The African Queen (1935), by C S Forester

The African Queen is a ripping yarn (one reason, by the way, for the success of the 1951 film).  Two ill-suited people struggle against incredible odds on an impossible quest, striking a blow for the right against imperial might.  But I think The African Queen, by C S Forester (1899-1966), is much more than a … Continue reading →

C S Forester’s Hornblower and the Atropos (1953)

Review by Val H: Boy’s Own Plus.  That’s Hornblower and the Atropos: an exploration of leadership within an exciting swashbuckler. The action takes place after the Battle of Trafalgar.  The Royal Navy’s Horatio Hornblower is recently promoted to captain, taking command of the King’s smallest ship, HMS Atropos (like Hornblower, an interesting name: Atropos was one … Continue reading →

The Happy Return (1937) by C. S. Forester

Review by George S. The Happy Return was the first of Forester’s Hornblower novels to be published, though later books would fill in the hero’s earlier career. The book’s beginning plunges us straight into the action, with Captain Hornblower arriving in South America to begin a risky mission.

The ‘Bartimeus’ Omnibus (1935)

Review by George Simmers – see his Great War Fiction blog here The author was born Lewis Anselm da Costa Ricci in 1886; he anglicised his name to Ritchie and trained to become a naval officer. While still young, he contracted Malta Fever (brucellosis); this cost him the sight of one eye and damaged the … Continue reading →