4 Crowns - but only if you are a total Hornblower junkie. It has been a few years since I read this book but from memory the book is a biography of H. Hornblower - it follows his life from lowly birth to hero of the nation. (I am not sure how one would classify a fictional account of the fictional life of a fictional character - virtual biog?) The author uses interviews, admiralty records, detailed maps, contempory newspaper reports and personal investigations to answer many questions which have intrigued historians and fans alike - just why was HH so very sick at Spithead? How did he come to join the Navy, what circumstances led to his first marriage, a controversial account of his unusually close relationship with a series of "cabin" boys (Note - I made that last bit up - it would have been funny though) The writing style sticks strictly to that of serious but popular historical biography - a dead pan approach makes it highly entertaining I understand that C Northcote Parkinson was (is?)a noted newspaper columnist of the 50's and 60's
Anyway - I enjoyed reading it and if I can find my copy I probably will again.