C.S. Forester Reading Order
10 series · 62 books
C.S. Forester was an English novelist celebrated for his gripping naval warfare stories, particularly the acclaimed Horatio Hornblower series, which spans twelve books. With an extensive bibliography of 62 works across ten series and various standalone pieces, he captivated readers from 1924 to 2025. His expertise in storytelling offers a rich exploration of maritime adventure and military history.
Anthologies Series
Complete5 books (1957–2002)
Start with Stories for the Dead of Night, the first of 5 books in the Anthologies series.
Children's Series
Complete1 book (1968–1968)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Poo-Poo and the Dragons 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
Horatio Hornblower Series
Complete11 books (1937–1967)
Start with The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters, the first of 11 books in the Horatio Hornblower series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters 1937Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Flying Colours 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Ship of the Line 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Commodore / Commodore Hornblower 1945Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Lord Hornblower 1946Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Mr. Midshipman Hornblower 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Lieutenant Hornblower 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Hornblower and the Atropos 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies / Hornblower in the West Indies 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Hornblower and the Hotspur 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Hornblower During the Crisis / Hornblower and the Crisis 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
Horatio Hornblower Collections Series
Complete2 books (1964–1965)
Start with The Hornblower Companion(With: Samuel Bryant) and read in order.
Horatio Hornblower Non-Fiction Series
Complete1 book (1964–1964)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Hornblower Companion 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete12 books (1924–1968)
Start with Napoleon and His Court, the first of 12 books in the Non-Fiction series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Napoleon and His Court 1924Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Josephine, Napoleon's Empress 1925Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Victor Emmanuel II and the Union of Italy 1927Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Louis XIV: King of France and Navarre 1928Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Lord Nelson / Nelson 1929Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | The Voyage of the Annie Marble 1929Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Adventures of John Wetherell 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  The Age of Fighting Sail 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | The Naval War of 1812 / The Age of Fighting Sail 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | Hunting the Bismarck / Sink the Bismarck / The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Long Before Forty 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Fatal Fascination: A Choice of Crime(With: Christopher Sykes,Eric Linklater,Nigel Balchin) 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
Plays Series
Complete1 book (2020–2020)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | U 97 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete1 book (1980–1980)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | African Queen 1980Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete3 books (1954–1970)
Start with The Nightmare and read in order.
Standalone Novels Series
Ongoing25 books (1924–2025)
Start with A Pawn Among Kings, the first of 25 books in the Standalone Novels series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Pawn Among Kings 1924Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | The Paid Piper 1924Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Payment Deferred 1926Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Love Lies Dreaming 1927Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | The Wonderful Week 1927Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  The Shadow of the Hawk / The Daughter of the Hawk 1928Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Brown on Resolution 1929Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 | Single-Handed 1929Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Plain Murder 1930Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | Two-and-twenty 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Rifleman Dodd / Death to the French 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  The Gun 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 | The Peacemaker 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  The African Queen 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  The Pursued 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 | Marionettes at home 1936Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  The General 1936Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  The Earthly Paradise 1940Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  The Captain from Connecticut 1941Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  The Ship 1943Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 | The Sky and the Forest 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 | Randall and the River Of Time 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 | The Good Shepherd / Greyhound 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  The Barbary Pirates 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 | Lord Nelson 2025Buy 🇺🇸 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has C.S. Forester written?
- C.S. Forester has written 62 books across 10 series. Their published works span from 1924 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each C.S. Forester series?
- Here are the first books in C.S. Forester's series: Anthologies: Stories for the Dead of Night; Horatio Hornblower: The Happy Return / Beat to Quarters; Horatio Hornblower Collections: The Hornblower Companion(With: Samuel Bryant); Non-Fiction: Napoleon and His Court; Short Story Collections: The Nightmare.
- What order should I read C.S. Forester's books?
- We recommend reading C.S. Forester's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is C.S. Forester still writing new books?
- Yes, C.S. Forester has 1 ongoing series: Standalone Novels.