He did his duty dick russell i have read most of c. The assumed pseudonym of one cecil louis troughton smith, c. Forester is best known for his novels of the royal navy in the days of sail, especially the series about capt. Rifleman dodd has an interesting place in literature as it was unavailable to the general public for quite some time.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. On the outbreak of world war ii he worked for the british ministry of information in america writing propaganda. It blends foresters preference for military subjects and solid unreflective characters, his irony, his grasp of history and his gift for lean, hypnotic narrative. Forester is best known for his novels about royal navy hero horatio hornblower and the general, published in 1936 just before the first of those, is in many ways similar. C s forester download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. C s forester project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Forester 18991966 wrote several novels with military and naval themes, including the african queen, the barbary pirates, the general, the good shepherd, the gun, the last nine days of the bismarck, and rifleman dodd. Survival through the early slaughters in which so many fellowofficers perished then brings him rapid promotion. Buy a cheap copy of lieutenant hornblower book by c. But also powerfully damned is the same spirit which caused a hundred reallife british generals to serve as high priests at the bloodiest human sacrifice in the nations history.
Foresters protaganist reflects the mindset of those who conducted the war and allowed it to become the bloody mess that history remembers. Homeland security secretary john kelly discusses c. The generals rigid frame of thinking leads to tragic losses of life for his men, for he is not one to give up and retreat or admit defeat. A superb yet neglected novel, the general is the most vivid, moving and devastating wordportrait of a world war one british commander ever written, here reintroduced by max hastings. Kelly, now the secretary of the department of homeland security, discusses how one. Chiefly known for his hornblower series of novels, he was a wellregarded novelist mounting up around thirtyfive novels during his sixtysix years. Cecil scott forester, 18991966, british novelist, b. Here we meet horatio hornblower, a young man of in this gripping tale of turmoil and triumph on the final horatio hornblower story tells of june 1808, somewhere west of nicaraguaa site forced to surrender his ship, the sutherland, 1812 and the. Foresters 1936 masterpiece follows herbert curzon, who fumbled a fortuitous early step on the path to. What we have is a lean, ironic, and acerbic picture of an exemplar of british military leadership during the first world war.
Forester, british historical novelist and journalist best known as the creator of the british naval officer horatio hornblower, whose rise from midshipman to admiral and peer during the napoleonic wars is told in a series of 12 novels, beginning with the happy return 1937. It nestled next to a biography of winston churchill written in 1940 which was also fascinating. Foresters classic tale of world war i, the general. He is best known for his horatio hornblower series as well as his novel the african queen, the latter of which was adapted to film by legendary director john huston in 1951. Forester was the pen name of english novelist cecil louis troughton smith 18991966, who wrote naval adventure novels and stories. Forester fairly conveys his honour, his patriotism and his courage, but always within a fatally limited world view.
In the end, the general is a failure, even if society does not recognise him as a failure. Herbert curzon is a major in the british army when wwi breaks out. In addition to his novels of seafaring life, forester also published two crime novels, the second, the barbary pirates 1953, is a childrens history of those early 19thcentury pirates. Foresters 1936 masterpiece follows lt general herbert curzon, who fumbled a fortuitous early step on the path to glory in the boer war. It blends foresters preference for military subjects and solid unreflective characters, his irony, his grasp of history and his. Forester cecil scott forester, an englishman, was born in cairo in 1899, the son of a british army officer. Originally published on my blog here in february 1999. Forester novel wikipedia, the free encyclopedia forester is best known for his famous series of horatio hornblower novels which he began in 1937.
The general follows the career of a professional soldier, herbert curzon, from his service as a junior officer in the second boer war through his experiences as a senior commander in the great war. Forester was a famous english novelist, who is bestremembered for the creation of the character, horatio hornblower. One of the largely forgotten novels of the great war, the general follows the career of herbert curzon, who rises, through fortuitous success in a boer war. And since im a longtime fan of foresters horatio hornblower books, i decided to check it out. General kelly and foresters the general great war fiction. Forester is best known for his works of historical fiction with maritime themes. He left dulwich college and attempted to take up medicine but soon found that his real vocation was storytelling. Can you sympathize with someone who gets a lot of people killed.
Click download or read online button to get c s forester book now. He was educated in london, and for a time he studied medicine. Forester recognized that his fumbling halfhero was as much a tragic figure as the men. Foresters early novel is a succinctly told story of a fiction first world war general, sir herbert curzon, from his days as a young officer in the boer war to an ageing, bathchairbound figure on bournemouth promenade. Chiefly known for his hornblower series of novels, he was a wellregarded novelist mounting up around thirty. The general 1936 and the african queen 1935 are exceptions. Forester created quite a sympathetic character in the general. He wrote many further works which prove a pleasure to explore his life born in egypt, brought up in south london, a failed medical student, the archetypal struggling young writer covered. He is a brave guy, a dedicated guy, a noble guy, but a guy who in the end has become a corps commander a threestar general and when presented with an. Foresters books, but had never come across the general until i found a copy last year in a secondhand shop.
Forester, or cecil scott forester, was a british novelist of much acclaim during his time. Foresters novel, the general, and its relation to the events, people and ideas prominent before, during, and after the first world war. Some of his other works have been made into films, as well. Forester does not allow himself a great deal of space to develop his story, under two hundred pages in fact, so we are left with a fairly sketchy view of curzons life and character. After a world war i stint in the infantry, however, he decided to be a poet.
He was educated in england at alleyns school and dulwich college, at neither of which, he said, he made any particular impression except as an extremely naughty boy. Forester offers the analogy of expending more and more energy and resources trying to remove a screw from a board, by simply applying ones extensive experience removing nails. Forester wrote many novels with military and navel themes, and is perhaps most known for his horatio hornblower series. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In this excerpt from the leaders bookshelf, retired marine gen. The focus stays with the pointofview of the central character, but an omniscient narrator comments on. This belies the conventional portrait of uncaring chateau generals and gives a complex portrait of someone of limited ability but brave. Being also known for his horatio hornblower novels and 1935s the african queen, forester. Forester biography, life, interesting facts childhood and early life.
On the outbreak of world war two he worked for the british ministry of information in america writing propaganda. After studying medicine, he rose to fame with tales of naval warfare. Foresters other novels include the african queen 1935 and the general 1936. The general has achieved a recent notoriety as the book white house chief of staff for now general john kelley reads after every promotion. Foresters 1935 novel, the general, the story of curzon, the. C s forester was always a good,if not great writer and in this book gives a convincing portrait of a ww1 general.
Forester is one of the great writers of the twentiethcentury. Hunting the bismarck the last nine days of the bismarck. Earlier this year, he gave an interview about his favourite book, which is c. Forester, who is also known for his horatio hornblower novels and 1935s the african queen. Herbert curzon is a former cavalry officer who earned fortuitous distinction in the boer war. Forester and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In this gripping tale of turmoil and triumph on the high seas, horatio hornblower emerges from his apprenticeship as midshipman to face new responsibilities thrust. I mean, theres nothing special about him to the point that it makes him special. A masterful and insightful study about the perils of hubris and unquestioning duty in. Forester from australias online independent bookstore, boomerang books.
Forester appeared as a contestant on the tv quiz program you bet your life, hosted by groucho marx, in an episode telecast on 1 november 1956. Foresters books, but had never come across the general until i found a copy last year in a secondhand. Peninsular war novels in death to the french published in the united states as rifleman dodd and the gun filmed as the pride and the passion in 1957. The general lets us into the mind of a british general in the opening months of the war. Forester was born cecil louis troughton smith in cairo, egypt on the 27 august 1899 to george foster smith and sarah medhurst troughton. When forester was living in washington dc during world war ii, he met an intelligence. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Cecil scott forester was born on 27th august, 1899 in cairo, egypt.