Category Archives: Horatio Hornblower Novels
Adventures in the Fog
Periodically, we’ve noted instances where actual events enter naval fiction set during the Age of Sail will little more than the names of people and ships changed. Sometimes the actual events are toned down for the novel because of the … Continue reading
A Great Hornblower Fansite
If you are interested in all things Hornblower, ScaryFangirl.com is the place for you. Plot lines of movies and television shows, genealogy, synopsis of novels, and discussion boards are all there, albeit with a heavy dose of estrogen (not that … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Horatio Hornblower Novels, Naval Fiction
HMS Glatton Takes On All Comers
We’ve observed on several occasions that many of the incidents in novels set during the Age of Sail are heavily influenced by actual events. In most cases, the novel’s protagonist expands on the accomplishments of the actual character. In Ramages’s … Continue reading
Cap de Creus, Spain
Cap de Creus, Spain. Easternmost point of Catalonia. Fans of C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower will instantly recognize this a dominant feature in Hornblower’s patrol area off Catalonia in HMS Sutherland (see Ship of the Line). It is off this … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Geography, Horatio Hornblower Novels
Ferrol
Ferrol, Galicia, has been linked to the sea for its entire history. The remnants of the Spanish Armada took shelter here and it remains the major Spanish naval base on the Atlantic coast. Ferrol, of course, is also well known … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Geography, Horatio Hornblower Novels, Naval Fiction, Uncategorized
Vado Bay
Most readers of naval fiction of the Age of Sail are fairly familiar with the broad outlines of the Napoleonic Wars. In reality, Britain had been at war with Revolutionary France for nearly seven years when the 18 Brumaire Coup … Continue reading
“…seasick at Spithead”
Spithead was the great anchorage of the Royal Navy located adjacent to the port city of Portsmouth. Spithead continues to be the scene of naval reviews such as Trafalgar 200 International Fleet Review. This image provides a view of Spithead … Continue reading
Filed under Age of Sail, Geography, Horatio Hornblower Novels
