A Ship of the Line

A Ship of the Line

infobox Book |
name = A Ship of the Line
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = C. S. Forester
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Horatio Hornblower series
genre = Historical novel
publisher = Back Bay Books
release_date = September 30, 1985 (Reprint edition)
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 304 pages
isbn = ISBN 0-316-28936-1
preceded_by = The Happy Return
followed_by = Flying Colours

"A Ship of the Line" is a historical seafaring novel by C. S. Forester. It follows his fictional hero Horatio Hornblower during his tour as captain of a ship of the line. By an internal chronology, "A Ship of the Line", which follows The Happy Return, is the seventh book in the series (counting the unfinished Hornblower and the Crisis). However, the book, published in 1938, was the second Horatio Hornblower novel completed by Forester.

Plot summary

Hornblower has recently returned to England in the frigate HMS "Lydia", having gained widespread fame (but no financial stability) as a result of sinking the superior ship "Natividad" in battle. As a reward for his exploits, he is given command of HMS "Sutherland", which is, in Hornblower's estimation, the ugliest ship of the line in the Royal Navy. He is assigned to serve under Rear Admiral Leighton, Lady Barbara Wellesley's new husband. Throughout, Hornblower is torn between his love for Lady Barbara and his sense of duty and loyalty to his frumpy wife, Maria. His feelings for his wife are complicated by the previous loss of both of his children to smallpox.

Hornblower's first orders are to escort an East Indian convoy off the Spanish coast. He masterfully defends them from simultaneous attack by two faster, more maneuverable privateers. Since he has been forced to sail with an understrength crew, and had to make do with "lubbers, sheepstealers, and bigamists", he breaks admiralty regulations and impresses twenty men from each vessel in the convoy just before they part ways. With his ship fully manned, Hornblower wreaks havoc on the French-controlled Spanish coast. He captures a French brig by surprise, storms a French fort, takes two more vessels as prizes, repeatedly fires upon several thousand French soldiers marching along a coastal road, and saves his Admiral's ship from certain ruin by towing it away from a French battery during a severe storm.

When he encounters a squadron of four French ships of the line that have broken through the English blockade of Toulon, he attacks them against overwhelming odds, and manages to disable or heavily damage all of them. However, with many of his men killed or wounded and his ship dismasted, he is forced to strike his colors and surrender.


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  • Ship of the line — Line Line, n. [OE. line, AS. l[=i]ne cable, hawser, prob. from L. linea a linen thread, string, line, fr. linum flax, thread, linen, cable; but the English word was influenced by F. ligne line, from the same L. word linea. See {Linen}.] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ship of the line — Ship Ship, n. [OE. ship, schip, AS. scip; akin to OFries. skip, OS. scip, D. schip, G. schiff, OHG. scif, Dan. skib, Sw. skeep, Icel. & Goth. skip; of unknown origin. Cf. {Equip}, {Skiff}, {Skipper}.] 1. Any large seagoing vessel. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant — is a common naval rank, equivalent to the naval rank of Lieutenant in the UK, Commonwealth and US. The name of the rank derives from the name of the largest class of warship, the Ship of the Line, as opposed to smaller types of warship (corvettes …   Wikipedia

  • ship of the line — n. former a warship of the largest class, having a position in the line of battle …   English World dictionary

  • ship of the line — ship′ of the line′ n. mil a sailing warship armed powerfully enough to serve in the line of battle • Etymology: 1700–10 …   From formal English to slang

  • Ship of the line — A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid 19th century, to take part in the the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring… …   Wikipedia

  • ship of the line — a former sailing warship armed powerfully enough to serve in the line of battle, usually having cannons ranged along two or more decks; battleship. [1700 10] * * * Type of sailing warship, the principal vessel of the West s great navies from the… …   Universalium

  • ship of the line — noun a warship intended for combat • Syn: ↑man of war • Hypernyms: ↑warship, ↑war vessel, ↑combat ship • Hyponyms: ↑sailing warship * * * : a ship of war large enough to have a place in the …   Useful english dictionary

  • Ship-of-the-Line Captain — A Ship of the Line Captain is a common naval rank.The name of the rank derives from the fact the rank corresponded to command of one a ship of the largest class of warship, the Ship of the Line, as opposed to smaller types of warship (corvettes… …   Wikipedia

  • A Ship of the Line — An Spaniens Küsten ist der zweite Roman C. S. Foresters aus dem Hornblower Zyklus. Das Buch erschien erstmals 1938. Der Originaltitel lautet A Ship of the Line . In den USA erschien das Buch unter dem Titel Ship of the Line . Der Film Des Königs… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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