ADMIRAL HORNBLOWER IN THE WEST INDIES

This is actually a collection of episodes, the majority of which belong to the period when our good friend Hornblower is serving in the capacity of Admiral of the British fleet assigned to the uncertain waters of the Indies. The first story, however, takes us back to an incident when he was a very junior lieutenant and was catapulted into a situation involving a court martial, an assignment of guarding an extremely likable prisoner, and an execution. This was to color his whole career- and the last story-Hornblower and His Hurricane -- which recounts the culminating days of his career in active service, round out the initial episode, as once again he is involved in an infringement of discipline, a projected court martial, and the probability of an inevitable death sentence. This time Lady Barbara, who has joined him for the return voyage from Jamaica, plays a part which should in itself be termed a criminal offense, and Hornblower, true to his colors as a man, finds himself a willing conspirator in silence. In between, there are various episodes that once again portray the characteristics of ingenuity, loyalty to his men, courage that we have come to expect. The period spans the years when Spanish power was on the decline, Bolivar was writing epic history in Venezuela, pirates swarmed, and the lovely islands changed hands overnight. Good adventure, but not strictly speaking in the traditon of the novels.