MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER

C.S. Forester's sixth novel about Horatio Hornblower covers the early years of the English naval hero's life. "The King's latest bad bargain" grows from a pale, seasick youth into a brave, selfless leader in an adventure that ends with capture by the Spanish and a mission that gains him respect among the enemy's forces, as well as Britain's. Bill Kelsey's even tones emphasize the details of life at sea that are important to Forester's novel even while focusing on Hornblower's inner life as a shy boy facing a brutal initiation into the Navy. The relaxed narration holds the listener's interest from beginning to end. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]