Penguin Books Ltd The Commodore

1812 and the fate of Europe lies in the hands of newly appointed Commodore Hornblower . . . Dispatched to northern waters to protect Britain's Baltic interests, Horatio Hornblower must halt the advance of Napoleon's empire into Sweden and Russia.But first he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow and icebound waterways; overcome Russian political and commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; and contend with hostile armies and French privateers.With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore's shoulders ... This is the eighth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C.S. Forester's inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower. 'A recipe for pure pleasure' Bernard Cornwell