A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Hornblower Books in Order

The complete Hornblower reading order — 40 books from 1920–1996.

  1. 01 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 1920 Amazon — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower Bookshop — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
  2. 02 Lieutenant Hornblower 1920 Amazon — buy Lieutenant Hornblower Bookshop — buy Lieutenant Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Lieutenant Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Lieutenant Hornblower
  3. 03 Hornblower and the "Hotspur" 1920 Amazon — buy Hornblower and the "Hotspur" Bookshop — buy Hornblower and the "Hotspur" ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower and the "Hotspur" eBooks.com — buy Hornblower and the "Hotspur"
  4. 04 Hornblower And The Atropos 1920 Amazon — buy Hornblower And The Atropos Bookshop — buy Hornblower And The Atropos ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower And The Atropos eBooks.com — buy Hornblower And The Atropos
  5. 05 A ship of the line 1920 Amazon — buy A ship of the line Bookshop — buy A ship of the line ThriftBooks — buy A ship of the line eBooks.com — buy A ship of the line
  6. 06 Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga 1920 Amazon — buy Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga Bookshop — buy Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga ThriftBooks — buy Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga eBooks.com — buy Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga
  7. 07 Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure) 1938 Amazon — buy Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure) Bookshop — buy Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure) ThriftBooks — buy Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure) eBooks.com — buy Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure)
  8. 08 Flying Colors 1938 Amazon — buy Flying Colors Bookshop — buy Flying Colors ThriftBooks — buy Flying Colors eBooks.com — buy Flying Colors
  9. 09 Admiral Hornblower 1938 Amazon — buy Admiral Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Admiral Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Admiral Hornblower
  10. 10 Captain Horatio Hornblower 1939 Amazon — buy Captain Horatio Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Captain Horatio Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Captain Horatio Hornblower
  11. 11 Captain Hornblower, R.N 1939 Amazon — buy Captain Hornblower, R.N Bookshop — buy Captain Hornblower, R.N ThriftBooks — buy Captain Hornblower, R.N eBooks.com — buy Captain Hornblower, R.N
  12. 12 Commodore Hornblower 1945 Amazon — buy Commodore Hornblower Bookshop — buy Commodore Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Commodore Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Commodore Hornblower
  13. 13 Lord Hornblower 1946 Amazon — buy Lord Hornblower Bookshop — buy Lord Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Lord Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Lord Hornblower
  14. 14 The young hornblower 1950 Amazon — buy The young hornblower Bookshop — buy The young hornblower ThriftBooks — buy The young hornblower eBooks.com — buy The young hornblower
  15. 15 Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga 1950 Amazon — buy Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga Bookshop — buy Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga eBooks.com — buy Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga
  16. 16 Hornblower takes command 1954 Amazon — buy Hornblower takes command ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower takes command eBooks.com — buy Hornblower takes command
  17. 17 Hornblower goes to sea 1954 Amazon — buy Hornblower goes to sea Bookshop — buy Hornblower goes to sea ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower goes to sea eBooks.com — buy Hornblower goes to sea
  18. 18 Hornblowers triumph 1955 Amazon — buy Hornblowers triumph Bookshop — buy Hornblowers triumph ThriftBooks — buy Hornblowers triumph eBooks.com — buy Hornblowers triumph
  19. 19 Hornblower in Captivity 1955 Amazon — buy Hornblower in Captivity Bookshop — buy Hornblower in Captivity ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower in Captivity eBooks.com — buy Hornblower in Captivity
  20. 20 Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies 1956 Amazon — buy Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies Bookshop — buy Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies ThriftBooks — buy Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies eBooks.com — buy Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
  21. 21 Hornblower in the West Indies 1958 Amazon — buy Hornblower in the West Indies Bookshop — buy Hornblower in the West Indies ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower in the West Indies eBooks.com — buy Hornblower in the West Indies
  22. 22 The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) 1958 Amazon — buy The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) Bookshop — buy The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) ThriftBooks — buy The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) eBooks.com — buy The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies)
  23. 23 Der junge Hornblower 1960 Amazon — buy Der junge Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Der junge Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Der junge Hornblower
  24. 24 Young Hornblower 1960 Amazon — buy Young Hornblower Bookshop — buy Young Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Young Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Young Hornblower
  25. 25 The Hornblower companion 1964 Amazon — buy The Hornblower companion Bookshop — buy The Hornblower companion ThriftBooks — buy The Hornblower companion eBooks.com — buy The Hornblower companion
  26. 26 Hornblower & the Crisis 1967 Amazon — buy Hornblower & the Crisis Bookshop — buy Hornblower & the Crisis ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower & the Crisis eBooks.com — buy Hornblower & the Crisis
  27. 27 Hornblower during the crisis 1967 Amazon — buy Hornblower during the crisis ThriftBooks — buy Hornblower during the crisis eBooks.com — buy Hornblower during the crisis
  28. 28 The life and times of Horatio Hornblower 1970 Amazon — buy The life and times of Horatio Hornblower Bookshop — buy The life and times of Horatio Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy The life and times of Horatio Hornblower eBooks.com — buy The life and times of Horatio Hornblower
  29. 29 Cleopatra of Egypt 1970 Amazon — buy Cleopatra of Egypt Bookshop — buy Cleopatra of Egypt ThriftBooks — buy Cleopatra of Egypt eBooks.com — buy Cleopatra of Egypt
  30. 30 The Hornblower Saga 1981 Amazon — buy The Hornblower Saga Bookshop — buy The Hornblower Saga ThriftBooks — buy The Hornblower Saga eBooks.com — buy The Hornblower Saga
  31. 31 The Greek world, 479-323 BC 1983 Amazon — buy The Greek world, 479-323 BC Bookshop — buy The Greek world, 479-323 BC ThriftBooks — buy The Greek world, 479-323 BC eBooks.com — buy The Greek world, 479-323 BC
  32. 32 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga 1984 Amazon — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga Bookshop — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga ThriftBooks — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga eBooks.com — buy Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga
  33. 33 Do-Ahead Dining 1986 Amazon — buy Do-Ahead Dining Bookshop — buy Do-Ahead Dining ThriftBooks — buy Do-Ahead Dining eBooks.com — buy Do-Ahead Dining
  34. 34 Captain Hornblower 1987 Amazon — buy Captain Hornblower Bookshop — buy Captain Hornblower ThriftBooks — buy Captain Hornblower eBooks.com — buy Captain Hornblower
  35. 35 Thucydides 1987 Amazon — buy Thucydides Bookshop — buy Thucydides ThriftBooks — buy Thucydides eBooks.com — buy Thucydides
  36. 36 Do-ahead entertaining 1988 Amazon — buy Do-ahead entertaining Bookshop — buy Do-ahead entertaining ThriftBooks — buy Do-ahead entertaining eBooks.com — buy Do-ahead entertaining
  37. 37 The Young Hornblower Omnibus 1989 Amazon — buy The Young Hornblower Omnibus Bookshop — buy The Young Hornblower Omnibus ThriftBooks — buy The Young Hornblower Omnibus eBooks.com — buy The Young Hornblower Omnibus
  38. 38 Admiral Hornblower Omnibus 1990 Amazon — buy Admiral Hornblower Omnibus Bookshop — buy Admiral Hornblower Omnibus ThriftBooks — buy Admiral Hornblower Omnibus eBooks.com — buy Admiral Hornblower Omnibus
  39. 39 A commentary on Thucydides 1991 Amazon — buy A commentary on Thucydides Bookshop — buy A commentary on Thucydides ThriftBooks — buy A commentary on Thucydides eBooks.com — buy A commentary on Thucydides
  40. 40 Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga 1996 Amazon — buy Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga Bookshop — buy Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga ThriftBooks — buy Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga eBooks.com — buy Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Hornblower

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 1920
2 Lieutenant Hornblower 1920
3 Hornblower and the "Hotspur" 1920
4 Hornblower And The Atropos 1920
5 A ship of the line 1920
6 Beat to Quarters (Hornblower Saga 1920
7 Flying Colours (Horatio Hornblower Adventure) 1938
8 Flying Colors 1938
9 Admiral Hornblower 1938
10 Captain Horatio Hornblower 1939
11 Captain Hornblower, R.N 1939
12 Commodore Hornblower 1945
13 Lord Hornblower 1946
14 The young hornblower 1950
15 Hornblower During the Crisis (Hornblower Saga 1950
16 Hornblower takes command 1954
17 Hornblower goes to sea 1954
18 Hornblowers triumph 1955
19 Hornblower in Captivity 1955
20 Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies 1956
21 Hornblower in the West Indies 1958
22 The indomitable Hornblower (Commodore Hornblower / Lord Hornblower / Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies) 1958
23 Der junge Hornblower 1960
24 Young Hornblower 1960
25 The Hornblower companion 1964
26 Hornblower & the Crisis 1967
27 Hornblower during the crisis 1967
28 The life and times of Horatio Hornblower 1970
29 Cleopatra of Egypt 1970
30 The Hornblower Saga 1981
31 The Greek world, 479-323 BC 1983
32 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Hornblower Saga 1984
33 Do-Ahead Dining 1986
34 Captain Hornblower 1987
35 Thucydides 1987
36 Do-ahead entertaining 1988
37 The Young Hornblower Omnibus 1989
38 Admiral Hornblower Omnibus 1990
39 A commentary on Thucydides 1991
40 Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga 1996

Hornblower reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (1920). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Hornblower — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Hornblower books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1920–1996.

What is the newest Hornblower book?

Lieutenant Hornblower (Hornblower Saga, published in 1996.