What's Out There

There are all sorts of Hornblower things out there for fans to get their hands on.  Here's a brief list of some of the things that are available, along with my personal opinion on how desperately a fangirl needs this stuff.  I've provided links to online merchants who can provide these items for convenience's sake and to the best of my knowledge they are reputable sources.  Having said that, however, they are not meant as endorsements of particular companies and I will not take any responsibility for any problems that might be incurred by purchasing products through these vendors.  Furthermore, don't come whining to me if you don't enjoy something that I've encouraged you to buy here.  We all have different tastes.  Poor taste on your part does not constitute a fault on mine.

Looking for a summary of what DVDs are available?  Check out the DVD Comparison page!

The Novels by C.S. Forester:  Angus & Robertson Bookworld (Australia)

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower - Meet Horatio as he first comes to sea.  There are a lot of people who say that this is one of the most difficult of the novels to get in to, so be warned.  Personally, having come to the books directly from the A&E movie series, I found it fascinating to compare and contrast the novel and its film counterparts.

Lieutenant Hornblower  - Of all of the novels, this is the only one which is presented from outside of Hornblower's perspective.  Arguably one of the more suspenseful of the series, this is a must-read for anyone who has ever asked the question, "So...how did Captain Sawyer come to fall down the hatchway...?" 

Hornblower and the Hotspur  - One of my favorites.  Hornblower, holding the new rank of commander (and husband), sets off on his duty as the eyes of the Channel Fleet.  Random ScaryFangirl Editorial Comment: May those who decided that the Flota incident should be cut out of the movies and Betsy Bonaparte added in its stead have their favorite book massacred when it is brought to film. 

(Click here for the Amazon.co.uk "Young Hornblower" Omnibus edition which includes Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower and Hornblower and the Hotspur)

Hornblower and the Crisis (Amazon.co.uk) - Forester, unfortunately, died before the completion of this book, but what was left is still good reading.  The added bonus of this book is the addition of the two short stories "Hornblower's Temptation" and "The Last Encounter".  Of all the short stories, I love "The Last Encounter" the most--a must read for those of you Lady Barbara fans out there.  

Hornblower and the Atropos  - Mr. Hornblower is finally post Captain Hornblower--he's also called to be a funeral organizer, diplomat, (one might argue babysitter...) and treasure hunter.  Another one of my favorites in the series. 

Beat to Quarters (UK Title: The Happy Return) - As this was the first of the books that Forester wrote, you'll get a lot of good Hornblower-y character information from this one.  Of course, because it was his first, there's a lot of information which doesn't mesh easily with the information that he gives in other books, but it's an enjoyable read, nonetheless.  Oh, and a FlopCon warning for those of you with hand fetishes must be issued for this book courtesy of Lady Barbara. ;)   

Ship of the Line  - The seemingly invincible Captain Hornblower finally seems to pay the price for his boldness in this novel.  Angst ahoy! as Horatio balances stresses over his ship, his wife (who is expecting their third child) and his true love (who is now married to the Admiral in command of the fleet to which his ship is attached).

(Click here for the Amazon.co.uk "Captain Hornblower" Omnibus edition which includes Hornblower and the Atropos, The Happy Return, and Ship of the Line)

Flying Colours - Well, you've seen Hornblower as a prisoner of Spain, now see what France will do with him.  If this book doesn't have you thinking that fortune seems to smile on Horatio Hornblower, none of them will.  

Commodore Hornblower - Now in charge of a fleet of his own, Commodore Hornblower sails to Russia in search of a new ally for England.  The first chapter of this book happens to be my absolute favorite of the whole series.  Cranky Horatio rocks. 

Lord Hornblower - Hornblower finds himself on the wrong end of a mutiny once more--but this time he has been charged with squelching one against a tyrannical captain.  He does, however, get to *ahem* "enjoy" a trip to France and the war finally ends in this novel.

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies - You'd think there wouldn't be many adventures left for Horatio after the end of the war, would you?  Ha!  Posted to the West Indies, Hornblower gets to take on pirates, revolutionaries and nature.  (Warning for all you IOWHW members out there--The hurricane scene will have you BEGGING to be at sea with Hornblower in severe weather conditions...)

(Click here for the Amazon.co.uk "Admiral Hornblower" Omnibus edition which includes Flying Colours, Commodore, Lord Hornblower and Hornblower in the West Indies)*****UK versions of Commodore are lacking a 24th chapter that was written for the US publication.  If you are interested, you can find that chapter on this website by clicking here or in any of the US-published versions of that particular novel. 

Other Hornblower-related Books:

The Hornblower Companion, by C.S. Forester - This book gives a description (with maps) of the adventures of Horatio Hornblower from midshipman to admiral.  He also provides an account of what inspired the novels and how they were written.  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

The Making of C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower, by Tom McGregor - A behind the scenes look of the making of the first A&E series.  It includes tons of pictures and lots of interesting information on the movies.  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower, (a.k.a The True Story of Horatio Hornblower) by C. Northcote Parkinson - A "biography" of Hornblower based on the books.  It's a really interesting read if you are seriously into the character of Hornblower and so thorough that if you didn't know that Horatio Hornblower was fictional, you would think that he was an actual person (there are "portraits" of Hornblower and Lady Barbara, as well as drawings of Smallbridge).  The long and short of it is, though, that this is Mr. Parkinson's own little fanfiction, so take it or leave it.  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

Hornblower's Ships, by Martin Saville - Mr. Saville was the chief model maker on the set of the A&E series.  In this book, he goes into detail about the full-scale ships and the model ships that were used in the filming of the first Hornblower series.  A very interesting read if you are into ship modeling and ship construction, but if you're only looking for info on the cast, this is a pass.  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

The Real Hornblower: The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon, GCB, by Bryan Perrett - There's all sorts of debate about who Horatio Hornblower was based on.  Forester has said he was an amalgamation of several historical figures, but still people search for THE model.  This book makes the case that James Gordon was Horatio's inspiration.  A very interesting person to read about--and there are several similarities--but still, gotta take Forester at his word.  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

C.S. Forester and the Hornblower Saga by Sanford V. Sternlicht -  One of the few C.S. Forester biographies out there, this one--despite what its title implies--isn't solely concerned with the Hornblower series.  A single chapter is devoted to Hornblower (though there are references scattered throughout the book).  To be honest, the lack of referencing, combined with some factual missteps and the numerous editorial errors made me suspect of what I learned from it.  But, as mentioned, there aren't many biographies about Hornblower's creator out there, so beggars can't be choosers.

The Mammoth Book of Men O'War: Stories from the Glory Days of Sail, edited by Mike Ashley - Lots of sea yarns from lots of famous Age of Sail authors, but here we are interested primarily in one:  C.S. Forester's short story, "Hornblower's Charitable Offering".  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

The Mammoth Book of Sea Battles: Great Stories and Classic Tales from the Golden Age of Naval Warfare, edited by Mike Ashley - Again, lots of great authors and their works.  And, again, another C.S. Forester short story can be found here: "Hornblower and His Majesty."  (Click here for the Amazon.co.uk link for this item.)

The Illustrated Companion to Nelson's Navy by Nicolas Blake and Richard Lawrence - While not strictly Hornblower, this book is a phenomenal guide to the time period if you are unfamiliar with it.  It makes the subject matter even more interesting by using examples from different Age of Sail novels (including Hornblower) to illustrate different concepts.  If you don't know a head from a halyard--but would like to, this is the book to pick up.

Hornblower's Navy by Stephen Pope - Don't be too taken in by the title.  While it does throw in a few references to Hornblower--usually as a throw-away line in the introduction of chapters--it really doesn't deal with CS Forester's character beyond that. There are all sorts of books out there which provide a decent basic reference to life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era and if you haven't picked up any other reference book, this one is decent (but I wouldn't go so far as to say 'the best').  If nothing else, it bucks the oh-so-cliché reference to the naval forces of that era as "Nelson's Navy" (and the also prolific moniker, "Jack Aubrey's Navy") and for that I am grateful. 

The Men Who Spoke to Hornblower by T.M. Grundner - I just got this book, so it has been added to the ever-lengthening queue of things to read.  From a quick flip-through, it looks as though the use of the name "Hornblower" in the title is pretty much a marketing ploy as the book is primarily about notable (real) naval men of whom Hornblower and his fictional counterparts would have been aware.  It looks to be an interesting historical read and I'm counting on that - rather than any references to the character of Hornblower - to be the draw for me.

Hornblower Videos: (Aussie Fangirls click here for ezydvd.com.au link)

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) - Starring Gregory Peck as our hero.  This movie is based on the books Beat to Quarters (a.k.a. The Happy Return), Ship of the Line and Flying Colours.  It was also produced with the help of C.S. Forester himself.  A fun movie to watch even if not entirely historically accurate (watch for a cameo appearance of HMS Victory as one of the Admiral's flagships).  Peck makes a great Hornblower and I actually prefer this version's Bush to A&E's.    

Horatio Hornblower (1999 - a.k.a. HH1) - A&E's classic and Emmy-award winning series based on the Hornblower novel Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and starring Ioan Gruffudd.  This set includes four movies: The Duel, The Fireships, The Duchess and the Devil, and The Wrong War.  If you can only own one of the three available series, THIS is the one to spend your money on. 

Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues (2001 - a.k.a. HH2) - The continuation of the series follows Lieutenant Hornblower onto his ship HMS Renown in its two movies Mutiny and Retribution.  An interesting storyline combined with a plethora of wet lieutenants in command makes this a fangirl feast. 

Horatio Hornblower: Retribution (Region 2) (2001) - Yes, yes, I know...I've already mentioned HH2.  Well, if you've only seen Retribution Stateside, you've missed out on some extra scenes.  The A&E version of Retribution not only failed to include scenes with Archie, Hobbs and more, but it actually removed scenes that they originally aired on TV.  This version has everything. NOTE: THIS VIDEO IS REGION 2, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MULTI-REGION DVD PLAYER, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO VIEW IT!!!!! 

Horatio Hornblower: The New Adventures (2004- a.k.a. HH3) - The most recent addition to the Hornblower series sees Hornblower in his new rank as commander and his new role as husband.  In my personal opinion, this is the weakest of the three series so far, but it's still a great ride and beats the snot out of just about everything else on TV. 

The Complete Hornblower (Region 2) - This disc collection includes HH1, HH2 and HH3 in one set.  A pretty good deal for eight discs if you don't have the series and are in the UK. (Click here for the Region 1 US/Canada edition of the same 8-disc set.) See above for ratings.

Hornblower: The Complete Collection (Region 2) - Yet another box set released in the UK which includes all eight of the Hornblower movies.  Really, the only difference between this edition and previous UK-released editions is that HH1 is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen format, which is nice.  However, as in previous HH editions on the "Big, Damp, Foggy Island", you won't find any extras on this one.  Sorry, UK fans.

Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition - A collection of HH1, HH2 and HH3, but for the most part this is just the Region 1 DVDs repackaged with beautiful new box art.  The DVDs are packaged in slimline cases and the HH1 covers are no longer episode-specific as they were on the original cases.  The actors' credits have been updated, too.  The prime feature of this box set, however, is "Horatio on Horatio", an interview with Ioan Gruffudd, which looks to have been taped at the same time as the promotional spot that Ioan did for Amazon.com.  The interview itself is a little less than 20 minutes long.  If you're a fangirl who already owns the DVDs, it probably isn't worth your while to expend the money for something that you basically already own.  If you're a scary fangirl, you might consider buying it for the pretty picture and the exclusive interview.  If you don't own the series, snap this version up.  You'll save yourself a lot of money over buying the three series individually and you'll get the interview, too.

The Making of Horatio Hornblower (HH1) : This behind the scenes look is on the extras of the Region 1 DVD, "The Duchess and the Devil", but I don't think it was added to the UK sets.  If you were gypped out of this simply because you were on the wrong side of the Pond, I suggest you find out if your VCR has NTSC playback and then locate an American or Canadian buddy willing to share.

High Performance: Hornblower Uncovered (HH2) : Down, scaryfangirls.  'Uncovered' in this case means 'behind-the-scenes'.  This show, often referred to in the fandom as the "Making of HH2", was aired in the UK prior to the release of Mutiny and Retribution.  Crumpeteers may be disappointed by the mysterious absence of Jamie Bamber in this one, but the peek into what went into making the production is more than worth the watch.  And for those of you with Ioan-on-the-brain, beware one clip in particular which involves Welshcake, boots and a sword.  Guh.  NTSC tapes of this are floating around North America.

Behind the Scenes of HH3 : For some unknown (and no doubt idiotic) reason, the brain-dead producers of the Hornblower DVDs didn't think that the fangirls in the UK and North America would enjoy seeing interviews of their cast favorites or outtakes of Loyalty and Duty.  They did, however, think that the Japanese fangirls would like them and, accordingly, added them to the DVDs sold there.  Happily, Hornblower is a universal language and through the kindness of some Japanese Hornblower fans, Region 1 and 2 folks were able to get their fangirl paws on this, too. 

Miscellaneous Hornblower Stuff:

Robert Farnon: Captain Horatio Hornblower Suite and other Works - You might not be able to find the soundtrack to the A&E series, but you can get the score to the 1951 movie.  

Posters:  A&E had (or still has) posters for the first and third Hornblower series available.  They don't mention them now, but you still may be able to find them on places like eBay.

Audio Cassettes: There are versions of the Hornblower novels read by Ioan Gruffudd available, but some of them are almost impossible to find.  Amazon.com carries some, but you'll probably have better luck finding them at Amazon.co.uk.  As an aside, BE CAREFUL when you see that the cassettes are not available directly from Amazon, but they are from other sellers.  Often times, those sellers will post the Hornblower BOOKS--albeit with Ioan Gruffudd on the cover--under Amazon's AUDIO BOOK product listing.  If you buy from a second-party vendor, read the description carefully to ensure that you'll be getting the product that you really want.  Also, the Ioan Gruffudd narrated cassettes are ABRIDGED.  If you haven't read the books, you'll miss a lot of juicy Hornblower character stuff if you just listen to the Welshcake-read versions.  There are unabridged audiobooks of the novels available, but sadly, they do not come with Welshtones.  If you have read the books and are madly in love with Ioan (and especially if you are madly in love with his voice), these are a Fangirl MUST HAVE.

Old Radio Shows: People were adapting the Hornblower series long before A&E/Meridian had a go at it.  Several of the Mr. Midshipman and Lieutenant Hornblower stories were recorded for radio years ago and are, thanks to old-time radio show enthusiasts, available online here.  (Find the complete series of Michael Redgrave-narrated Hornblower shows here!)They are read from the perspective of Hornblower himself and have taken some liberties with the stories (but, then again, all adaptations have), but they make for a very entertaining listen.

There are all sorts of fan-made things floating around out there, too.  Stuff like music videos (some are available on the 'net, some only on tape), t-shirts and the like.  Keep a sharp eye and you might come across some gems!