A review by fivetilnoon
Beat to Quarters by C.S. Forester

4.0

This book is a great airplane read. Short chapters, lots of action, and quick paced. Most lists of books in the series put them in chronological order but I'm reading them in publication order. In the publication order, this is the first book. The character of Horatio Hornblower is not what I expected for an English naval captain. He's insecure in himself despite his obvious talents. The book offers detailed descriptions of life on a navy ship in the Napoleonic era as well as the lifestyle and expectations for navy men. Great book.