C. S. Forester

The book John Kelly reads every time he gets a promotion to remind him of 'the perils of hubris, the pitfalls of patriotism and duty unaccompanied by critical thinking'The most vivid, moving - and devastating - word-portrait of a World War One British commander ever written, here re-introduced by Max Hastings.C.S. Forester's 1936 masterpiece follows Lt General Herbert Curzon, who fumbled a fortuitous early step on the path to glory in the Boer War. 1914 finds him an honourable, decent, brave and wholly unimaginative colonel. Survival through the early slaughters in which so many fellow-officers perished then brings him rapid promotion. By 1916, he is a general in command of 100,000 British soldiers, whom he leads through the horrors of the Somme and Passchendaele, a position for which he is entirely unsuited and intellectually unprepared.Wonderfully human with Forester's droll relish for human folly on full display, this is the story of a man of his time who is anything but wicked, yet presides over appalling sacrifice and tragedy. In his awkwardness and his marriage to a Duke's unlovely, unhappy daughter, Curzon embodies Forester's full powers as a storyteller. His half-hero is patriotic, diligent, even courageous, driven by his sense of duty and refusal to yield to difficulties. But also powerfully damned is the same spirit which caused a hundred real-life British generals to serve as high priests at the bloodiest human sacrifice in the nation's history. A masterful and insightful study about the perils of hubris and unquestioning duty in leadership, The General is a fable for our times.

Join young Horatio Hornblower in the thrilling naval adventure from the author of The Good Shepherd, now a major-motion picture starring Tom Hanks 'A joyous creation, a perfection in words. Young Hornblower is, simply, one of the most complete creations of character in fiction' Conn Iggulden, The Independent_______1793, the eve of the Napoleonic Wars, and Midshipman Horatio Hornblower receives his first command . . . As a seventeen-year-old with a touch of sea sickness, young Horatio Hornblower hardly cuts a dash in His Majesty's navy.Yet from the moment he is ordered to board a French merchant ship in the Bay of Biscay and take command of crew and cargo, he proves his seafaring mettle on the waves.After a character-forming duel, several deadly chases and some dramatic captures and escapes, the young Hornblower is soon forged into a formidable man of the sea. This is the first of eleven books chronicling the nautical adventures of C. S. Forester's inimitable hero, Horatio Hornblower._______ 'Absolutely compelling. One of the great masters of narrative' San Francisco Chronicle

The Second Horatio Hornblower Tale of the SeaThe nineteenth century dawns and the Napoleonic Wars rage as Horatio Hornblower is ordered to the Caribbean and dangerous waters.New Lieutenant Hornblower's latest ship is HMS Renown, a sound vessel whose captain is unfortunately of rather unsound mind. When ordered to attack a Spanish anchorage, the chain of command breaks down and it requires all of Hornblower's seafaring cunning to avert disaster. As cannons pound and splinters fly aboard their beleaguered vessel, and the men are forced to engage at close quarters, the young lieutenant knows that to save his ship and crew he must prove himself a master of the high seas . . .This is the second of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester's inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.Featuring an exclusive introduction by Bernard Cornwell, creator of Sharpe'One of the best. Everyone interested in war, or in human nature, should read this fascinating tale' The Times Literary Supplement

The Third Horatio Hornblower Tale of the SeaApril 1803, and the Peace of Amiens is failing as Horatio Hornblower takes a sloop on a vital reconnaissance mission . . .On the day of his marriage to Maria, Hornblower is ordered to take the Hotspur and head for Brest - war is coming and Napoleon will not catch His Majesty's navy with its britches round its ankles. With thoughts of his new life as a husband intruding on his duties, Hornblower must prove himself to be not only the most capable commander in the fleet, but also its most daring if he is to stop the French gaining the upper hand.This is the third of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester's inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.Featuring an exclusive introduction by Bernard Cornwell, creator of Sharpe'A master of the genre' New York Times Book Review

Central Africa, 1914; Rose Sayer, a thirty-three year-old English woman, is left alone when her missionary brother dies. Her only route out is aboard The African Queen, a steam-powered launch captained by Cockney mechanic, Charlie Alnutt. Determined to do her bit for the war effort and to avenge her brother, Rose persuades Charlie that they should attack the German gunboat, the Königin Luise. And so begins a most unlikely alliance and love affair, as Charlie and Rose venture down the treacherous Ulanga river encountering danger and adventure at every turn.This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of The African Queen by C. S. Forester features an introduction by the award-winning author and journalist, Giles Foden.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

Horatio Hornblower fra den britiske fl de er i aktion i sters en, bl.a. i farvandet mellem Danmark og Sverige. Han g r i land i Skt. Peterborg, spiller en afg rende rolle i det hemmelige, politiske spil omkring Den Finske Bugt, er til middag hos zar Alexander p slottet Peterhof og t rner sammen med tyskerne under frygtelige s slag. I det hele taget er han vidne til en omskiftelig tid b de for det britiske imperium og for Europa - fyldt med us dvanlige og sp ndende begivenheder i en samtid, hvor sters landene var politiske magtfaktorer. En omv ltningernes tid.

Romanen "Kaptajn Hornblower" var den f rste Hornblower-roman C.S. Forester udgav. Bogen blev popul r og l sernes eftersp rgsel gjorde, at han i alt skrev 12 romaner om s manden Horatio Hornblower. "Kaptajn Hornblower" som er fra 1937 endte med at blive seriens bind 6, hvis man skal f lge seriens indre kronologi. Romanen tager sin begyndelse i 1808 hvor Hornblower har kommandoen over HMS Lydia - en fregat med 36 kanoner. Han har f et ordre om at sejle til Stillehavet, n rmere betegnet Nicaraguas kyst og levere st tte til en lokal godsejer i form at krudt og skydev ben. Planen er at godsejeren Don Julian Alvarado skal g re opr r mod Spanien - som er Frankrigs og Napoleons allierede. Men da Hornblower ankommer til Nicaragua viser det sig, at godsejeren er blevet rablende gal og nu kalder sig selv for el Supremo (Den Alm gtige). Hornblower forst r, at godsejeren nu har sin helt egen dagsorden og da det spanske skib Natividad ankommer med sine 50 kanoner st r Hornblower over for sin karrieres st rste udfordring.

Horatio Hornblower bliver gift med sin elskede Maria og f r ikke tid til at fortryde det. Han bliver nemlig straks sendt af sted i nationens tjeneste i den britiske fl de. I kampen mod Napoleons overmagt og de franske tropper klarer han om bord p skibet "Hotspur" mange udfordrende situationer, men den helt store bel nning g r han stadig glip af.

The book John Kelly reads every time he gets a promotion to remind him of â??the perils of hubris, the pitfalls of patriotism and duty unaccompanied by critical thinkingâ?? The most vivid, moving â?? and devastating â?? word-portrait of a World War One British commander ever written, here re-introduced by Max Hastings.

The Good Shepherd is a historical fiction novel written by C. S. Forester. It is set during World War II and follows the story of Commander George Krause, an experienced naval officer who is given the task of leading a convoy of 37 Allied ships across the treacherous North Atlantic, which is infested with German U-boats. Krause is known for his ability to protect his ships and his crew, but he is also burdened by his own doubts and fears.As the convoy moves deeper into enemy territory, Krause faces numerous challenges, including mechanical failures, bad weather, and attacks by U-boats. He must also deal with the conflicting personalities of his crew, some of whom are inexperienced and others who are battle-hardened.Throughout the novel, Forester provides a detailed and accurate portrayal of life aboard a naval vessel during wartime. He also explores the psychological toll that war takes on individuals, particularly those in leadership positions. The Good Shepherd is a gripping and suspenseful novel that offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by Allied forces during World War II.This is a new release of the original 1955 edition.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Rifleman Dodd is a historical novel written by C.S. Forester that is set during the Peninsular War, which was fought between the years 1807 and 1814. The story follows the adventures of a British rifleman named Matthew Dodd, who becomes separated from his unit during a retreat and is left to fend for himself behind enemy lines in Portugal.Dodd is a skilled and resourceful soldier, and he quickly adapts to the harsh conditions of guerrilla warfare. He befriends a group of Portuguese partisans who are fighting against the French, and together they launch a series of daring raids on enemy positions.As the war drags on, Dodd becomes increasingly isolated and desperate. He is forced to rely on his wits and his knowledge of the terrain to survive, and he faces a series of challenges and setbacks that test his courage and his determination.Despite the odds against him, Dodd never gives up. He remains committed to his mission and to his duty as a soldier, and he ultimately emerges victorious against the French.Rifleman Dodd is a classic tale of heroism and survival, and it offers a vivid and compelling portrait of the brutal realities of war in the early 19th century.This is a new release of the original 1943 edition.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Described as a 'riveting read' by Sarah Waters and acclaimed by crime writers such as Andrew Taylor, The Pursued is a dark, gripping 1930s psychological thriller by C. S. Forester, the author of Hornblower.The story begins when Marjorie, a young woman, arrives home one summer evening and finds her sister, dead, with her head in the oven. She looks peaceful, as if she is asleep. Their mother suspects, however, that Dot's death was far from natural - and that she knows who the killer is. So, slowly and meticulously, she plots her terrible revenge. C. S. Forester's 1935 thriller The Pursued, lost for decades, rewrote the traditions of crime fiction to create a dark, twisted portrayal of obsession and retribution.

Taking us into a 1930s London of grimy back streets, smoky cafes and shabby rooms, Plain Murder, C. S. Forester's second crime novel, is a brilliantly atmospheric and gripping portrayal of the dark heart of a killer, published in Penguin Modern Classics.'They'll get you for certain,' said Oldroyd. 'Then they'll hang you.'At the Universal Advertising Agency on the Strand, London, a murder is being planned. Three men have been discovered taking bribes and face the grim prospect of the dole queue, unless they can get rid of the person who caught them. Their ringleader, thick-set and vicious Mr Morris, soon discovers that killing is far easier than he thought - and that he even has a talent for it. He might, he feels, be superhuman. But as he will discover, there is no such thing as the perfect crime, and no deed goes unpunished.Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (1899-1966), better known by his pen name Cecil Scott Forester, was an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen (1935; filmed in 1951 by John Huston). His novels A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours were jointly awarded the 1938 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. He began his career with the crime novels Payment Deferred and Plain Murder, now reissued in Penguin Modern Classics along with The Pursued, which was lost for over 60 years.If you enjoyed Plain Murder, you might like Forester's Payment Deferred, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.'A terrible and striking piece of work' Observer

Mr Marble is in serious debt, desperate for money to pay his family's bills, until the combination of a wealthy relative, a bottle of Cyanide and a shovel offer him the perfect solution. In fact, his troubles are only just beginning. Slowly the Marble family becomes poisoned by guilt, and caught in an increasingly dangerous trap of secrets, fear and blackmail. Then, in a final twist of the knife, Mrs Marble ensures that retribution comes in the most unexpected of ways ...First published in 1926, C. S. Forester's gritty psychological thriller took crime writing in a new direction, portraying ordinary, desperate people committing monstrous acts, and showing events spiralling terribly, chillingly, out of control.

Step aboard C.S. Forester's classic seafaring tale from the author of The Good Shepherd, now a major-motion picture starring Tom Hanks 'A joyous creation, a perfection in words. Young Hornblower is, simply, one of the most complete creations of character in fiction' Conn Iggulden, The Independent_______One vital convoy can break Mussolini's stranglehold on Malta - but it is intercepted in the Mediterranean by enemy warships . . . Five light British cruisers are left to beat back the armed might of the Italian battle fleet and C.S. Forester - creator of Horatio Hornblower - takes us aboard HMS Artemis as she steams into battle against overwhelming odds. We get inside the heads of Artemis's men, from the Captain on his bridge down to the lowest engine room rating, as they struggle over one long and terrifying afternoon to do their duty. This brilliant and gripping story recounts life aboard a British warship during some of the darkest days of the Second World War: capturing the urgency of the blazing guns, the thunderous rupturing of deck plates, the screams of pain and, most importantly, the shouts of triumph._______Praise for C.S. Forester'Unbelievably good' James Holland, bestselling author of Normandy '44'High and glittering excitement' New York Times