The Hornblower Companion

Bought a second-hand hardback edition of this recently (the title seems to be hard to get new, certainly in the UK). Divided into two halves, the first gives details and historical background to each book, complete with diagrams and maps. The second is an informal narrative by CSF about how each of the books came to be written. It is a fascinating insight into the life of a very formal writer. He was taken seriously ill, and suffered one heart attack during the series, (which he had thought to have finished on several occasions). On several occasions he mentions writing quickly in case he should die before a book is completed. Little is given of his private life, which is a shame, but understandable.

Highly recommended; if you see a copy, buy it!

If you are looking on more about CSF, I would suggest Long Before Forty, an autobiographical work of interest.

Yes, I've been looking out for that one for a while - second hand copies seems very expensive. It looks interesting; certainly he was a fascinating man, with a very ordered writing style: Hornblower and the Crisis, although unfinished, was pretty near polished as it went along - impressive!

Borrelpeff, I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but www.abebooks.com sells 2nd hand books for very low prices! Hope it helps