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Lord Hornblower cover art

Lord Hornblower

By: C. S. Forester
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

Having received strict and confidential orders from high above, C.S. Forester's inimitable hero must recapture The Flame, a brig which has been taken over by a band of mutineers. Voyaging to the Bay of Seine in order to rescue the captive Lieutenant Augustin Chadwick from his disloyal crew, Horatio Hornblower must once more fight for the freedom and safety of his people and country.

In an unexpected turn of events, the now world-weary captain Hornblower is propelled towards the gates of his mortal enemy: Napoleon Bonaparte. Having spent a lifetime trying to defeat the French empire, Horatio is desperate to overthrow his opponents once and for all, but with so many odds against him, the threat of failure hangs in the air.

Hailed by the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Sir Winston Churchill for being 'admirable and vastly entertaining,' C.S. Forester became a hugely influential 20th-century author.

Born in Cairo, raised in London and buried in California, the metropolitan writer experienced huge success with his Horatio Hornblower series as well as with his later works, The African Queen and The Good Shepherd.

His literary genius is perfectly encapsulated within this endlessly entertaining narrative, and his heroic protagonist draws us in to another titillating journey through the Napoleonic wars.

Narrator Biography

Christian Rodska is an English television and voice actor best known for his role in the 1970s series Follyfoot.

From the The Monuments Men and The Eagle of the Ninth to The Likely Lads, Z Cars, The Tomorrow People, Coronation Street, Bergerac and Casualty, his extensive and diverse acting career has led him to become a highly solicited radio and audiobook narrator.

He has now voiced over 150 unabridged audiobooks including Winston Churchill's biographies, Evelyn Waugh's Men at Arms and Sebastian Faulks' A Possible Life. He has been praised for his ability to vary in vocal pace and style, and as such, Christian boasts 12 Earphone Awards from Audiofile Magazine.

©1946 C.S. Forester (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Lord Hornblower

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Wonderful story read to perfection

This is possibly the most complete Hornblower tale of all. It has everything and covers so much ground (and sea). Full of action, intrigue romance and in places tragedy. Christian Rodska could not be bettered in his reading of it. Outstanding.

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gripping

Wonderfully told, a naval version of Sharpe, have read all of Hornblower's books except the final one, so that'll be next.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Weakest Hornblower novel

Weak. Almost as if Forester couldn't think of a decent storyline. And as for the love aspect of the? Laughable.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Shiva me Timbers... Ship Shaped & Bristol Fashion.

My hope that the others are as good, has in fact, proved certain. I have been looking F'ard to the series as I have amassed this treasure trove, with the movie popping it's head above the poopdeck every leeward. I have to say that I am more surprised than I thought I was going to be. I assumed it was going to be good, and I am very glad to be proved wrong Sir.

It is very GOOD Indeed Sir.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

yet another adventure

For those who have followed the trials and tribulations of Hornblower another tale to enjoy. Seniority may slow the pace of our swashbuckling hero, but only a little. Another enjoyable story and maybe his/the end??

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    4 out of 5 stars

A great adventure but more on land

I would have enjoyed more on-ship action, but this is still an exciting adventure with more than one major plot twist as the Hornblower series reaches its conclusion. For my taste, the romance elements are rather repetitive and overdone, but I've read and loved enough Hornblower books that I shall forgive that. Chriastian Rodska, the narrator, gives another memorable and masterly performance.

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A joy!

I have loved revisiting this series of books - which I first read when I was a girl. The writing is still enthralling, the sense of period is faultless and the pace of the action is tumultuous. Christian Rodska makes a truly excellent job of reading the entire series!

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Just Wonderful!

Once again a master class in storytelling. I believe this to be the final book? A hard act to follow.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A gripping conclusion to the Hornblower saga.

Superbly read by Christian Rodska, a most enjoyable story about a stalwart of the Napoleonic Naval wars.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Timeless, exciting, unputdownable.

Even classics have a shelf life: tastes change and priorities shift, unless it's about monumental historic event, unless it's very well researched, unless it's brilliantly written. Action packed; the books are glimpses of life in the Royal Navy during Napoleonic wars through the career of an exceptional naval officer. The protagonist is human to a fault with an occasional error of judgement and yet he remains a true leader of people enable to make heroic decisions in a split second. Narrator is very much in tune with the story - an excellent choice. Highly recommended listen.

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