Customer Reviews
Hornblower ? A old friend - By: Empe, 23 Nov 2008 
The series of books on Hornblower is a classicin the sea-adventure-war category. The movies are very well made, with a good cast (perhaps, I see better Crowe (or similar "macho", like Owen) than Gruffudin Horatio's "shoes", but thats' all) good battle & sea scenes & a good "reproduction" of the original books, better than Sharps's series.
A this price is a real bargain. A question: this version has subtitles ??? Soundratcksin foreign languages ?
Was this the complete series - By: Pacman, 23 Nov 2008 I did not see the TV version so I do not know if it also finished with Hornblowers promotion to captain, having read the books however they take Hornblowers career much further. I hope this is not another case of a "complete series" being nothing of the kind.
Please make more!!!! - By: Good day sunshine, 16 Sep 2008 Shame you can't give more than 5 stars because this deserves it.
This is one of my favourite series of all time. It follows Horatio Hornblower & his rise through the navy.
Ioan Gruffudd is fantasticin the role, starting out as a green 17 year old, he comes aboard ship. At first his is bullied by other crew members, such as Charlie Simpson (Dorian Healy) but his quick wits & couragous nature soon make him a favourite with his shipmates. Never compromising his honour he deals with every situation to the best of his ability.
Guest stars actors such as Dorian Healy & Andrew Tierman.
Paul Mcgann is, as always, brilliantin his role, as is Robert Lindsay.
Kept me awake well into the night, I couldn't wait till each evening when I could watch it again.
The only complaint I have is where they left it off, I want to know what happens next!! Ioan Gruffudd once said that he would like to play Hornblower again, so fingers crossed!
Can't recommend this enough.
[about synopsis] - By: Nit-picker!, 01 Apr 2008 You might wish to correct typoin first line of your Synopsis - 1794 not 1974...
The original and still the best - By: Bookworm, 23 Mar 2008 C.S. Forester wrote his eleven "Hornblower" novelsin the 1930s & 40s, long before Patrick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey or Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho. This series has to be very high on the list of the finest adaptations of Forester's novels. Given that these were produced for TV without the immense budget of a Hollywood movie, their realism & historical accuracy are amazing. In the earlier episodes, Ioan Gruffudd as Hornblower & Robert Lindsay as his captain really strike sparks off each other, as do Gruffudd & Paul McGannin the later stages. Ironically, McGann's character has what must now be one of the world's least popular names, Bush! This series is a must for anyone with an interestin the history of the Napoleonic wars. But shop around, the RRP for the 4-disc series is £59.99 but it can be found brand new for under half that.
