Beat to Quarters

Courage, cannon fire, and the code of the sea—Beat to Quarters launches readers into the heart of naval warfare during the Napoleonic era in one of the most thrilling entries of the Horatio Hornblower saga.

Captain Horatio Hornblower, commanding the HMS Lydia, is dispatched on a dangerous mission to the Pacific coast of Central America. His orders: support a local rebellion against Spain, forge uneasy alliances, and avoid provoking war with the wrong empire. But when Lady Barbara Wellesley boards his ship seeking safe passage, Hornblower must also navigate the stormy seas of honor, duty, and his own conflicted heart.

Tautly written and richly detailed, Beat to Quarters (published as The Happy Return in the UK) combines naval strategy, high-seas adventure, and deep character insight. C. S. Forester's masterful storytelling captures the peril and glory of life at sea like no other.