"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
C. S. Forester (Cecil Louis Troughton Smith) | First Editions
1899 - 1966
Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare. He is most remembered for his 12-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navyofficer during the Napoleonic wars; indeed, Hornblower has become embedded in the consciousness of generations growing up in the earlier part of the 20th century. Two of the Hornblower books, A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours, were jointly awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction in 1938. His other works include The African Queen, which was adapted into a 1951 film.
See below our stock of C. S. Forester First Editions and signed copies.
The Life and Letters of David Beatty, Admiral of the Fleet.
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1951. [Naval History] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.174; [2]. Publisher's blue cloth hardcover in illustrated dust-jacket. Some light acceptable wear, bookplate beneath flap. A very good copy indeed. Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO..... More
Gold from Crete. Ten Stories.
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1970. [Short stories] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[8] 263 [1]. Blue quarter cloth, lighter blue cloth over sides, gilt titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket designed by Sam Bryant priced at $5.95 to front flap. Top edge blue. Lightly toned..... More
The Age of Fighting Sail. The Story of the Naval War of 1812.
New York, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1956. [History] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.[2]; 284; [2]. Publisher's light mint green cloth with gilt tooling to front board, blue label to spine titled in gilt, typographic dust-jacket designed by Sydney Butchkes. Cartographic endpapers depicting the Pacific Ocean. Toning and..... More
The African Queen.
London: Longmans, 1961. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION THUS, Longmans' Abridged Books. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[6]; 209; [1]. Pictorial softcovers. Ex-libris stamp of Trevor Hickman to front paste-down, sunning to spine and light wearing to covers. Sunning to front cover, small pencilled 'w' to front cover. Very good. Set in..... More
![Item #68201 Lieutenant Hornblower [and] The Dam Busters [in] John Bull Magazine. Vol.90 No.2362...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/68201.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1726157173)
Lieutenant Hornblower [and] The Dam Busters [in] John Bull Magazine. Vol.90 No.2362 to No.2370
London: John Bull, 6th October 1951 to 1st December 1951. [Historical Fiction] FIRST APPEARANCE. Quarto (35 x 27cm). Nine complete issues, bound together including covers into a single volume. Burgundy cloth over boards with gilt titles to spine. All edges speckled red. Bookplate of notable Forester collector Trevor Hickman to..... More
Captain Horatio Hornblower. [Screenplay, with Lobby Cards, Stills, and a Film Poster].
London: Warner Brothers and May Hemery Ltd., 10th December 1949 to 28th February 1950. [Historical Fiction] ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, with lobby cards, film stills and a movie poster. All contained within a blue cloth-covered clamshell box, titled in gilt to spine, and lined with marbled paper. Eight colour lobby cards for..... More
![Item #68198 Hohenzollern Gold [in] The Strand Magazine. C. S. FORESTER, Rowland HILDER](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/68198.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1719073273)
Hohenzollern Gold [in] The Strand Magazine.
London: George Newnes Ltd., 1935. [Short Story] FIRST APPEARANCE. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.[1] 194-200. With in-text black and white illustrations by Hilder. A discreet section bound in burgundy cloth with gilt titles to spine, and a pouch at rear containing 'The Strand Magazine 1891-1950, A Selective Checklist' by J.F...... More
The Barbary Pirates.
New York: Random House, 1953. [Naval history] FIRST EDITION, variant binding. Possibly an early book club edition. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[4] 188. With numerous two-tone illustrations by Mazoujian. Publisher's red cloth, titles and pictorial decoration to upper board and spine. Illustrated endpapers. Some internal toning, light spotting here and..... More
The African Queen.
London: William Heinemann, 1935. [WWI adventure] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.283; [1], blank. Elegantly hand-bound in half tan calf with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, matching cloth sides, publisher's original cloth spine preserved at rear. Contents clean with some very light expected reading marks..... More
The Captain from Connecticut.
Boston: Little Brown, 1941. [Naval fiction] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.324. Publisher's cream cloth, blue titles, top edge blue. With the pictorial dust-wrapper illustrated by 'Doubrava', priced at $2.50 Owner bookplate beneath flap, contents clean with a few indentations to final leaves. Jacket with a few chips..... More
The Complete Hornblower Novels. The Happy Return (1937); A Ship of the Line (1938); Flying Colours (1938); The Commodore (1945); Lord Hornblower (1946); Mr Midshipman Hornblower (1950); Lieutenant Hornblower (1952); Hornblower and the Atropos (1953); Hornblower in the West Indies (1958); Hornblower and the Hotspur (1962); Hornblower and the Crisis (1967).
London: Michael Joseph, 1937-1967. [Naval Historical Fiction] COMPLETE SET OF FIRST EDITIONS, first impressions. Eleven volumes. Octavo (19 x 13 x 33cm). The complete series, each volume in publisher's hardcover cloth bindings of various colours, with pictorial dust-wrappers (except for the first three titles). A presentable used set; ink names..... More
The Complete Hornblower Novels. The Happy Return (1937); A Ship of the Line (1938); Flying Colours (1938); The Commodore (1945); Lord Hornblower (1946); Mr Midshipman Hornblower (1950); Lieutenant Hornblower (1952); Hornblower and the Atropos (1953); Hornblower in the West Indies (1958); Hornblower and the Hotspur (1962); Hornblower and the Crisis (1967).
London: Michael Joseph, 1937-1967. [Naval Historical Fiction] LEATHER-BOUND COMPLETE FIRST EDITIONS, first impressions. Eleven volumes, bound as ten. Octavo (21 x 13 x 32cm). The complete series, recently bound in navy half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles to twin burgundy labels, and gilt anchor motifs to spine. Marbled paper..... More
The Earthly Paradise.
London: Michael Joseph Limited, 1940. [Historical Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.319 [1]. Publisher's red cloth, silver titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket. Map to front paste-down. Contents clean, owner's bookplate to front fly-leaf, jacket with a few chips. Very good. Enthralling historical adventure set in an..... More
![Item #68200 The Eleventh Hour [in] Lilliput Magazine. C. S FORESTER](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/68200.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1719246190)
The Eleventh Hour [in] Lilliput Magazine.
London: Hulton Press, December 1944. [Short Story] FIRST APPEARANCE. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[2] 465-470; 503-04 [2]. With some small black and white in-text illustrations. Re-bound in brown cloth boards with gilt titles to spine. Bookplate of notable Forester collector Trevor Hickman to front pastedown. Internally clean in a plain..... More
Gold From Crete.
London: Michael Joseph, 1971. [Navy stories] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.194; [2], blank. Publisher's blue cloth with titles to spine, illustrated dust-jacket priced at 35s. Contents clean, owner bookplate to pastedown, jacket is bright and fresh. Near fine. A collection of stories of sea warfare, set..... More
Gold From Crete.
London: Michael Joseph, 1971. [Navy stories] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.194; [2], blank. Publisher's blue cloth with titles to spine, illustrated dust-jacket priced at 35s. Contents clean, and fresh, no ink names, jacket toned to spine. Near fine. A collection of stories of sea warfare, set..... More
Hornblower and The Atropos.
London: Michael Joseph, 1953. [Naval Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.302 [2]. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket by Val Biro, priced at 12/6. No inscriptions, light spotting endpapers, jacket is lightly worn with some rubs at joints. An attractive..... More
Hornblower and the Crisis.
London: Michael Joseph, 1967. [Naval Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.174 [2]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Ivan Lapper. Internally clean with a little spotting to edges. Bumped to crown. A bright example of the jacket showing some..... More
Hornblower and the Crisis.
London: Michael Joseph, 1967. [Naval Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.174; [2]. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, in a pictorial dust-jacket designed by Ivan Lapper, printed price 25s. Contents and page edges clean and fresh, discreet ink inscriptions to end paper, jacket lightly rubbed..... More
Hornblower and the Hotspur.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1962. [Naval Fiction] FIRST US EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[6]; 344; [2]. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to spine, illustrated dust-jacket by John Alan Maxwell. Bookplate of notable Forester collector Trevor Hickman to front pastedown, light spotting to top edge..... More
Hornblower and the Hotspur.
London: Michael Joseph, 1962. [Naval Adventure] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.287 [1]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by David Cobb priced at 18s. Internally clean, edges tanned, fresh jacket mildly sunned to spine with a couple of tiny tears..... More
Hornblower and the Hotspur.
London: Michael Joseph, 1962. [Naval Adventure] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.287 [1]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by David Cobb priced at 18s. Internally clean, edges tanned/dusty/spotted, jacket mildly sunned to spine with a couple small rubs and tears..... More
The Hornblower Companion.
London: Michael Joseph, 1964. [Historical fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Quarto (27 x 20cm), pp.140. Bound in publisher's red cloth, with a gilt ship on a black oval ground to front board, gilt titles to spine; pale blue endpapers. Dust wrapper with large titles in red, white, and yellow to..... More
![Item #75219 [Hornblower Omnibus] The Young Hornblower; Captain Hornblower; Admiral Hornblower....](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/75219.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1780072142)
[Hornblower Omnibus] The Young Hornblower; Captain Hornblower; Admiral Hornblower. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower; Lieutenant Hornblower; Hornblower and the Hotspur; Hornblower and the Atropos; The Happy Return; A Ship of the Line; Flying Colours; The Commadore; Lord Hornblower; Hornblower in the West Indies.
London: Michael Joseph, 1964, 1965, 1966. [Naval Historical Fiction] OMNIBUS SERIES, being the FIRST EDITIONS THUS. Three volumes, gathering all ten complete Hornblower novels. Octavo (23 x 15 x 14cm), pp.597; [3], pp.608; pp.758; [2]. Bound in recent half navy calf leather, blue marbled paper-covered boards, raised bands and gilt..... More
![Item #75272 [Hornblower Omnibus] The Young Hornblower; Captain Hornblower; Admiral Hornblower....](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/75272.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1781540762)
[Hornblower Omnibus] The Young Hornblower; Captain Hornblower; Admiral Hornblower. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower; Lieutenant Hornblower; Hornblower and the Hotspur; Hornblower and the Atropos; The Happy Return; A Ship of the Line; Flying Colours; The Commadore; Lord Hornblower; Hornblower in the West Indies.
London: Michael Joseph, 1964, 1965, 1966. [Naval Historical Fiction] OMNIBUS SERIES, each being the FIRST EDITION THUS, all first printings (22 x 14cm). Three volumes, gathering all ten complete Hornblower novels. Octavo (23 x 15 x 14cm), pp.597; [3], pp.608; pp.758; [2]. Publisher's blue cloth hardcovers with gilt titles to..... More