Horatio Hornblower Books in Order

This page lists the complete Horatio Hornblower reading order by C.S. Forester, with book numbers, publication years, and a publication-order view for readers who want to start at the beginning.

Updated 2026-06-22 / 11 books / 1937-1967

Horatio Hornblower Reading Order

01 The Happy Return / Beat To Quarters 1937 Buy

02 Ship Of The Line 1938 Buy

03 Flying Colours 1938 Buy

04 The Commodore / Commodore Hornblower 1945 Buy

05 Lord Hornblower 1946 Buy

06 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 1950 Buy

07 Lieutenant Hornblower 1952 Buy

08 Hornblower And The Atropos 1953 Buy

09 Admiral Hornblower In The West Indies / Hornblower In The West Indies 1957 Buy

10 Hornblower And The Hotspur 1962 Buy

11 Hornblower During The Crisis / Hornblower And The Crisis 1967 Buy

Horatio Hornblower Books by Publication Order

1937 The Happy Return / Beat To Quarters #1

1938 Ship Of The Line #2

1938 Flying Colours #3

1945 The Commodore / Commodore Hornblower #4

1946 Lord Hornblower #5

1950 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower #6

1952 Lieutenant Hornblower #7

1953 Hornblower And The Atropos #8

1957 Admiral Hornblower In The West Indies / Hornblower In The West Indies #9

1962 Hornblower And The Hotspur #10

1967 Hornblower During The Crisis / Hornblower And The Crisis #11

Questions readers ask

What is the correct Horatio Hornblower reading order?

The Horatio Hornblower reading order on this page follows the numbered series order where available, with publication years shown beside each book.

How many Horatio Hornblower books are there?

This catalog currently lists 11 Horatio Hornblower books published across 1937-1967.

Who writes the Horatio Hornblower books?

Horatio Hornblower is listed as a book series by C.S. Forester.

Should I read Horatio Hornblower in publication order?

For most readers, publication order is the safest way to read Horatio Hornblower. If a separate series order is available, this page shows that order first and publication years beside each title.

More by C.S. Forester

C.S. Forester books in order and complete bibliography ->

Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.