Horatio Hornblower: The New Collector’s Edition

Chart your course for heart-racing sea battles, mutiny and romance in eight Emmy®-winning adaptations of C.S. Forester's classic novels about the life of a handsome recruit. Horatio (Ioan Gruffudd, Amazing Grace, Fantastic Four, Black Hawk Down) rises from midshipman to commander in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, sailing from the West Indies to Africa in the name of the Crown. As seen on A&E, plus a treasure chest of extras: Cast interviews, a guide to royal warships, a "making-of" Special, and much more, all in a new, space-saving digistak case.

The Duel
Horatio Hornblower joins the Royal Navy at the age of seventeen, which he soon finds is a bit old to get started. He makes up for his inexperience by proving he has a keen mind for navigaiton. He soon becomes the commander of a division of seamen, but in the process he must overcome his tendency toward seasickness and fight a duel with a sadistic bully.

The Fire Ships
In order to prove himself worthy of promotion to Lieutenant, Hornblower must deal with a hungry crew, a rebellious sailor, and a fire that threatens to spread to the entire fleet.

The Duchess and the Devil
Hornblower is assigned to escort a duchess and some important documents back to England on a captured French ship, but they are captured and imprisoned by the Spanish and he begins to suspect that the duchess is not who she appears to be.

The Wrong War
Hornblower is assigned to escort a company of British redcoats (the lobsters) and a group of French royalists (the frogs) to France in an attempt to restore the king to power, but he is unprepared for the brutality and cowardice displayed by the French commander.

The Mutiny
Hornblower comes to realize that his new captain, though quite respected, is quite mad, and that the only option he and his fellows have is mutiny.

Retribution
After declaring their Captain unfit for command, the officers of the HMS Renown struggle to complete their mission against the Spanish only to find themselves facing a court martial upon returning to a British port.

Loyalty
Finally promoted to Captain and given command of HMS Hotspur, Hornblower is sent to France to determine the status of Napoleon's pledge of peace. Instead of peace, he discovers Napoleon is preparing to invade. He also begins a romantic relationship with the young Maria Mason.

Duty
Soon after getting married, Hornblower is sent on a search and rescue mission for a British ship (under the command of an old friend) last reported off the French coast. In the midst of the search, the HMS Hotspur picks up some unwanted passengers and attempts to discover the objective of a small French invasion force.

Before Horatio Hornblower, Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced Yo-en Griffith) was best known as the officer who rescued Kate Winslet from the icy waters in Titanic