I guess every generation has their slew of popular writers. When I
was in high school, it was Stephen King. My niece was reading J.K. Rowling
before I got to her. When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader and didn’t
limit myself to the popular writers of the time. I actively sought advice from
librarians and other reading enthusiasts as to what I should read next. And I
would go through phases of reading writers of a genre or an era. One month, my
attention would be consumed by Victorian authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Jules Verne and H.G. Wells; the next month, I would be devouring the Noir fiction
of Raymond Chandler. During one of those phases, I was consumed by anything
nautical. I chewed up Robert Lewis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,” and Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe.”
And it is only natural that when I talk about how much I loved these books that
I was directed to C.S. Forrester. Movies were made of all of these writers’
creations. And while I love the movies, I encourage those who’ve seen them to
give the books a try. C.S. Forrester is an overlooked treasure just waiting to
be rediscovered. Go ahead and watch Captain
Horatio Hornblower and then pick up the book and give it a browse. I bet
you will find yourself reading the entire series. You might even give some of
his other books, like “The African Queen,”
a try.