The Real Hornblower: The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon, Gcb, Last Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich

by Bryan Perrett

Ever since C.S. Forester's fictional hero Horatio Hornblower began to delight readers, there has been speculation that his adventures were based on the career of a real naval officer. Several names were suggested, but the general conclusion was that Hornblower was a composite character. In this thoroughly researched book the author argues convincingly that Forester's model was Adm. James Gordon, a flesh-and-blood hero of Nelson's navy. Gordon entered the Royal Navy as a semi-literate eleven-year-old and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet. He took part in major sea battles, frigate actions, single-ship duels, and operations far behind enemy lines. It was the fire of Gordon's ships against Fort McHenry that inspired the American national anthem. When he died, after more than seventy-five years of service in the navy, The Times called him "the last of Nelson's captains." To support his claim, Bryan Perrett points to The Commodore and Hornblower's venture into the Baltic to harass the seaward flank of Napoleon's army during its retreat from Moscow as a remarkable parallel to Gordon's invasion up the Chesapeake in 1814 and his return down the Potomac with twenty-one prizes. He explains that Forester lived in the United States at the time he wrote The Commodore and fearful of offending his American readers, studiously obscured the identity of the real Hornblower. In telling the largely unknown story of Admiral Gordon's active service career, the book will be appreciated not only by the thousands of readers who have enjoyed the adventures of Hornblower, but also by those interested in the naval warfare of the Napoleonic period. Readers who enjoy biography will find that they have the added bonus of an absorbing literary and historical detective story.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Naval History, Military History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Bryan Perrett was born in 1934 and educated at Liverpool College. He served in the Royal Armoured Corps, the 17th/21st Lancers, Westminster Dragoons, and the Royal Tank Regiment, and was awarded the Territorial Decoration.A professional military historian for many years, his books include "A History of the Blitzkrieg" and "Knights of the Black Cross - Hitler's Panzerwaffe and its Leaders". His treatise Desert Warfare was widely consulted during the Gulf War. His most recent works, including "Last Stand, At All Costs" and "Against all Odds" examine aspects of motivation. During the Falklands and Gulf Wars Bryan Perrett served as Defense Correspondent to the Liverpool Echo. His books are widely read on both sides of the Atlantic and have been translated into several languages.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun and enjoyable book, this is Bryan Perrett's stab at solving the question "Who is C.S. Forester's Captain Hornblower based on?". Poring over Admiralty records and C.S.Forester's few clues, Perrett has settled on Admiral Sir James Gordon, an old Salt who went to sea as an almost illiterate 11 Year old in the early 1790s- to retire an Admiral with charge of the Royal Naval Veterans' Hospital in the and die in 1869. But in between, Gordon was a "Fire-eater", a Royal Naval legend in his own time who embodied the Aggressive, Quick Thinking, Heroic nature of the Royal Navy's "Nelson Touch" Captains of the Napoleonic era. Perrett demonstrates ably that Forester used Gordon as the "Main Brace" for Hornblower- although he made many changes to the story- some as a sop to his American roots and audience.

The two careers are not exactly aligned- I read all the Hornblowers long ago but recalled the basics of the series. But Perrett offers enough good evidence- and supporting elements for me to be convinced. It was interesting that Hornblower does not share Gordon's impressive War of 1812 exploits, where he was very effective in the Chesapeake Bay/Washington DC Campaign- Perrett thinks Forester was taking his own Roots and those of his American Audience into account- not wanting to offend. But elsewhere the parallels are just too many and too well laid out to fully deny Perrett's thesis. I was convinced, others may not be. But the book was always compelling , well written and interesting.

There are a few adult themes, and Gordon lost his leg in battle, frankly discussed herein, so a Junior reader should be at least 11-12 before tackling this one, but it will be worthwhile. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, its a fair haul. Lots of Scenario/Diorama development information, as Gordon fought a fair amount- usually in Frigates. The enthusiast will get a lot of insight into Royal Naval practice and activity over a very turbulent era. But I think this book will also appeal to this who like to get more background on a classic Fictional Hero- and how an author can fictionalise a real career into a successful tale to tell. A fun addition to the Napoleonic Library.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at a thrift store after I saw the name Hornblower and a picture of a sailboat on the cover. My first thoughts were of Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo in the movie about Horatio Hornblower.
This book is really about The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon and the character of Hornblower seems to be based on Gordon in the novels written by C. S. Forester.
It is a detailed history book with statistics, dates, places, ships, battles, family, and history.
I was especially interested in the chapters that related to America/United States and the Caribbean.
In the Index there are the names of the British, United States, French, Spanish, Chilean and Venetian warships which personally interested me with such unique names.
It the reader tires of the many details, do not end the book but go to the last chapter and read some of the life of Gordon and then go back and read the rest of the book.
I gave it a 5 star rating. I will also read some of C. S. Forester books.

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does remarkably well to produce such an interesting book out of what I suspect was very little concrete evidence other than official battle reports and a few personal letters. The final part of the account, not unlike the final half of Admiral Sir James Gordon's life, needed some padding to fill it out. There are lengthy extracts from letters; one, a page and a half written during his tour of the Highlands in 1818, starts at 7 o'clock in the morning at Inverness and finishes for an entertaining dinner at Fort Augustus in the evening – not an awful lot happens between the two.

It is a shame that more could not have been made of Gordon's time as Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich. After such a career of action was he content to work as an administrator and bureaucrat? Was he frustrated by his role? Did he have to accept it as a result of his wartime injury? A cannonball had removed his left knee during the battle at Pelagosa in the Adriatic resulting in his leg being amputated and eventually replaced with a wooden prosthetic. Having always been such a physically dominating and active character the psychological effect may have hit him harder than he ever realised. As the author does not pursue this I must assume that the evidence is lacking.

As for the link with Horatio Hornblower I'm not in a position to judge. I was never won over to the Hornblower stories as a child and Mr Perrett does not go into any great depth to back up his theory of a definite link between Gordon and C. S. Forester's hero. Gordon's part in the British attack on Washington during the War of 1812 and Forester's muted account of it in his book The Naval War of 1812 form the strongest basis of the Perrett's idea. Forester was concerned that the connection between Hornblower and Gordon may have been recognised and he wanted to ensure that his sales in the United States were not harmed as a result. It is a strong possibility and it and the story of Gordon's Naval career make an interesting of not compelling read.

[Jude De · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perrett is totally wrong in claiming Gordon as Forester's muse. For one he enlisted at 11 years old whereas HHornblower does so at 17 ( neither is correct for a midshipman who is usually 13) Gordon was never a Commander in Chief of a RN Station, he never served with Edward Pellew, He wasn't at the Quiberon Bay invasion, he did not have any personal or professional relationship with the Regent,or King, wasn't even at Nelson's funeral Gordon was never commodore of the Royal Yacht,
The only person who fits all of these correlations is Admiral Sir Edmund Nagle. However, the latter being an Irish Catholic would just ''never do !!" post 1922.

[The Bauchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a marvellous read.

I enjoyed, but am not a fanatic of, the Hornblower series. But knew very little about Admiral Gordon.

I found the comparisons to his life and to Hornblower's very interesting.

Perrett clearly loves C. S. Forester's most famous character and has admirably done his homework to convince me of the books central assertion.

What I found much more fascinating was the biography of James Gordon.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the riveting story of Admiral Sir James Gordon, a captain in the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic era. The book is well written and contains some fascinating memoirs of Admiral Gordon on his different naval battles.

[George · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull book about a Brit/Scot Admiral that not many Americans have ever heard about. RN fans will get something from Royal Naval practice and activity. A lot about imperial England will be shown, too. However, I just couldn't get into the obscure (to US readers) people and history. The listen is horrid and the sound just doesn't resonate. Got about one hour into a six hour book. DNF.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is certainly interesting for the details about naval careers and the bravery, resourcefulness, and endurance of sailors and their officers during the war with Napoleon, as seen through the career of one of the best naval officers of the time. In our current so-connected world, it is well to learn about a world in which news of the end of the war took months to get around the world; in which one ship, or small fleet, relied on its own initiative to fight, tend the wounded (physical, mental, emotional), and repair the ship in enemy territory or far out on sea with only the things they had on board. Perrett quotes from the admiral's letters and letters he received so that one comes to appreciate how hard it must have been to spend months, even years, away from one's family with only a chance now and then of finding a letter waiting at some port (and it was true also of those left on land). I am glad that the Admiral and Mrs. Gordon had some years together after the war ended before her death at an early age. Is he possibly the model for Hornblower? In some ways, though many captains did come from minor aristocratic or professional families. But some of the exploits Forester may have adapted for Hornblower's feats. However, as Forester preferred to keep Hornblower out of true historical events, and the Admiral participated in them, it is hard to say whether Perrett proves his thesis.

[Curtiss]

The title and subtitle say it all; another possible real-life inspiration behind the career of C.S. Forester's fictional naval hero Horatio Hornblower.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched and thoroughly engaging account of the life of the man who inspired Forester's Hornblower.