop for £15, probably the most I have spent on one item in such an establishment. My copy is hardback with chunky pages that make you wonder if you have turned two at once. It's dated 1964.
I was not disappointed.
Not the same as Sea of Words, the Aubrey companion; which gives historical context to many of the actions, events, items and language of the period. It begins with annotated maps of all Hornblower's adventures, but the rest of the book is an author's blog of the creative process, which I found very illuminating; particularly as it lays out the sequence of writing, and why they were written that way.
Particularly poignant was a postscript where he feels the pressure of another story building up to fill a gap in the timeline. This we now know to be Hornblower and the Crisis, which he never finished.
I was not disappointed.
Not the same as Sea of Words, the Aubrey companion; which gives historical context to many of the actions, events, items and language of the period. It begins with annotated maps of all Hornblower's adventures, but the rest of the book is an author's blog of the creative process, which I found very illuminating; particularly as it lays out the sequence of writing, and why they were written that way.
Particularly poignant was a postscript where he feels the pressure of another story building up to fill a gap in the timeline. This we now know to be Hornblower and the Crisis, which he never finished.
February 2, 2020
A good insight into the process that CS Forester went through when writing Hornblower. The maps also give a great insight into the operations that Hornblower undertook in each book. I would definitely recommend reading after you have finished all the books as there are obviously spoilers included within.
Read
June 27, 2023Not quite what I was expecting but entertaining none the less. Gave an insight into how CS Forester went about creating the character of Hornblower but I was craving for more detail. The maps were great to put the stories in context but the text was more about CS Forester than Hornblower. Good to add to your Hornblower collection.
January 6, 2019
A fantastic companion for the geography. Difficult to find!
February 11, 2020
Fantastic, I might even say mandatory, reading companion to the Horatio Hornblower series. Written by the author with maps and background it made the entire series more interesting. Recommended!
January 7, 2025
Ideally the maps should be included with every novel. Even with Google Maps open it can be hard to follow along the novels without them.
The autobiographical notes are engaging. What a life!
The autobiographical notes are engaging. What a life!
October 30, 2015
This book is a must, when you read the Hornblower Series. The geographic world map has not changed, but some of the names and locations have been renamed or changed.
Gives you a fascinating look into C.S. Forester's inspiration for the books along with external influences.
Gives you a fascinating look into C.S. Forester's inspiration for the books along with external influences.
August 17, 2020
Indespinsible to the Hornblower fan.
August 14, 2009
The essential resource for fans of C.S. Forester's Hornblower series, with maps, accompanying the author's narrative describing how each story came to be written.
Read
June 26, 2010The Hornblower companion;: An atlas and personal commentary on the writing of the Hornblower saga, by C. S Forester (1974)
December 31, 2010
It was interesting to read of the writing process and technique from the author prior to reading the books it refers to. I wonder whether it will add to my enjoyment / understanding of the books?
September 9, 2011
Great book to guide you in Hornblower's travels.
February 18, 2013
This is money well-spent for any Hornblower fan.
November 30, 2014
Fantastic supplementary information, maps, etc. Buy this then reread the series.
February 1, 2015
Very useful maps; interesting commentary.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews