C. S. Forester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
C. S. Forester
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| Born | Cecil Louis Troughton Smith 27 August 1899 Cairo, Khedivate of Egypt |
| Died | 2 April 1966 (aged 66) Fullerton, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Adventure, drama, sea stories |
| Spouse |
Kathleen Belcher
(m. 1926; div. 1945)Dorothy Foster
(m. 1947) |
| Children | 2 (John and George) |
Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (born August 27, 1899 – died April 2, 1966) was a British writer. He is better known by his pen name, C. S. Forester. He wrote many exciting adventure stories, especially about naval warfare.
His most famous works are the 12 books in the Horatio Hornblower series. These books follow a brave Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic Wars. Two of his Hornblower books, A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours, won an award in 1938. Forester also wrote The African Queen (1935), which became a famous 1951 movie. Another of his books, The Good Shepherd (1955), was made into the 2020 film Greyhound, starring Tom Hanks.
Contents
Early Life and Education
C. S. Forester was born in Cairo, Egypt. When he was young, his family moved to London, England. There, he attended Alleyn's School and Dulwich College.
He started studying medicine at Guy's Hospital. However, he decided to leave before finishing his degree. Forester was tall and somewhat athletic. But he wore glasses and was slender. This meant he could not join the Army during wartime. Around 1921, he began writing seriously, using his pen name.
Working During World War II
During the Second World War, Forester moved to the United States. He worked for the British Ministry of Information. His job was to write stories and articles. These writings encouraged the U.S. to join the Allies in the war. He eventually settled in Berkeley, California.
In 1942, while living in Washington, D.C., he met Roald Dahl. Dahl later became a famous children's author. Forester encouraged Dahl to write about his experiences as a pilot in the RAF. This led Dahl to write his first story.
C. S. Forester's Books
Forester wrote many novels. He is most famous for his 12-book Horatio Hornblower series. These books are about an officer in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He started the series with Hornblower already high in rank. But readers wanted to know more about Hornblower's earlier life. So, Forester wrote more books showing Hornblower's rise from a young midshipman. The last completed Hornblower novel was published in 1962.
Hornblower's adventures were based on real historical events. However, Forester carefully wrote the stories. He made sure Hornblower was always on another mission when big naval battles happened. This way, his fictional character did not interfere with real history.
Other Novels and Stories
Besides Hornblower, Forester wrote other popular novels. These include The African Queen (1935). He also wrote The General (1936). He wrote two novels about the Peninsular War: Death to the French and The Gun. The Gun was made into a movie called The Pride and the Passion.
Forester also wrote other exciting sea stories. These do not feature Hornblower. Examples include Brown on Resolution (1929) and The Ship (1943). His book Hunting the Bismarck (1959) was used for the film Sink the Bismarck!. Many of his novels have been turned into films.
He also wrote short stories set during the Second World War. The stories in The Nightmare (1954) were about events in Nazi Germany. Other short story collections include The Man in the Yellow Raft (1969) and Gold from Crete (1971). One story, If Hitler Had Invaded England, imagines what would have happened if Hitler had tried to invade England.
Forester also wrote non-fiction books about the sea. The Age of Fighting Sail (1956) tells about sea battles between Great Britain and the United States in the War of 1812.
Children's Books
C. S. Forester also wrote two books for children. Poo-Poo and the Dragons (1942) was a series of stories. He told them to his son George to encourage him to eat his meals. George had some food allergies. The Barbary Pirates (1953) is a children's history book. It is about pirates from the early 1800s.
In 2003, a previously unknown novel by Forester was found. It was called The Pursued. This book was published in 2011.
Personal Life
C. S. Forester married Kathleen Belcher in 1926. They had two sons, John (born 1929) and George (born 1933). They divorced in 1945. In 1947, he married Dorothy Foster.
Forester passed away in Fullerton, California, on April 2, 1966. His son, John Forester, later wrote a biography about his father.
Movies Based on His Books
Many of C. S. Forester's books have been made into movies and TV shows. He was also credited for adapting some of his own work for the screen.
Here are some of the films based on his stories:
- Payment Deferred (1932)
- Brown on Resolution (1935)
- Eagle Squadron (1942)
- Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942)
- Forever and a Day (1943)
- Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) – based on several Hornblower novels
- The African Queen (1951)
- Sailor of the King (1953) – also based on Brown on Resolution
- The Pride and the Passion (1957) – based on The Gun
- Sink the Bismarck! (1960) – based on The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck
- Hornblower (1998–2003 TV series) – based on several early Hornblower novels
- Greyhound (2020) – based on The Good Shepherd
See also
In Spanish: Cecil Scott Forester para niños
- Honor Harrington – a fictional space captain inspired by Horatio Hornblower
- Patrick O'Brian – author of the Aubrey–Maturin series
- Dudley Pope – author of the Ramage series
- Richard Woodman - author of the Nathaniel Drinkwater series
- Douglas Reeman (writing as Alexander Kent) - The Bolitho novels
