Why would the Admiralty chose a man such as Hornblower to prosecute the mission to the Baltic Sea? Considering Hornblower's orders, do you think any measure of success short of complete success would be acceptable to the Admiralty?

Once appointed commodore, Hornblower passed up many senior captains to request Captain Bush be assigned command of Nonsuch. Why do you think Hornblower takes such comfort in having a subordinate such as Bush during times of war?

If you could command any vessel in Hornblower's flotilla, which would you take? Why? Discuss the various weapons used on the various ships; which ship proved most successful in the Baltic campaign? Why?

A modern map does not show several of the political entities discussed in the novel. What happened to these entities? Why does Swedish Pomerania no longer exist? Discuss the history of the Baltic Area in general...