 First edition cover | |
| Author | C. S. Forester |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Horatio Hornblower |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph, London |
Publication date | 4 February 1937[1] |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Hardcover & paperback |
| Pages | 287 pp |
| OCLC | 752876668 |
| LC Class | PZ3.F75956 Hap PR6011.O56 |
| Preceded by | Hornblower and the Atropos (1953) |
| Followed by | A Ship of the Line (1938) |
The Happy Return (Beat to Quarters in the US) is the first of the Horatio Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester. It was published in 1937. The American title is derived from the expression "beat to quarters", which was the signal to prepare for combat. This book is sixth by internal chronology of the series (including the unfinished Hornblower and the Crisis). Hornblower's past history as described here does not entirely accord with his history as revealed in the stories written later, but Forester never revised the book.
It is one of three Hornblower novels adapted for the British-American film Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N., released in 1951.
- ^ The Observer, 27 January 1937, "This Week's Diary", London, p 6