🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About C.S. Forester
The assumed pseudonym of one Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, C.S. Forester, or ‘Cecil Scott’ Forester, was a British novelist of much acclaim during his time. Chiefly known for his ‘Hornblower’ series of novels, he was a well-regarded novelist mounting up around thirty-five novels during his sixty-six years. Early and Personal Life Born on the 27th of August 1899, Cecil Scott Forester originally came from Cairo before moving to Britain at an early age due to a break-up of his family. Growing up in London with his mother, he was taught at Alleyn’s School then Dulwich College followed by Guy’s Hospital.
All Book Series by C.S. Forester
The Happy Return / Beat To Quarters
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1937
Admiral Hornblower In The West Indies / Hornblower In The West Indies
Book 9 of 11 · published 1957
Hornblower During The Crisis / Hornblower And The Crisis
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 1967
The Hornblower Companion
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1964 Co-authored · Samuel Bryant
Hunting the Bismarck / Sink the Bismarck / The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck
Book 9 of 12 · published 1958
Fatal Fascination: A Choice of Crime
Book 11 of 12 · published 1968 Co-authored · Christopher Sykes,Eric Linklater,Nigel Balchin
The Naval War of 1812 / The Age of Fighting Sail
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 1957
High Seas: Stories of Battle and Adventure from the Age of Sail
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2002
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is C.S. Forester?
The assumed pseudonym of one Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, C.S. Forester, or 'Cecil Scott' Forester, was a British novelist of much acclaim during his time. Chiefly known for his 'Hornblower' series of novels, he was a well-regarded novelist mounting up around thirty-five novels during his sixty-six years.
Which C.S. Forester series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Horatio Hornblower series, the earliest of C.S. Forester's multi-book series: it opens with The Happy Return / Beat To Quarters (1937) and runs to 11 books across 1937–1967, ending with Hornblower During The Crisis / Hornblower And The Crisis (1967).
How many books has C.S. Forester written?
C.S. Forester has 60 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1924 and 2020. 13 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Horatio Hornblower series with 11 books — and 47 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should C.S. Forester's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. C.S. Forester's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Horatio Hornblower (1937–1967, 11 books) and Horatio Hornblower Collections (1964–1965, 2 books).
How are C.S. Forester's books organised into series?
This guide splits C.S. Forester's 60 books into 2 named series and 47 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Horatio Hornblower (11 books, 1937–1967); Horatio Hornblower Collections (2 books, 1964–1965).