Horatio Hornblower is starting his first commissioned post on the HMS Renown. Here he becomes friends with Lt. Bush and they have to deal with the insanity of Capt. Sawyer.
The book goes through a mutiny and lots of concerns over where this may lead and leaving five lieutenants in charge of the ship.
They go through sea and land battles, they have to deal with a fort protecting a harbor. Hornblower excels in almost every area where he is able to help.
The book has a strong naval vocabulary. I kept going to a nautical dictionary, but it isn’t necessary to understand everything to follow the story. My one complaint is that Hornblower seem a bit too competent, bordering on being a superhero. But the story is enjoyable and well-told.
