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A Ship of the Line cover art

A Ship of the Line

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

Exclusively from Audible

The sixth instalment in the eleven-part Horatio Hornblower series, A Ship of the Line sees the return of 39-year-old Captain Hornblower as he embarks upon a new adventure on the Catalonian coast.

Having successfully defeated the Natividad Ship in battle, Horatio is awarded command of HMS Sutherland. Estimated to be the 'the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy List,' Hornblower's first ship of the line is far from becoming the vessel of his dreams, and being 250 men short of a full crew, the captain is forced to enlist and train a rabble of 'poachers, bigamists and sheep stealers.'

Seventeen years into the Napoleonic wars, Hornblower cannot afford to pause or make mistakes and the pressure soon mounts as the French approach the Catalonian shores.

Winner of the 1938 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, A Ship of the Line delivers an action-packed seafaring adventure as one of the nation's favourite captains takes the lead once again.

Hugely celebrated for his Napoleonic naval warfare series, and later for the publication of The African Queen, C. S. Forester came to writing much later than expected. Having originally studied medicine at Guy's Hospital, Forester first developed a love of story-telling after being inspired by his travels with the Royal Navy.

Sadly stricken with arteriosclerosis whilst voyaging to the Bering Sea, C.S. Forester was crippled in his later life, but his imagination and his skill with a pen survived for years to come.

Narrator Biography

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

From 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.

©1938 Cassette Productions SA (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about A Ship of the Line

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Cliffhanger Alert

Warning! If You start this book be prepared to buy "Flying Colours" as well, since the book ends with a cliffhanger that is resolved in the next book.

Christian Rodska does an amazing job reading the Hornblower novels. This book is no exception. He really brings C S Forester's wonderful prose to life, and it is thoroughly enjoyable.

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7 people found this helpful

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Rollicking adventure…

Another rollicking Hornblower giving a nod to past events and sweeping the reader up in descriptions of serious action….what a human hero !
Forester however, doesn’t let us forget that the foundation of the British Navy’s success was based on an iniquitous system of forced conscription where ordinary seamen could be prisoners on their ships for years; contrasted with the romanticised images of officers’ success. To be fair, there are a couple of working class characters who receive mention and recognition in an effort to redress the balance.

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1 person found this helpful

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Marvellous. First rate narrator. Thrilling story.

The best of Hornblower is in the actions described and this one has plenty of adventure and fortunately less domestic description, which I find wearisome. What a superb narrator.

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Not his best

I am loving the development of Hornblower’s character - his lack of self-confidence etc. But this story didn’t grip me as others in the series have.

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Outstanding

Best one yet, totally gripping, amusing and heroically tragic all at the same time. Listen and enjoy!!

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Brilliant, stirring and historical

True Forrester. Well read with understanding and emotion. It leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

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Excellent as ever

Slow start but compensates with lots of action and a cliffhanger at the end leaving you wanting more. The narrator is the best I’ve heard on Audible.

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Great

The detail and description are amazing. I really enjoyed this book and was sad for it to end

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Another great book

Great story of seafaring adventure. Well read, as ever! Ends very quickly, looking forward to the next one!

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More exciting naval action expertly read

This one ends in a cliffhanger that will make you want to listen to the next one Flying Colours straight away. Highly recommended.

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