| Title | : | Flying Colours |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0316289396 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780316289399 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1938 |
| Awards | : | James Tait Black Memorial Prize Fiction (1938) |
Flying Colours Reviews
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After a daring raid on a Mediterranean naval port flying the tricolor as a ruse of war, the out gunned and mauled Sutherland is forced to strike her colors. The captured Hornblower languishes in a French prison awaiting a trip to Paris to face charges of piracy. With the war against England going poorly and the blockade faltering, Napoleon is desperate to portray the English as treacherous and evil. The trial and speedy execution of a British sea captain seems just the right way to do that. Fortunately, Hornblower manages to escape.
This book was not at all what I had expected. Based upon the previous books I had assumed at some point that I'd be reading about Hornblower trading broadsides with the French or some other foe. Instead the entire story unfolds in the interior of France. Hounded by France's internal police forces, Hornblower and his companions lead a desperate and daring chase.
None-the-less, it is a Hornblower story. The plucky British sea captain survives by using his ingenuity and daring rather than brute force. His final escape from France is classic Hornblower insane daring and cool brinkmanship. In fact, thinking back on the story, I'm not sure a single person dies in the entire book! A story jam packed with adventure and no one gets killed? How awesome is that?
A solid four broadsides out of five. These Hornblower books are well worth the read if you enjoy your historical fiction set in the period of Revolutionary France. Highly recommend. -
This book is a continuation of the story that began in Ship of the Line which I read a few months ago. When I finished that book I didn't get the impression that the book ended in a cliffhanger so I was rather surprised when I started reading this book only to discover the story continued. In this entry in the series Hornblower and what remains of his crew are French prisoners of war. Hornblower and his first lieutenant are to be transported to Paris to be tried as criminals for violating the rules of warfare as interpreted by Napoleon. Conviction and a death penalty are assumed to be certainties so an escape is successfully attempted. Most of the book is taken up with the ordeal of escape and survival in France and attempting to return to England. Unlike virtually all the previous Hornblower books this one is pretty much devoid of seagoing exploits and warfare but not entirely. The author seems to concentrate on Hornblower the man and his doubts, insecurities, conflicts of conscience, his faults, and concerns for his future. As a result of this focus I found this book to be one of the best Hornblower books I have read if not the best. When I finished this book I also did not get the impression that it ended with a cliffhanger but it is obvious there is a story that will need to be continued in a later book or books. Enjoy.
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Should I say again how much I am loving these Horatio Hornblower books? Of course I will... they're grrrrrreat!
He has surrendered the HMS Sutherland and is being held prisoner in the Spanish outpost of Rossas by his French captors. A dastardly colonel of Napoleon's arrives to take him to Paris for trial and execution. HH, Bush (who now has a shot off and amputated foot) and his coxswain Brown are carted off. A freak snowstorm causes their carriage to slide off the road, near a river... with a boat moored nearby and they escape down the river. Arriving at a chateau in a small town, their boat capsizes and they are taken in by the only non-Bonaparte loving Frenchmen around. They help him build a boat and when Spring comes they (HH, Brown and stumpy Bush) sail down the river to the ocean, boldly re-capture a British ship, free a dozen French galley slaves to crew the ship, fight off three French patrol boats, and sail home to Jolly Old England.
HH is facing courts- martial for the striking of his flag and surrender of the Sutherland. He could be put to death.
But lo and behold, he is honorably acquitted, given his prize money for the ships he seized in the Mediterranean and the re-captured Witch of Endor and is knighted by the king. He is now Sir Horatio Hornblower and given a Colonel of the Marines stipend for 1200 pounds a year. All of a sudden, HH is a rich man and seems to have everything his heart desires.
But all is not rosy. While away his wife Maria died during childbirth. HH is crushed, he never really loved Maria, but he cared about her. Since HH was assumed dead, his child- a son- is adopted by Lady Barbara. She herself recently widowed by the death of her husband Admiral Leighton.
The book ends with Sir Horatio arriving at the residence of Lady Barbara and meeting his son Richard for the first time. The look in Lady Barbara's eyes says "I want you Horatio baby!" Stay tuned for more adventure of HH on the high seas. -
Hornblower is a contrary man, never satisfied with his achievements & self-condemning to a ridiculous degree. I got a little tired of the long descriptions of self-doubt, but the overall story was excellent. I was glad to see him unbend a little, too.
This book gives us a better look at France & its people as well as some of the politics of the time. Hornblower's focus & pessimism was a perfect vehicle this. It allowed Forester to show both sides of public opinion, the newspapers, & the legal system under which Hornblower labors.
It's time to read the short story "Hornblower and His Majesty" which takes place in 1812. That will be followed by the 9th in the chronology,
The Commodore. C.S. Forester. -
This review is for the complete 11-book series of THE HORNBLOWER SAGA by C.S. Forester, which I just finished reading last night.
[Note: Individual books have individual star ratings (mostly 5-star, a few 4-star), but the descriptive review will be the same for each, and encompass the entire series, as follows.]
Actually, I just finished reading the complete series for the second time, the first being as a teenager some 30 years ago.
It's remarkable to me that I have only just this moment realized that my own timeline regarding the two readings corresponds almost exactly to the age progression experienced by the main character in the course of these 11 novels.
It's a 30-year journey unlike any other I have ever taken in books - full and deep and satisfying.
This is the epic saga of fictional British naval hero HORATIO HORNBLOWER, who goes from a 17-year-old midshipman to a 46-year-old admiral during the "golden age of sail" which encompasses the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century.
I'll list the 11 books in chronological order (not the order they were written), which is the best way, I believe, to read them:
- MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER
- LIEUTENANT HORNBLOWER
- HORNBLOWER AND THE HOTSPUR
- HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS
- HORNBLOWER AND THE ATROPOS
- BEAT TO QUARTERS
- SHIP OF THE LINE
- FLYING COLOURS
- COMMODORE HOWNBLOWER
- LORD HORNBLOWER
- ADMIRAL HORNBLOWER IN THE WEST INDIES
I've read other sea-faring novels, but to me, Forester earns the crown.
Why?
Many reasons, but I'll list just three:
1. All the rousing action you could ask for in a well-paced adventure series...
2. ...coupled with a complex main character. This is the true secret of the Hornblower books - that Hornblower himself is not some one-dimensional, infallible, faultless hero. On the contrary, he is filled with self-doubt and doesn't always choose the best course, especially in personal matters. But by building the main character this way, Forester allows you to recognize, empathize, and eventually care deeply about him - rooting for his success rather than merely expecting it. It's this complex characterization that complements and actually allows for the heroics of the plot - because it all comes at a price.
[One price is so high that, as a teenager, I couldn't believe that Forester had actually done it. I can't go into detail because this is a spoiler-free review, but something happens that is so devastating that literally for entire books afterwards, I kept expecting Forester to make amends. But it doesn't happen. And finally, as an older adult - knowing it will happen, knowing there will be no reprieve - I realize Forester was saying, "This is the price of war."]
3. The Language of Sailing Ships: I'm not nautically-minded, and there is much use of nautical language in these books. But rather than being annoyed, I had a very different reaction. First, I learned a few things. But much more importantly, I also grew to appreciate the language itself, whether I understood its technical details or not. To me, it became like poetry. Or even music.
And I loved it.
All 11 books.
It's an investment, to be sure.
But, for those "able-bodied", a wonderfully entertaining journey awaits.
Should you set sail?
Aye-aye! -
I would say this is a different type of Hornblower novel (and it is...but) except it's not the first time HH has been captured. We do get a (forgive me for the use of this phrase) stirring story of daring do.
HH, Lt. Bush and Brown (cockswain) are separated from the rest of the prisoners taken after the battle (we saw at the end of our last big adventure) and sent to Paris. There HH and Bush are to have a "fair trial" and then be shot...
HH isn't keen on this so, off we go.
Another good read but one where HH's foibles are on full display (the man seems to have little self control around certain women, of course the women seem to have the same problem with HH so maybe it's hormones or pheromones or something). Anyway plenty of adventure, action and daring do.
Enjoy. -
3 – 3.5 stars
Once again starting off immediately where the last volume ended, we find Hornblower and the remaining crew of the Sutherland imprisoned by the French. Hornblower and his first lieutenant Bush are scheduled to be sent to Paris to be tried in a kangaroo court for “war crimes” for having flown the French tri-colour flag in order to attack an enemy fortress (a standard ruse de guerre of the time). Hornblower and his coxswain Brown (drafted as the captain’s servant) are bundled off under guard to Paris, trying to nurse their comrade Bush who is suffering from the loss of a foot as a result of the previous battle. What ensues is a series of adventures as Hornblower and his men try to escape from their bondage and make their way across France in the hopes of getting back home.
We have a chance in this volume to see how Hornblower manages on land divorced from both the command of his ship (though he does still have a crew of two) and the element on which he thrives. Luckily for him, however, Hornblower appears to work best under adversity (when he doesn’t have the time to worry about his common doubts and misgivings)…and there’s plenty of that to go around. The strangeness of his situation does, however, have its impact: being thrown into such close proximity with his crewmates, and their need to so closely depend on each other, forces Hornblower to open a chink in the facade with which he conventionally keeps others at arm’s length and this, in some ways, allows him to become more human. That’s not to say he loses his prickly armour completely, or let’s go of either his constant self-doubt or his rather cynical outlook on the world and the events that overtake him, but he certainly becomes a much more approachable hero by the time the story closes. Don’t worry though, he’s still the grumpy captain we have come to expect as proven by the fact that it is when Hornblower is seemingly at the apex of success that he is apparently even more downcast than he was when the story opened in a French prison. While he may have changed in the way he relates to a few of his subordinates, Hornblower is still very much the brooding self-doubter he has always been…one can only hope that he will perhaps come to rely more on those around him for support as a result of his experiences. -
This is probably the most unique book within the Hornblower series up to this point, since maybe only a quarter of the book takes place at sea. Most of it chronicles Hornblower's imprisonment by the French and his lengthy attempt to escape. As such, it becomes one of the more character-driven books in the series, which is both its strength and its weakness, since Hornblower is both a strong and a weak character. As a whole, I find Hornblower a delightfully complex character, one who's easy to relate to in his vast imperfection. But, at the same time, I (unlike all the women in the book, apparently) have a hard time feeling any affection for him. He was much more likable in his younger incarnation in earlier books. Here, his constant fussing about his image, his pride, and his often selfish disregard for others (particularly women) ultimately works to his disadvantage. It's hardly fair to compare him to Patrick O'Brian's wholly different but equally flawed Captain Jack Aubrey, but I admit I can't help it - and Jack's comparative lack of preoccupation with self makes him infinitely preferable in my view.
Still, all these musings on Hornblower's character shouldn't be taken against the book as a whole, which is yet another rousing and beautifully detailed historical war story. -
A slightly different entry into the series, shorter than previous novels, one continuous story rather than a sequence of short stories joined together, and the vast majority of it spent on land rather than at sea. The final escape seems a touch unrealistic, but it's still excellent.
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Flying Colours is another beautifully written and constructed Hornblower book, and is a cracking read.
It is impossible to give any summary without significant spoilers for both this book and for the end of A Ship Of The Line which precedes it. I will just say that, yet again, Forester manages to involve us closely in the lives and characters of Hornblower, Bush and others and to strike a great balance between character, background, tension and action – although this time it’s not quite the action we are accustomed to.
In short, it’s yet another cracker from Forester which remains as involving and thrilling on what must be my fifth or sixth read. Warmly recommended. -
- 1 star cuz he was a poopy husband.
Big question...after all that has happened...will he ever know what happiness is? And that it lasts longer than 30 seconds...
What a life. -
This is a much more intimate tale than the other entrees in the series as it follows the adventures of Captain Hornblower, Lieutenant Bush, and the Captain's coxswain Brown, following their capture after the Battle of Rosas Bay at the end of "Ship of the Line". First Hornblower witnessed the final destruction of the French squadron by a well-orchestrated British night assault, which also encompassed the destruction of the shattered hulk of his own ship the Sutherland, to deny the French even the pitiful prize, and then one of Bonaparte's personal aides, Colonel Caillard, arrives at Rosas with orders to collect Hornblower and Bush and deliver them to Paris to stand trial for 'piracy' involving violations of the Laws of War. Despite their armed escort and Bush's loss of a foot, they somehow manage to escape before their scheduled trial, conviction, and subsequent execution.
During the journey and escape, Hornblower enjoys the pleasures of comradeship and shared adversity for perhaps the first time in his career during the trip to freedom with his two companions. He also tastes the bittersweet joys of being celebrated by the British "mob" after his dramatic return by way of a British cutter, recaptured from the French with the aid of Bush, Brown, and a crew composed of a released chain gang. His successful return with "Flying Colours" included the title suggested by the author's young son when Forester tried to explain the story of Hornblower's latest adventure to him.
I recorded all of C.S. Forester's Hornblower books in 50-55 minute episodes for Golden Hours, my local radio service for blind and reading-impaired listeners. Too bad I didn't make CD copies for myself, since the radio station broadcast the tape versions and then erased them too reuse.
I guess I'll have to re-record them for Golden Hours.
I have read and re-read the entire Hornblower series over a dozens times each, three times aloud: once from the upper bunk to my brother in the lower bunk, once to my wife while
on the road, and once for "Golden Hours." Looks like I'll have to do it again someday and this time keep a copy. Meanwhile I'm reading them to my 8-year-old grandson at bedtime, at the rate of a chapter a night. -
I am sufficiently disappointed with my return to Flying Colours after many years to bring at least a temporary halt to my re-reading go the entire Hornblower saga. It really only deserves 2.5 stars, but the extra is for old times' sake. The story is really Part Two of A Ship of the Line, and tells of Hornblower's escape, overland, from the French. There is minimal sea action, and the escape is only possible thanks to a ludicrous chain of coincidences. So ludicrous that it would have been more plausible if Napoleon, out of the goodness of his heart, had set Hornblower free and put him on a ship to England. The other key factor in the escape is Hornblower's coxswain, Brown, who does all the heavy work, including knocking a French officer on the head. But as soon as our "hero" reaches a British ship, Brown is abandoned, presumably to be absorbed in the crew of that ship. As this example shows, Hornblower comes across as selfish, self-obsessed, and downright unlikeable, in stark contrast to the young Hornblower of, say, Hotspur vintage, that we encounter in books written later but about an earlier stage in his career. Maybe this reflects Forester mellowing as he got older, but it is certainly confusing.
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i was not expecting this to slap so hard
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One of my favorite of the Horatio Hornblower books, Flying Colours is in many ways the opposite of the previous book Ship of the Line. Where "Ship" is a plot-driven adventure filled with action and sea battles, "Colours" is a character-driven land-based drama that centers on Hornblower's capture and journey to Paris, to be dubiously tried by Napoleon for war crimes. The circumstances drive us deeper into Horatio's psyche than we've been before, reminding us that Forester was not just a great storyteller, but a writer of depth and insight into human nature.
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I bought this book hoping that by giving it a read I would learn how I knew about Horatio Hornblower. Alas, I still have no idea how I knew his name before picking this up. Someone must have spoken about him on Booktube. Clearly the review left an impression.
So, this is my first Hornblower novel. Horatio, in this book, is a captain of a ship that previously had been taken out by Bonaparte's forces. He and his Lieutenant are to be taken to France for a trial where they are clearly going to be declared guilty and then executed. Drum roll. Let the suspense begin.
As I said, I came into this book not knowing anything, and I must admit that that did not take away from my reading experience. I still enjoyed the thrill of the chase and Hornblower's outrageous audacity. I don't know if I lost anything as far as character goes, but it doesn't feel like it from this side. Maybe I will change my mind should I fill in the all the gaps in the future.
While this is not high literature, it is definitely an enjoyable read. It is dated though, so I did find myself unappreciative of some of Hornblower's and Forester's sexist ideas. I don't think I am quite going to forgive either of them for the convenient death of his wife to free Hornblower up for the woman he actually loves. (Although a huge part of me really acknowledges that women of old should be commended for their bravery in childbirth.) Also, it is interesting that while Hornblower could sympathise with slaves, he and his men were more than happy to resort to the whip when they needed to. While understandable for the time, it is unacceptable in modern times - at least to those with a conscience.
This was a fun read though even if elements are dated and frowned upon today. But for a story about a daring escape, it definitely is noteworthy. -
I loved this book. I drank it down like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot suumer day. Almost all of the book takes place on land, and the change of pace was refreshing.
The book starts with Hornblower imprisoned in Rosas where he watches the Pluto and Caligula set fire to and sink the four French ships he disabled at the end of the previous book. He is then whisked off to Paris to stand trial for war crimes, along with his Firtst Lieutenant Bush and Coxswain Brown. Along the way they escape and have the good fortune of finding harbor with a sympathtic French nobleman and his daughter-in-law. After staying with them for several months they make their way to the French coast and brazingly steal a captured British scooner and sail it to freedom. Bad news awaits him on his return to the blockading fleet as he finds out his wife Maria died during childbirth. Hornblower finds he is famous once he returns to England and in typical Hornblower fashion he has coming to grips with it.
I really enjoyed the fact that Hornblower received some overdue credit on his return to England with the Knighthood and the promotion to Colonel of the Marines. As always I look forward to the next book in the series. -
3.5 stars. This is the one where the French think they’re going to hang Hornblower for his ruse de guerre, with which he wreaked so much havoc (at the expense of most of his crew) at the end of the last book. Hornblower begs to differ, and he flees across France with the wounded Lt. Bush and his faithful coxswain Brown. He worries about what kind of reception he’ll receive when he reaches England, as a captain who surrendered his ship to the enemy.
Here Hornblower redeems himself somewhat, in my eyes, by his kindness to the injured Bush and reasonable treatment of Brown during their ordeal in France.
The ending is awfully tidy, although it doesn't seem to bring Hornblower much joy. -
I really enjoyed this book. The last Horatio Hornblower book stops at a cliff hanger, and this picks right up. I think this one is unique because most of the action takes place on land, or tiny rivers in the dead of winter, NOT on big ships at sea. I think I was able to relate to it more because of that. I loved seeing our hero try to escape, fight back depression and hopelessness and sacrifice himself for his men. I also thought it was interesting how the author covers the beauty of longing, of having plans to plan and how striving is as important as achieving. There is a bit of hollywood wisdom in this and we get to watch Horatio struggle through some of that. I don't want to say more so i don't spoil it. But all that to say, I really liked this book and think it adds a lot to the series.
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Hornblower and Bush are being taken to Paris to stand trial and be executed. Even if they escape, though, Hornblower will have to face court-martial for surrendering his ship. It has been several months, and he has been declared dead. He worries about his pregnant wife, whether or not his lover Barbara will forget him, and whether or not he will have any career left if he survives. He has a lot of work ahead of him! But he is our hero, and you can be sure he'll find a way!
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Another strong novel in this series and yet again im impressed by how he writes supporting characters that isnt as great as Hornblower. The men of his ship and the poor, dangerous life of navy sailors. This eras barbaric warfare in the sea with broadsides, horrible deaths is not written to a honorable or an adventure.
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I finished this in three days when I should’ve been doing other things. 😳 But seriously, this is how books are supposed to be! They’re supposed to make you feel a thousand different things and take you on an adventure. This might be my favorite of the series so far.
It starts off with the capture of Brown, Bush and Hornblower. Of course Bush is seriously wounded and in need of constant attention which makes their escape all the more difficult. We finally get to see Horatio take comfort and companionship in Bush and Brown (but then Forester makes that comment about Will being like a dog which I absolutely hated!! He did not have to do that) and begins to treat Bush as an equal. And by god if anyone deserves that it’s William!! But then he also battled with his conscience dealing with war tactics, and especially love. Love is an underlying theme in this novel, and I can’t quite know what to think of Horatio’s take on love. He seems incapable of love at times.
Also, what was Paul McGann talking about when he said Bush got married and lost a foot in the same book? Sir, he does not get married, what are you on about -
Good fun, if a little convenient at times. This is a different Hornblower novel than any of the others I've read previously. There's little to no naval action, in fact, it spends little time at sea at all.
The largest part of the book is taken up by Hornblower's captivity and escape from said captivity. As I said before, several of the conflicts he runs into on his escape are too conveniently resolved. The Hornblower character does develop somewhat, but there's a couple of remissions that irked me.
At one point he worries himself half to death about being put to the firing squad for not defending his ship admirably enough in the previous novel. Which, if you've read "Ship of the Line", you'd know is damn silly, since the battle in which he lost his ship is the naval equivalent to Thermopylae(An exaggeration but not as big of one as you'd imagine).
I understand that Forester wants him to seem human, but I have a hard time believing someone as hyper intelligent as Hornblower would seriously consider that for more than a moment, especially at this later point in his career. -
This one is definitely close to my favorite. I’d need to read the others again to confirm. It has such a great mixture of battles, adventures, and almost heist intrigue and planning with that wonderful beautiful depression of Horatio’s. It makes me want to read the next ones more just to see if he’ll ever let himself be happy, but in my experience, the older authors get, the more jaded they become, so if it does all end in tragedy, I’m sure it will be beautiful. And if it ends with a twinge more joy than Horatio has been afforded so far, then I’m happy for Forester’s own sake. I legitimately found Flying Colours to be refreshing as I read these in chronological order. And I recommend to anyone who wants to read a good adventure even if you’ve never read any of the other books.
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This installment wasn’t quite as strong as the others. Forester revels a bit too much inside Hornblower’s head. That introspection is usually a strength but it gets tiresome when juxtaposed to a distinctive lack of action for much of the book. A strong climax, followed by the tying of some loose ends, still makes for a satisfying read.
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I love this book. Even though the story is about Hornblower attempting to escape from imprisonment and execution in France and he doesn’t even set foot in a ship until the book’s last hundred pages, this is a very satisfying end to the core trilogy of the Hornblower series.
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Flying Colours is my second least favorite of all the Hornblower books. For one, it’s substantially different in content compared to the rest of the books in the series in that Hornblower spends more time on land than sea. But more than that, it is the story that I’m not a big fan of, rather than the alternate setting.
The story begins right where Ship of the Line left off, with Hornblower becoming a prisoner of war to the French. Most of the story revolves around his escapades in the interior of France in an attempt to regain his freedom. I found that there were a few too many convenient circumstances for Hornblower in this novel. In other words, the story stretched my credulity just a bit too far and my immersion in the story suffered as a result. Fortunately for the reader, he is accompanied by his loyal friend Lieutenant Bush and his coxswain Brown. I am glad that Forester chose to elevate Brown to a more substantial role in the series, as Brown is a likable character whose affability is a delightful contrast to Hornblower’s melancholy temperament (which is especially present in this novel).
Warning, there are spoilers in the spoiler tab.
On a bright note, the quality of Forester’s writing is just as good as anything else he’s written, but in this case the story just didn’t do it for me. -
50% in. Funny that so far in this novel, Hornblower has only watched a sea battle, not participated. And he has only "captained" an overgrown rowboat. Not what I was expecting.
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Beside reading Horatio Hornblower books, I have enjoyed watching movies about Horatio Hornblower in film. The Horatio Hornblower film with Gregory Peck covers material written in three books: Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line and Flying Colors! Although the movie was good, it doesn't begin to cover the stories and drama you find in these three books. A film will take license in what it wants to portray in its script and changes things around. So I found much more depth in reading the three books and the story of Horatio Hornblower. What I enjoyed in Flying Colours was the depth you got
in viewing Horatio Hornblower as a captain, a man and father and husband. Captain Hornblower was trained to be a sailor and to serve his country. Even when he knew he was going to Paris to be executed he did his duty. As a man, he found himself in situations of doubt, despair and love. Finally, he has to deal with the situation of being a father again and think about the type of husband he had been. The book has lots of action and brings us back to England was again. However will he face his court-marital as a captain who loses his ship or will there be another outcome. When you read the book, you will see!
