The Happy Return

The Happy Return (Beat to Quarters in the US) was the first of the Horatio Hornblower novels published by C. S. Forester. It appeared in 1937. The American name 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 narrated in the book does not entirely accord with his history as revealed in the books of the series written later, but Forester never revised the book.