Horatio Hornblower series, by C. S. Forester

Hornblower is a young man during Napoleon’s takeover of France. His story begins when he is a midshipman on board the HMS Justinian. He slowly moves up the ranks of the English Navy as he battles Napoleon and his allies on the sea in one of the greatest wars of all time. He goes on many adventures: from the stormy waters of the Mediterranean, to the scorching sun of the East Pacific.

The Horatio Hornblower series is one of my personal favorites. It shows what it was really like during the reign of Napoleon. If you are studying this time period, these are great books to pick up, even though they are fiction. I would suggest it for teens throughout adulthood because it has some graphic death scenes and historically accurate hardships of the English Navy.

Fields of the Fatherless, by Elaine Mary Cooper

It’s 1775 and the colonies are almost up in arms. In the little town of Menotomy, Betsy Russell struggles to keep her faith. She can’t decide whether to hate the British redcoats or love them as the Bible says to do. She is torn when her father is brutally killed by the British during the retreat from Concord, and when she is asked to care for a wounded British regular in his final days. Can she do what is right and still find happiness in these dire hours?

Elaine Marie Cooper has written a fantastic book in Fields of the Fatherless. She writes in the old English style and does a fabulous job. Based on a true story, it’s a great evening read.