Horatio Hornblower: Difference between revisions

* [[Conscription]]: The vast majority of seamen on British ships are conscripts [[Press -Ganged|dragged from their homes and family-supporting livelihoods by press gangs]] or criminals given a pardon if they join the King's service. Hornblower presses merchantmen who were supposed to be exempt in ''Ship of the Line'', and he also turns over prisoners he'd promised freedom in ''Flying Colours''.

** Some consideration though should also be given to the hypothesis that Forester knew enough history to be very well aware that coffee was enormously fashionable in England for many years, and London in particular was [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/:Coffeehouse#Coffee_in_EuropeCoffee in Europe|lousy]] with coffee-houses in the 1700s.

* [[The Laws and Customs of War]]: Horatio and his boarding team capture a heavy French frigate in ''An Even Chance'', and use it to sail back to their mother ship, who is currently under attack by three French corvettes with only half of their crew on board to fight back (the other half being part of Hornblower's boarding team). They notice that, as they advance, they are not taken under fire by the corvettes. They wonder why, but then notice that they forgot to take down the French Colours after taking the ship. Horatio orders the flags to stay up, seeing what a great strategic advantage they have, although he knows what a blatant offence it is against the standard customs of fighting of the time<ref>That depends. Sailing under false colours was a [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/False_colors:False colors#Naval_warfareNaval warfare|legitimate]] ''ruse de guerre'' The correct colours had to be run up before ''opening fire''.</ref>. Yet his plan works, and they infiltrate the small French fleet unhindered. However it should be noted that [[Your Mileage May Vary]], seeing how the French sailors of the corvettes run onto the open decks to celebrate the arrival of an alleged heavily-armed ally to finish off the British flagship. A wink of an eye later the [[Punch Clock Villain|jubilant French]] are [[Moral Dissonance|blown apart by grapeshot]].

* [[The Not -Secret]]: Hornblower's sea sickness, which he goes out of his way to keep secret from his men. It takes him years to figure out that his officers and crew are plainly aware of it, and simply choose not to comment on it out of respect.

* [[Royally Screwed -Up]]: Practically all non-British nobility, royalty, and other civilian leadership. Examples that embody this trope include The Marquis of Pouzauges from ''Midshipman'' and "El Supremo"<ref>admittedly only "royal" in his own delusional mind</ref> from ''Quarters.'' Worst of all, ''[[Enemy Mine|these are England's allies]].''

{{quote| "...England still had allies -- [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_I_of_Portugal:Maria I of Portugal|Portugal under an insane queen]], [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_XIII_of_Sweden:Charles XIII of Sweden|Sweden under a mad king]], [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_the_Two_Sicilies:Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies|and Sicily, here, under a worthless king]]."}}

* [[El Spanish -O]]: There are a number of occasions where British sailors and officers gamely attempt to communicate with Spanish, French, or Italian people (either their prisoners, or their erstwhile allies, depending on what is going on) by speaking slowly and adding vowels to the ends of their words. It generally doesn't work.