Collection Summary
Information for Researchers
Administrative Information
Biographical Information
Scope and Content of Collection
Collection Summary
Collection Title: C.S. Forester papers
Date (inclusive): 1940-1964
Collection Number: BANC MSS 72/250 c
Creators :
Forester, C. S. (Cecil Scott), 1899-1966
Extent:
Number of containers: 3 cartons, 1 box, 5 volumes, 2 oversize folders
Linear feet: 6.2 linear feet
Repository: The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: The C.S. Forester Papers (1940-1964, bulk undated) contain
manuscripts for Forester's writings in a variety of genres, both published and unpublished.
Most materials appear to be final typescripts, although some works exist in multiple or
corrected drafts.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite
and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17,
U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of
University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of
the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited
without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively
with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], C.S. Forester Papers, BANC MSS 72/250 c, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Related Collections
Sylvanus Griswold Morley papers, 1896-1969, BANC MSS 77/85 c
Armchair Strategists Society records, [ca.1941-1946], BANC MSS 79/20 c
Separated Material
Photographs have been transferred to the Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library
(BANC PIC 19xx.062--AX). Recording of an interview with George R. Stewart transferred to
the Phonotape Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Forester, C. S. (Cecil Scott),
1899-1966--Archives
Hornblower, Horatio (Fictitious
character)--Fiction
Authors, English--20th century
Clippings.
Manuscripts for publication.
Galley proofs (Printing)
Administrative Information
Accruals
No additions are expected.
System of Arrangement
Arranged to the folder level.
Processing Information
Processed by Arcadia Falcone in 2009.
Biographical Information
C.S. Forester (1899-1966) was an author and historian best known for his tales of seafaring
life. His most famous works are the 11-volume Horatio Hornblower series, set during the era
of the Napoleonic Wars, and the novel
The African Queen,
adapted into a film by John Huston in 1951. Born in Cairo to British parents and educated in
England, Forester settled in California at the end of World War II, where he lived until his
death.
Scope and Content of Collection
The C.S. Forester Papers (1940-1964, bulk undated) contain manuscripts for Forester's
writings in a variety of genres, both published and unpublished. Most materials appear to be
final typescripts, although some works exist in multiple or corrected drafts.
Fiction writings represented comprise novels and short stories, including the published
works
Hornblower and the Atropos (1953),
Hornblower and the Hotspur (1962), and
The
Nightmare
(1954). The collection also includes manuscripts of what appear to be
two unpublished novels:
The Perfect Lady and
Tranquil God.
Non-fiction writings in the collection include book-length texts and articles. Present are
multiple typescript drafts and galley proofs for
The Age of Fighting
Sail
(1956), as well as related correspondence; drafts and proofs for
The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck (1959); and drafts and notes
for an unpublished piece,
Leyte Gulf, with correspondence
regarding a possible film adaptation.
The collection also contains autobiographical pieces in which Forester reflects upon his
own experiences and writings, including a draft and proofs for
The
Hornblower Companion
(1964). Writings in other genres include several drafts of a
play entitled
The Furies, apparently unproduced; short works
of criticism, mainly in the form of book reviews and introductions; and a series of
"Ballades", with related correspondence.
General materials include clippings; a small amount of correspondence with publishers and
others; notes and research materials; a screenplay and publicity material for two films
adapted from Forester's texts; a program from
Nurse Cavell
(1933), a play co-written by Forester; works by other writers sent to Forester; and an
artfully aged page from a "diary" attributed to Horatio Hornblower.