Welcome to "Duty", the official fanlisting for the character Horatio Hornblower from C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels as well as the similarly named A&E television mini-series. Pictured above is the most recent version of Horatio as played by Ioan Gruffud. Hornblower is a man plagued by duty and will fulfill it to the end, no matter the cost, especially to himself. A fantastic character portrayed brilliantly on-screen and supported by an excellent cast. So, naturally, I'm a huge fan. Aren't you? Then, please go join!

Script used: Enthusiast
Last updated: 17th July 2008
Member count: 17
Pending members: 0
Newest members: Becky

  According to Forester, Hornblower, the son of a doctor, was born on July 4, 1776 (the date of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence) in the village of Worth, Kent. He was given a classical education, and by the time he joined the Royal Navy at age seventeen, he was well-versed in Greek and Latin. He was tutored in French by a penniless French emigré. He is also an expert mathematician, which serves him well as a navigator.

   Described as "unhappy and lonely", Hornblower is chiefly characterized by his reserve and self-doubt. He regards himself as cowardly, dishonest, and, at times, disloyal. His sense of duty and a drive to succeed make these characteristics undetectable by everyone but him. His introverted nature continually isolates him from the people around him, including his closest friend, William Bush, and his wives never fully understand him. His introspection makes him a very self-conscious and lonely man, and the enforced isolation of a captain in the Royal Navy makes him lonelier still.


Read more about Hornblower at: Wikipedia.org.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Lieutenant Hornblower
Hornblower and the Hotspur
Hornblower and the Crisis
Hornblower and the Atropos
The Happy Return (also called Beat to Quarters)
A Ship of the Line
Flying Colours
The Commodore
Lord Hornblower
Hornblower in the West Indies

The Even Chance (1998) (The Duel (US))
The Examination for Lieutenant (1998) (The Fire Ships (US))
The Duchess and the Devil (1999) (The Duchess and the Devil (US))
The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999) (The Wrong War (US))

Mutiny (2001)
Retribution (2001)

Loyalty (2003)
Duty (2003)


Starring: Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower), Jamie Bamber (Kennedy), Paul McGann (Bush), Sean Gilder (Styles), Paul Copley (Matthews), Robert Lindsay (Pellew), David Warner (Sawyer), Philip Glenister (Hobbs), Greg Wise (Côtard)...