Flying Colours

C. S. Forester · first published 1938 · ISBN 9780718101398

Hornblower has been court-martialed and sentenced to death, but escapes from a French prisoner-of-war camp and must traverse war-torn Europe to reach England and clear his name. The novel strips away the ship and crew, forcing Hornblower to rely on wits, nerve, and the kindness of strangers as he moves through hostile territory. It explores what happens when the disciplined structure of command vanishes.