Hornblower's Navy: Life at Sea in the Age of Nelson
C.S. Forester's fictional hero, Horatio Hornblower, provides the premise for this brief study of British naval conditions between 1794 and 1815, when Napoleon fought England for control of Europe. Historian Pope describes conditions aboard British warships during this time, beginning with a review of Royal Navy history to 1793 and describing salient developments such as the Navigation Acts, the influence of Robert Blake, technological advances, and the navy's growing professionalism in the face of both internal and external challenges. Among the naval leaders profiled is James Alexander Gordon, cited as the model for Forester's fictional commander Hornblower. While lavishly illustrated with period marine art, the book is just a brief overview of a topic that has attracted much scholarly and popular attention recently. There are also numerous spelling errors throughout the text. Readers should consult David Davies's Nelson's Navy (Stackpole, 1997) or Dudley Pope's Life in Nelson's Navy (Naval Inst., 1996) for a more in-depth treatment of this fascinating topic. Not recommended.AHarold N. Boyer, Florence Cty. Lib., SCCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.