Admiral Horatio Hornblower, the fictional swashbuckling and quintessentially English naval hero created by CS Forester, was based on one of Lord Nelson’s Scottish admirals, according to author Bryan Perrett.
In his newly-published book The Real Hornblower, Perrett claims the character’s story closely follows the career of Admiral James Gordon, from Aberdeen, who served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars.
Source: The Times, 17th September 2013.