Lieutenant Hornblower

As a long-time fan of the Hornblower series, I had not read Lieutenant Hornblower for many years. Imagine my surprise upon rereading this outstanding book when I discovered that Lieutenant Hornblower is a remarkable primer on management!If you have not yet read Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, I strongly urge you to read that book before starting Lieutenant Hornblower. Lieutenant Hornblower is written from the perspective of one of Hornblower's superior officers, a senior lieutenant named William Bush. Bush is a master at getting a ship to perform under all circumstances, but has placed little emphasis on how to defeat the enemy. Without the background of Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, I'm afraid you will miss some of the nuances of what the author is suggesting in the book. The book opens with Hornblower as the newest and most junior lieutenant on the Renown, a British ship of war about to head off on a lengthy cruise to parts as not yet disclosed. Captain Sawyer immediately begins accusing his lieutenants and midshipmen of conspiring to undermine his authority. At the same time, Captain Sawyer cannot do enough for his crew, including extra grog rations. Discipline is rapidly diminishing. What's a young lieutenant to do with a captain who isn't getting the job done? You will find the story fascinating if you imagine being a newly appointed general manager of a small division in a company where the CEO is running the firm into the ground. If the firm goes down, so do you!Later, the ship finds itself under difficult orders, orders which if followed in the usual way will lead to death, destruction, and failure. What do you do now as a junior person in the situation? You certainly cannot dictate . . . but perhaps you might tactfully suggest alternatives. This circumstance recurs in the novel, and I draw your attention to the adroit way that Hornblower combines respect, a sense of his place, and timely suggestions to provide the same leadership that he might have applied as captain. Students of game theory will also be fascinated by the ways that Mr. Forester included those kinds of concepts into the decisions that Hornblower makes. In the end of the book, Hornblower has fallen on hard times. How he responds is a lesson to us all. He sees adversity as a temporary setback that will be redressed in due time by a shift in circumstances to match the underlying odds, not unlike sticking to good strategy for winning at cards. A strategy may not always win, but an effective one will win more often than not and will be profitable to pursue (such as card-counting in playing blackjack). Hornblower also finds himself the potential beneficiary of kindness from friends. You will be interested to see how he is affected and how he responds. Lead from wherever you are!

Here is the series order: Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, Hornblower and the Hotspur, Hornblower During the Crisis, Hornblower and the Atropos, Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line, Flying Colours, Commodore Hornblower, Lord Hownblower, Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies. The other titles you'll see are different 3-in-1-cover combinations of the above titles, though not always in series order (go figure), Cadet versions of the same titles above by different titles (REALLY go figure), and companion books.

Young Mr. Gruffudd makes a marvelous performance and his well trained acting abilities pour through with astounding affect! He slides easily in and out of characters and accents. There's never a break to make one lose the feel and atmosphere of the story. And, he delivers the story surely as real as C.S. Forester could have dreamed it! One need only to close ones eyes and be taken back into the days of Horatio Hornblower!

Lieutenant Hornblower is not a novel that should be read in isolation. It was originally published in the early 50s after the success of earlier, although chronologically later, Hornblower books and a movie. Forester's purpose was to show the development of the character of Hornblower while providing a good sea story in itself. He succeeded on both accounts. Lieutenant Hornblower is set in 1803, several years after Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. We are told nothing of what has occurred to Hornblower in years preceding the book. Lieutenant Hornblower is seen through the eyes of Lieutenant William Bush, a brother officer, who although slightly senior comes increasingly to look to Hornblower for leadership. Although initially distrusting, Bush sees greatness in Hornblower and the two develop a strong friendship. Bush is portrayed as a dull, stodgy and not too bright English career naval officer. He is also a very decent man and solid friend. One is reminded of the friendship between Holmes and Watson and Conan Doyle's device; which was to make Holmes appear more brilliant by making Watson appear to be slow. In fact, I could imagine a young Basil Rathbone and a young Nigel Bruce playing the Hornblower and Bush roles.As the novel runs its course, the two men overcome a mad captain, a Spanish fort, an attempt by prisoners to overtake the ship, a night in the fleshpots of the Caribbean, a court of inquiry, and perhaps most challenging of all, peace. Forester skillfully develops Hornblower's character while creating some unanswered questions. Was Hornblower responsible for the mad captain's downfall? What was the relationship between Hornblower and the servant girl in London? We learn more about Hornblower but mystery is maintained, perhaps even enhanced.One of the most important things that we learn about Hornblower is that while he is a brilliant warrior, he is also highly aware of war's cost. Hornblower is a reluctant warrior but when driven to fight, he does his duty magnificently. Written as it was shortly after the end of World War II, one can see that Forester was striking a chord in both Britain and the United States. The men of the RN and USN would be the legitimate descendants of Horatio Hornblower.Like Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower does not reach its climax with a battle scene. Instead the climax is a game of wist. During peacetime, Hornblower is reduced to playing wist to survive and must gamble his limited resources to stay afloat. Britons must have been able to relate strongly to this post war poverty. Americans conversely could recognize the gambling scene from any number of westerns. As always, Forester is able to meet the conflicting demands of both British and American readers.