Rating: 
Summary: The last book in the series...
Review: Or is it? The incomplete story, 'Hornblower During The Crisis' seems to be set just after 'Hornblower And The Hotspur'. The story was never finished and the ONE page of notes at the end DO tell you how the story turns out but doesn't have much in the way of details. It would of been nice to see a dozen pages or so of the author's notes.
The next two stories, 'Hornblower's Temptation'(which seems to be set after 'Lieutenant Hornblower') and 'The Last Encounter', which is the very last tale about him, are both short but complete. They show us a very interesting view of Hornblower's inner thought process when he was young and when he gets old.
So in a way it does end the series, but also shows him during earlier periods of his life.
Rating: 
Summary: Frustratingly incomplete
Review: Sometimes, I almost wish people wouldn't dig up unfinished pieces. Not because they may be bad, but because they may be so good that it's frustrating and disappointing to have reached the end and realize there's no way it will ever be finished. This is the case with Forester's "Hornblower and the Crisis", unfinished at the time of his death. Forester had deliberately shied away from writing about Hornblower's role in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar because he didn't want to deal with such a famous battle nor take away from the real heroes of the day - as such, Hornblower's exploits jump from Commander to him being given the command of Nelson's funeral boat after the battle. However, Forester finally decided to reveal the crucial part our hero played in the months leading up to the climatic sea battle of the Napoleonic Wars. From the first chapter it's obvious Forester had not lost his touch. The prose flows cleanly and elegantly, and I was soon lost in a tale of Hornblower in his prime. A secret mission is handed him, to misdirect the French, so Hornblower prepares to play spy - but then the book ends, with only a few brief notes to say how the story ends. Somehow, this isn't enough - we know Hornblower will emerge victorious and history told us Trafalgar would be a triumph, but I still wish we could have had Forester tell us these things in his own inimitable style. Two more short tales are packaged with the unifinished novel, as a consolation prize of sorts. These are also top notch, but don't quite take away from the disappointment of what might have been.
Rating:
Summary: Essential to the Hornblower afficianado and everyone!
Review: The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester is simply the best naval adventure writing in all of literature. The Hornblower series deals with the career of a fictional British naval officer, Horatio Hornblower, during the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain is engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Bonaparte. The various novels and short stories which comprise the series essentially trace Hornblower's rise from humble midshipman to Admiral of the Fleet. "Hornblower During the Crisis" is a group of short stories that Forester apparently wrote to fill gaps in Hornblower's life in between the major novels which make up the series. While the novels are in chronological order, there are gaps between several of them. This book completes the most important of these, and also has some interesting little snippets about Hornblower in his old age. The most important story in "Crisis" deals with the period of time immediately after Hornblower is promoted from Commander to Captain (although not confirmed yet by the Admiralty) and he leaves the HMS Hotspur, which is too small of a command for a Captain. I found this story to be a penetrating and interesting one, which highlights the importance of good luck, and the willingness to take advantage of it by taking risks. As the story states, Hornblower realized, in dealing with high British political and military figures upon returning to England, that his whole life and career perhaps turned on a few remarks he made over the space of a few minutes. Who among us has not had at least one such pivotal moment? ... The other stories in the book are all interesting and worth reading. The Hornblower afficianado should not pass this book up. Newcomers to Hornblower will probably not want to "break in" with Crisis, although I think any reader will appreciate these well-written stories.
Rating:
Summary: Essential to the Hornblower afficianado and everyone!
Review: The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester is simply the best naval adventure writing in all of literature. The Hornblower series deals with the career of a fictional British naval officer, Horatio Hornblower, during the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain is engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Bonaparte. The various novels and short stories which comprise the series essentially trace Hornblower's rise from humble midshipman to Admiral of the Fleet. "Hornblower During the Crisis" is a group of short stories that Forester apparently wrote to fill gaps in Hornblower's life in between the major novels which make up the series. While the novels are in chronological order, there are gaps between several of them. This book completes the most important of these, and also has some interesting little snippets about Hornblower in his old age. The most important story in "Crisis" deals with the period of time immediately after Hornblower is promoted from Commander to Captain (although not confirmed yet by the Admiralty) and he leaves the HMS Hotspur, which is too small of a command for a Captain. I found this story to be a penetrating and interesting one, which highlights the importance of good luck, and the willingness to take advantage of it by taking risks. As the story states, Hornblower realized, in dealing with high British political and military figures upon returning to England, that his whole life and career perhaps turned on a few remarks he made over the space of a few minutes. Who among us has not had at least one such pivotal moment? ... The other stories in the book are all interesting and worth reading. The Hornblower afficianado should not pass this book up. Newcomers to Hornblower will probably not want to "break in" with Crisis, although I think any reader will appreciate these well-written stories.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower & the Crisis (1967)
Review: There is not one false note anywhere. We encounters some of the finest characters: Commander Meadows who replaces Hornblower as captain of the Hotspur; Captain Baddlestone of the water hoy; Mr. Marsden, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; Mr. Barrow, the Second Secretary, 'his name nearly as well known as Marsden's'; and last but not least, the Rev. Claudius, Doctor of Divinity, my favourite. The scene that takes place in the elegant room in the Admiralty overlooking the Horse Guards parade grounds is scripted like a play. The dialogue is superb and Forester even provided stage instructions in the form of thunderclaps from a summer afternoon's downpour. Hornblower, under scrutiny from the two cynical secretaries, learns to keep his mouth shut at the critical moment and finally gains entry to post rank.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfinished Work is a dissapointment
Review: This book is unfinished by the author. The basis of the story is quite compelling. If it was finished, it would be a great link in the Hornblower chain of books. However, it was a dissapointment to have to guess on how the story would twist and turn leading to the battle of Trafalgar. At the least, I believe that the publisher should discount the price on this volume. However, avid followers of Hornblower must read this to follow along Hornblower's life.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Forester Flotsam
Review: This is genuine Forester and Hornblower, lovely what there is, but a bit out of sorts. First, one of the two short stories appended to this volume, Hornblower's Temptation, should be read immediately following the Mr. Midshipman book (#1). In it we see Hornblower in his first Lieutenancy, solving a mystery. Second, the main novel here (#4 biographically) is the "final" one left incomplete by Forester's death. Hornblower has left Hotspur on the Brest blockade, but not finally, due to his incompetent successor. After that flurry of action, Hornblower waves to his wife and is off to London to become a Post Captain, but is promised a ship only if his rash espionage plan successfully penetrates Bonaparte's Empire. In the succeeding book 5 (Atropos) there is no allusion to Hornblower's incredible deception of the French set up here (but unwritten). Third, the other short story in this volume, The Last Encounter, as its title implies, might be reserved for reading after the last novel in the Hornblower saga. The Author's Note published here to forward the unfinished novel--setting Hornblower ashore to deceive the French Navy into its most colossal blunder--is disappointing in its brevity. On the other hand, one infers that Forester must have been in the habit of writing only the sketchiest of outlines and usually wrote from page 1 right through to the end in order. The 9 chapters that were completed are fully formed and polished. Perhaps Forester enjoyed writing his stories the same way we enjoy reading them: inspired from the beginning and no skipping!
Rating:
Summary: Would've been a good novel but the best part wasn't written.
Review: This novel picks up with Hornblower relinquishing command of the Hotspur and returning to London for a new command. As typical in a Forester novel, nothing ever goes as planned and action follows Hornblower on his way home from a supply ship. There are only about 150 pages of text in this story and what was missing in the story were what Hornblower did that lead to the eventual decisive Battle of Trafalgar. It was nice to see what Forester wrote anyway only because I like the genre and I like Forester's details and descriptions of being in the Service and living during that time. But this book wouldn't be good on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Would've been a good novel but the best part wasn't written.
Review: This novel picks up with Hornblower relinquishing command of the Hotspur and returning to London for a new command. As typical in a Forester novel, nothing ever goes as planned and action follows Hornblower on his way home from a supply ship. There are only about 150 pages of text in this story and what was missing in the story were what Hornblower did that lead to the eventual decisive Battle of Trafalgar. It was nice to see what Forester wrote anyway only because I like the genre and I like Forester's details and descriptions of being in the Service and living during that time. But this book wouldn't be good on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower revistited
Review: What one has to keep in mind while reading Hornblower novels is that they were not written in order. I think the first one was lt. Hornblower. If you keep this in mind and overlook certain inconsitencies in the plot, all of his novels gives you a very good read. He also wrote an account of his travels in South America , that unfortunatly i only read once ( in the public library i Southampton, UK in the late sixties) I wish sombody would republish it as it gives a very good insight in the time and frame of mind of C.S Forrester when he wrote these books. One can certenly see connection to Webers Honor Harrington series. (HH+HH = true). If you like one you will certainly like the other... Fred
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