Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower Saga Book 11)

I have read the entire Hornblower series seversl times over the last 40 years, and continue to enjoy the books as if it was my first time reading them.

This, the last in C. S. Forester's Hornblower series, is very unlike the novels which proceeded it. This book is segmented into five stand-alone short stories, the first four of which could be read in any order. The fifth story needs to be last as it relates Admiral Hornblower's retirement from active duty and return to Britain with his wife, Barbara, whom we first met in "Ship of the Line." The Napoleonic wars are over, Bonaparte is in prison for the second time, in St. Helena, and our aging (46) hero is in the twilight of his career. He is effectively waging a police action defending British interests in the Caribbean and fighting stateless piracy (the terrorism of that age). In the first story Hornblower discovers through stealth that a French ship in New Orleans has taken on six hundred muskets and bales of French uniforms. When he learns the the captain plans on racing to St. Helena, freeing Bonaparte, and restoring the French Empire, we are off to the last naval engagement of the Napoleonic wars. In the second story Hornblower engages a large topsail schooner, the Estrella del Sur, in a desperate race to prevent her cargo of slaves from reaching it's destination, Havana. Flying Spanish colors, she takes refuge in San Juan. Hornblower's plans to capture this much faster ship pits his daring and ingenuity against his opponent's two knots superiority in speed. The third story takes place entirely on land, on the island of Jamaica. Hornblower and his secretary, Mr. Spendlove, are captured and held for ransom by pirates. The pirates' impregnable lair is on a ledge on the face of a high cliff. The conclusion involves a weapon we see here for the first time, a ship mortar, which fires bombs with a timed fuse. The fourth story has a more historical setting, Bolivar's defeat of royalist forces in Venezuela's fight for independence from Spain. Readers familiar with Lord Cochrane's campaigns in Chile and Peru will see his persona recreated in Mr. Charles Ramsbottom. He is the wealthy son of a Bradford wool merchant, and arrives in Kingston harbor in his private yacht, a decommissioned brig. Eventually we discover that he is what was then called a "Liberal," come to the assistance of the revolutionary, Bolivar.C. S. Forester hasn't lost his knack for a tale: "There was something just over the horizon of his mind, some stirring of an idea. And within a second the idea was up over the horizon, vague at present, like a hazy landfall, but as certain and as reassuring as any landfall. He could not help glancing over at the Estrella, sizing up the tactical situation, seeking further inspiration there, testing what he already had in mind."

Upon finishing this series, I find satisfaction and poetic affection for the man of Hornblower and his wife, Lady Hornblower. All thing come round and place a bow on the package of words. I will get the addendum as quick as I may. Why didn't I read this as a boy instead of an old man.

I like the entire series. I first read the series while attending Navy OCS MANY years ago. Forester was a popular author in his own lifetime and remains relevant even today. The stories of Hornblowers early life are specially endearing. Highly recommended for adolescents.

The author has written what has been called a pot boiler. It is full of pathos and shows Hornblower and his wife as human beings rather than unyielding and unbending. The section on the storm at sea was a bit overdone and could have beenMuch shorter, I think.

"Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies" is the final full-length Hornblower novel, although there are a few short stories set after this one. In this novel, Hornblower has finally made Admiral, and has been posted as Commander-in-Chief of the rather small British naval force in the West Indies. The Napoleonic Wars are over but the times are nonetheless dangerous and complicated. There are several more or less self-contained stories set in this context, and largely they are entertaining and enjoyable. During this time frame South America is in full Revolution against Spain, and of course this ends up involving our hero. In this novel C.S. Forester also evidences a keen understanding of British naval politics of the times, and this is very interesting as well.My favorite line in this novel, which I have never forgotten, is the one in which Hornblower, now a full Admiral and feeling the full weight of responsibility for the actions of his subordinates, suddenly realizes a sympathy with the Admirals who had been his own superiors as a more junior officer. This observation is true in most walks of life and in its own way is quite profound.This is an enjoyable Hornblower novel and if not the best of the series nonetheless is authentic Hornblower through and through. Highly recommended. RJB.

Excellent story, you need the read the whole series to fully enjoy the lead character.

Several years ago, my wife and I had read some of C.S. Forester's Hornblower books and enjoyed them so much. that we decided to start from the beginning of the series and read them all. We finally reached the end with "Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies" and were sad that there would be no more. Forester writes (wrote) superbly and even though we hardly understood the naval terminology (especially of the old sailing warships) we were caught up in the excitement created by Forester's imagination and writing.Hornblower is not a superhero nor even a typical hero. Although brilliant in the art of warfare and even international diplomacy he can be irascible, thoughtless and impatient. Nevertheless there is much to admire. We're both happy that read the whole series in chronological order of then the events happened (which is not the same as when they are written. For that, readers will have to go on line and find the chronological order for themselves.

Written in 1957, it is the tenth in order of Hornblower's career - it's now the year 1821 - but the ninth to be written by CS Forester. Instead of the usual twenty or more chapters, instead we have five titled ones.This review is of the smart new Penguin editions that have Bernard Cornwell writing an introduction. Cornwall adds that, like the very first in the series (Mr Midshipman Hornblower), the tenth volume "strictly ... is not a novel but another collection of short stories." Cornwell meditates momentarily on the source of Forester's characterisation of our hero and concludes "that the greatest part of Hornblower sprang from Forester himself ... There is no other way, I am certain, that such a series of novels could have been written." (This also, of course, says much about Cornwell and the source of Sharpe, his own literary creation.)In the first of the five stories in this volume, we see Hornblower experiencing such new-fangled concepts as paddle steamers, independent South American nations, proper showers, tinned food, millionaires, and cornets. We also witness in this excellent five-star story Hornblower's apparently one-and-only visit to the United States. Later in this book, we also see Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, even Venezuela.In the second story, Hornblower's name is seemingly as synonymous - and as feared - as Drake's had been in the Caribbean over two hundred years earlier. Out at sea and chasing ships, "here were the old symptoms, as recognisable as ever, the quickened heartbeat, the feeling of warmth under the skin, the general restlessness. There was something just below the horizon, vague at present, like a hazy landfall ..." Another good story; it's just a shame that the ending is so predictable.Pirates and kidnapping are the subjects of the third story. On getting close to the pirates' lair, Forester's tongue partly in cheek, the author writes how our hero "suddenly realized that the almost legendary career of the great Lord Hornblower might have been terminated then and there, that his future biographer might have had to deplore the ironic chance which after so many pitched battles, brought him death at the hands of an obscure criminal in an unknown corner of a West Indian island." (Interestingly, Forester makes an error here in referring to Hornblower's presence at the siege of Riga being "nearly twenty years before": in fact, it was only nine years earlier, in 1812, a fact he notes in the very next story!)The fourth story is in truth a little far-fetched, featuring an Anglo-Venezuelan millionaire from Bradford with a penchant for yachting in ex-Royal Navy vessels. (Did Forester have someone in mind from his own life?) Final victory to Hornblower is this time reached by a short battle of wits. But in the final story, on his homeward voyage having completed his tour of duty, our hero has nature herself to battle with in the shape of a hurricane. Success this time is partly due to a lovely bunch of coconuts. I kid you not!That final comment will, I hope, tempt you to satisfy your curiosity. This is a fine set of stories chronicling the high watermark of a brave and clever man's career. If I may appear flippant by referring to him as `our hero', he himself is ever the man of true self-conscious humility: an admiral who is truly admirable.

I very much wanted to read these stories is sequence and had great difficulty working out in which order they came so I have added the list here.I have now read them all and thoroughly enjoyed each one.I started with 'The young Hornblower Omnibus', this contains 'Mr Midshipman Hornblower' 'Lieutenant Hornblower' and 'Hornblower and the Hotspur'.'Captain Hornblower' follows on and again has three stories in sequence - 'Hornblower and the Antropos', The Happy return' and 'A Ship of the line'.'Flying Colours' is next and is one book followed in order by 'The Commodore' and 'Lord Hornblower'.'Hornblower in the West Indies' is next and again is a collection of stories which fit so well together that they read like one book.The last is 'Hornblower and the Crisis and consists of three stories, each one highly entertaining, and ending in a rather satisfacory way. The first entitled 'The Crisis' is actually unfinished as the author died while writing it but there is enough to enable the reader to see where it was going.The whole series is a joy from beginning to end.

Rear Admiral Lord Hornblower! He's certainly come a very long way since his humble beginnings as a seasick Midshipman.Hornblower in the West Indies is not a single book like previous instalments. Instead it is a collection of five short stories describing Hornblower's adventures in these exotic isles following the climax of the Napoleonic Wars post Waterloo. The stories describe Hornblower's life as he polices the Indies in order to help settle the turbulence caused by the lengthy wars spanning the globe.As ever, nothing runs smoothly for Hornblower and pretty swiftly he is involved in plots concerning piracy, slavery and rebellion. For me, these short stories are some of the most creative and exciting aspects of the Hornblower saga; this is Forester at his pinnacle.When buying the book, don't expect the usual 300 page single novel and you won't be disappointed. The quality of the stories speaks for themselves and fans of the series will be in for a real treat with the tenth instalment.As the final book beckons, I can safely say that Hornblower has been an absolute pleasure to read. If you have the slightest interest in naval warfare, please don't miss this series, its simply too good.

A change of scenery and climate after the Napoleonic days. Is this the end of the Hornblower novels?We'll see.

Another great exciting story of Hornblower and his crew and the challenges put before him and how he manages to surmount them. Detail as always is superb and as a character Hornblower is one who puts others before himself. The books are best read in order and I always look forward to the next one. This is about the sixth time I have read the whole series commencing when I was in my twenty’s many years ago. A ripping yarn, thoroughly recommended.