A Ship of the Line

In the seventh chronological installment of C. S. Forester's adventure series, a victorious Hornblower returns to England, where he's awarded the HMS Sutherland for his impressive naval successes in the Americas. Unfortunately, upon his return, Captain Hornblower soon learns that he has also been assigned to work under the command of Rear Admiral Leighton. In addition to being inexperienced and incompetent, Leighton has wed the love of Hornblower's life, Lady Barbara Wellesley. What's more, the HMS Sutherland must set sail with only a skeleton crew. 

Despite these obstacles, Hornblower commits himself fully to his duties and launches an astounding series of victories. First, he defends a convoy of East Indiamen from luggers before breaking British rule to conscript 20 of the sailors to join the Sutherland. With his ship now fully manned, Hornblower captures a French warship before storming a French fort and taking command of several vessels. Unfortunately, many of his crew are killed or injured in the process. So when the HMS Sutherland encounters a squadron of French ships, Hornblower must decide whether to surrender his colors or fight against overwhelming odds.