[.ca] Lieutenant Hornblower (ISBN 1859989764)

Hornblower as we wished he were:
Hornblower has a "hand?" in a near-mutiny against a paranoid and exasperatingly capricious captain (who has none of the real brilliance and fortitude of Capt. Bly of Mutiny on the Bounty), spurs gallant plans and vaulting action against the Spanish on Hayte during Toussaint's slave revolt, suffers an inquiry, and is put ashore to live by his card-wits. Despite being set on the West Indies station, the deadliest in all the budding British Empire, no seamen here suffer from tropical disease. Forester writes unevenly here, rather than sustaining the glories of the original trilogy (Books 6-8). This is partially due to our viewing Hornblower only through the eyes of another lieutenant, Bush, who is stolidly dull (Forester resorts to telling us what Bush's inchoate feelings WOULD be if only he could express them!). At least we can't see Hornblower's self-doubt that tiresomely emerges in later books whenever he awaits the onset of action (a small price to pay for such glorious stories). In this story, Bush witnesses the emergence of Hornblower's seeming deference and the brilliant tactical and interpersonal skills that blossom in his later commands.

The Most Renowned Officer in Naval Fiction:
Surely, Horatio Hornblower is the most gallant of all in historical fiction. Throughout all the Hornblower novels, C.S Forester introduce us the naval career of Hornblower. Despite Hornblower's sad family background, he endures the hardship of life in the Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, when he starts off as a Midshipman. Through the years, he gains reputation- the "Terror of the Mediterranean". In Lieutenant Hornblower, he suffers under the command of the crazy Captain Sawyer. Although he is the Junior Lieutenant, he saves the ship from the batteries of Samana, by coming up with his ingenious ideas. Near the end, they are in danger of declared guilty of mutiny.

Management Lessons that All Could Use!:
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!

An interesting perspective on Hornblower:
This book in the Hornblower series gives us the opportunity to observe Lieutenant Hornblower through the eyes of Lieutenant William Bush. Bush's perspective on Hornblower allows us to see some of why Hornblower is so able to advance in his naval career. Horblower's "moral and physical courage" make him attractive to his fellow naval officers and most likely this is what attracts the reader to Hornblower as well. Throughout the book we see Hornblower's courageous initiative mingled with his great respect for authority. He always knows just what to say to his commanding officers to move them in the right direction and he knows just how to say it so as not to usurp their authority or show disrespect. In the closing chapters we are also able to see that Hornblower is not simply a risk-taker when engaged in naval battle, but it is a part of his character in all situations and he always faces those risks with courage. I have now read Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and Lieutenant Hornblower - next up, Hornblower and the Hotspur. If you have seen the A & E video series based on this book, you will find that there is quite a difference in the ending. I found the mutiny resolution to be much more satisfactory in the book.

Aarrrrr Mate!:
While reading 'Lt. Hornblower' It was enjoyable to experience the strong imagery of the white puffed sails contrasting the wave's of a blue ocean while the stretched rigging lines scream of tension to capture the trade winds. I could close my eyes and imagine standing on the quarterdeck of these great wooden walled ships that crack and groan from the ocean's waves which relentlessly attempt to pull the ship to the bottom of the ocean. EUREKA! Then the suspenseful action packed fun begins. From amphibious invasions to mutiny along with the further character development of Horatia Hornblower encouraged me to rate this book with 5 stars! More importantly there is a slight angle of a life lesson embedded within the story. 'You don't know how much you love something until you lose it'...