Author:C.S. Forester
Join young Horatio Hornblower in the thrilling naval adventure from the author of The Good Shepherd, now a major-motion picture starring Tom Hanks
'A joyous creation, a perfection in words. Young Hornblower is, simply, one of the most complete creations of character in fiction' Conn Iggulden, The Independent
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Seventeen-year-old Hornblower became notorious as soon as he stepped on board a ship - as the midshipman who was seasick in Spithead. But he was soon to gain his sea legs.
Amid battle, action and adventure he proves himself time and time again - courageous in danger, resourceful in moments of difficulty and decisive in times of trouble.
Stand right beside Hornblower as he prepares to fight his first duel.
Feel the heat as he battles to control a blazing ship.
Share his horror as he experiences for the first time the panic of the Plague.
This omnibus edition contains:
· Mr Midshipman Hornblower
· Lieutenant Hornblower
· Hornblower and the 'Hotspur'
Elegantly translated, it is read with a gentle sensitivity by the incomparable Eleanor Bron. It will make you cry, certainly, but you will not regret listening to it.
Audiobook of the week
..a good story
—— The GuardianLustig survived Auschwitz. Every fibre of his latest book...resonates with the pain, questions and scars of the Holocaust
—— Daily TelegraphLustig writes about the Holocaust experience with a modest authority that is virtually unique... His genius lies in his ability to understate themes and situations which cry out for melodramatic treatment
—— Lawrence L Langer , Washington PostWholly unsentimental and clean of self-pity, Lustig returns in his novels and stories to the harrowing landscape of his youth, discovering within its brutal boundaries the grim but still achingly recognizable panoply of a last, vast, various neighbourhood of man
—— Johanna Kaplan , New York TimesA compelling account of how closely linked innocence and brutality can be
—— London Review of BooksClearly, Holland has a deep knowledge of life in the 1930s and 40s, both civil and military, because every page oozes with authenticity ... a heartwarming homage to courage, honour, friendship and love ... Highly recommended, and five stars out fo five
—— Ben Kane, author of Spartacus: RebellionThis is literature at its very best: a book with the power to reveal the unimagined, so that one's life is set in a changed context. I urge you to read it
—— Time OutSo powerful is this recreated past that you long to call Birdsong perfect
—— The TimesA powerful novel that is difficult to put down
—— Independent on SundayMy favourite novel of all time because it’s not just the most moving First World War story, it also has a wonderful romance
—— Kate Garraway , Daily ExpressIt broke my heart.
—— Matthew Lewis , BuzzfeedMagnificent. A classic that everyone should have read.
—— Sandra Howard , Daily ExpressA sweeping historical drama, it’s also erotic, poignant and tear-inducing. I read it and wept buckets. I don’t think anything else Faulks has written before or since surpasses the brilliance of this one.
—— Reading MattersThis is literature at its very best. A book with the power to reveal the unimagined, so that one’s life is set in a changed context. I urge you to read it.
—— Andrew Denham-Davis , DISCUSWhile marked by poppy wearing and memorial ceremonies, the First World War is also sustained through family history, handed down from one generation to the next. No book better articulates the impact of this narrative than Stephen Faulks’ Birdsong.
—— Lucy Middleton , Reader's DigestA truly amazing read
—— Gail Teasdale , 24housingI’d never read such descriptive literature, and couldn’t sleep at night for thinking about what I’d just read. His [Faulks] portrayal of terror on the battlefield is so powerful
—— Anna Redman , Good HousekeepingMy all-time favourite book
—— Kate Garraway , Good Housekeeping