With an uneasy peace between France and England. Horatio is on half pay and reduced in rank. He has to pawn his swords and uniform and behind on his rent.
He has to rely on the charity of his landlady's daughter Maria (Julia Sawalha) and play cards at the naval officer's club to earn some extra money.
A chance encounter with Lieutenant Bush (Paul McGann) signals an upturn in his fortunes. Pellew returns the rank of captain and places him in charge of the Hotspur.
He has been sent on a mission with Frenchman Major Cotard (Greg Wise.) Only to find that the French are preparing for invasion with Napoleon Bonaparte in charge of the country.
That is not the end of Horatio's problems. There is a saboteur on his ship and someone even higher up is betraying Britain.
This is very much a boys own adventure kind of story. Horatio Hornblower is always confident and heroic. Easily surmounting obstacles, beating the odds.
Some of the cunning and strategy from the novels is missing. In which case Horatio might have smoked out the traitors a lot earlier.
He has to rely on the charity of his landlady's daughter Maria (Julia Sawalha) and play cards at the naval officer's club to earn some extra money.
A chance encounter with Lieutenant Bush (Paul McGann) signals an upturn in his fortunes. Pellew returns the rank of captain and places him in charge of the Hotspur.
He has been sent on a mission with Frenchman Major Cotard (Greg Wise.) Only to find that the French are preparing for invasion with Napoleon Bonaparte in charge of the country.
That is not the end of Horatio's problems. There is a saboteur on his ship and someone even higher up is betraying Britain.
This is very much a boys own adventure kind of story. Horatio Hornblower is always confident and heroic. Easily surmounting obstacles, beating the odds.
Some of the cunning and strategy from the novels is missing. In which case Horatio might have smoked out the traitors a lot earlier.