Lord Hornblower was published by Michael Joseph in 1946. The novel divides into three connected episodes. First: a British ship of the line has mutinied in the Bay of the Seine, and Hornblower must negotiate with the mutineers (whose grievances are legitimate) while preventing the ship from falling into French hands. Second: Hornblower leads a raid up the Seine to destroy a French privateer base — a raid that succeeds brilliantly. Third: trapped in France by the sudden return of Napoleon from Elba (the Hundred Days), Hornblower is captured, tried by court-martial for his raid, and sentenced to death.
The firing-squad sequence is the most harrowing scene in the series: Hornblower, blindfolded, hears the volley — and survives because Wellington’s army has arrived just in time. The irony is characteristic: Hornblower’s survival depends not on his own brilliance but on the timing of events he cannot control.
The novel ends with Hornblower’s elevation to the peerage (Baron Dobie of Dobie) — a reward that gives him security but also marks the end of his active career. The warrior becomes an administrator, the adventurer becomes respectable.
Collecting Lord Hornblower
First edition (Michael Joseph, London, 1946): Blue cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition with jacket, fine/fine: $150–$400
- Without jacket, very good: $40–$100
- US first (Little, Brown): $80–$200