C.S. Forester. First American edition (stated), first printing. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1945. Dust jacket is in Very Good condition, unclipped with original price $2.50 on inside flap. Dust wrapper designed by N.C. Wyeth. There is chipping as well as a small piece missing at the top of the spine. Hardcover is in Very Good+ condition with no writing or markings in the book, 384 pp.
"Commodore Hornblower works as a historical novel of the Napoleonic era and as a reminder of the immense struggles and sacrifices of warfare. The book begins with Hornblower leaving his new wife and son to return to sea. How poignant this passage must have been for the first post-war readers. Hornblower, now in charge of a small squadron, must take his ships into the Baltic past hostile Danes and Swedes who maintain a sinister neutrality. What follows is a series of naval and land engagements that are typical of this type of novel. The battle scenes are both exciting and exhilarating yet horrifying at the same time."
