Rating: 
Summary: Good for half of it
Review: This book started out so well. After Horatio Hornblower's triumph in the Baltic, he is assigned an incredibly difficult duty. He is to take back a ship that has mutinied against one of the most brutal captains in the Royal Navy. The ship is only a few miles from escaping to France and recapturing it is going to take all of Hornblower's ingenuity.When Lord Hornblower was dealing with this subject, I found it thrilling and captivating. But halfway through, it changes to Hornblower entering France and taking part in the rebellion against the tottering Napoleon. It was then that the novel ground to a screeching halt. Hornblower's attempts to deal with the crown prince of France are amazingly dull and his later guerilla campaign was unbelievable. Perhaps I was turned off by a developement with Bush halfway through that was abrupt and cold. But for some reason, the last half of his book dragged for me -- a situation I'd never experienced before in a Hornblower book. I would probably still recommend purchasing this book if you've come this far. But don't get your hopes up. This is a low point in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Good adventure reading
Review: This Hornblower novel was not quite as good as some of the others mostly I think because it was set mostly on land and had too much to do with ground war engagements than sea battles. The writing was every bit as good but the story was not as exciting at least for me.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower Forever!
Review: This is probably my least favorite novel in the Hornblower saga, in that it shows the hero (who by now has become an old friend) is capable of acting like a bit of a cad. The thing which has always drawn me to the series is the intricate character study of Hornblower. He begins as a deeply serious teenager, becomes a neurotic, driven, and somewhat paranoid introvert, and gradually matures into a man that others can like as well as respect. In Lord Hornblower, we see him at last beginning to be comfortable enough with himself and his position that he can question his orders, negotiate with his superiors, and sometimes make selfish decisions without penance. Even when those decisions are destructive, as when he offends Barbara, the great love of his life, and then goes off to renew his affair with Marie. His reaction to the shocking death of Bush, who was his good right arm through so many other volumes, is instructive. Where once he might have despised himself for being so human as to feel grief, now he at least questions the need for such extreme stoicism and - to some extent, at least - permits himself to mourn. His actions in winning a pardon for the mutinous crew are another case. A younger Hornblower would have swallowed back his nausea and hanged them all for the good of the service, believing his convictions to the contrary to be personal weakness. But now he takes drastic steps to win their freedom as the right thing to do, even if it throws the alliance into doubt. For a person just discovering the Hornblower books, Lord Hornblower is not the place to start. A much better starting point would be Beat to Quarters, the first book in the "Captain Hornblower" trilogy. This was the point at which Forester began writing about Hornblower, and it contains a certain amount of backstory which helps the reader understand what makes this complex and sometimes difficult character tick. A completist might really begin at the beginning with Midshipman Hornblower. But if you haven't read this series, you should. Though in many ways I find the Aubrey/Maturin stories superior, I can say with conviction that you really can't consider yourself a complete human being unless you can quote large passages of the Hornblower saga from memory.
Rating:
Summary: Another great installment in a great series...
Review: This was another fine story. This book occurs late in the war, right before Napolean abdicates the throne the first time. Hornblower has been a lord for several months, however has been recuperating from an illness. He is sent on a mission to capture a brig that has mutinied and is threatening to surrender to the French. Hornblower is successful in the mission and at the same time lands himself right in the middle of political intrigue in a major seaport on the French coast. He is able, with the help of several leading citizens, to capture the town and have it reaffirm the old French King as the successor to Napoloean when he is defeated. Of course, Napolean is not to happy about this situation and he send an expedition to fight the rebelling city and throw the English back into the sea. Hornblower expects this and send to England for help. Who should arrive? None other than Captain Bush, Hornblower's close friend. Bush sets off inland via a river to intercept the oncoming seige train and wreck it while it is still in transport mode. He is successful, but at a terrible price. Around that time, Bonaparte abdicates and is exiled. France is returned to the Bourbons. Hornblower sets off the visit the Compte de Gracae that helped him escape when he was captured two years before. During his visit, Bonaparte escapes and reclaims the thrown. Hornblower is deep inland at this time. He helps a local partisan movement. However, his small group of 30 guerillas is hunted down by several thousand French soldiers. He is eventually captured and sentence to be executed. On the day befor the execution, word comes from Paris that Bonaparte has been defeated at Waterloo and has again abdicated. Hornblower is released. Not a lot of sea fighting going on this book. Most of the action takes place ashore in France. A lot of political intrigue. C.S. did a fine job of depicting the political situation in France at the end of the war.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as others ...
Review: This wasn't one of my favorite Hornblower books. He's stuck as an administrator for much of the book and I had trouble seeing him lead a bunch of partisans on land. I'd recommend this book only to people who have already read the other novels in the series.
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