Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Forester, C. S. (Cecil Scott), 1899-1966
- 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Papers (1940-1964, bulk undated) contain manuscripts for Forester's writings in a variety of genres, both published and unpublished.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.
- Extent:
- Number of containers: 3 cartons, 1 box, 5 volumes, 2 oversize folders Linear feet: 6.2 linear feet
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English
Background
- Scope and content:
-
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Papers (1940-1964, bulk undated) contain manuscripts for Forester's writings in a variety of genres, both published and unpublished.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 The collection also includes manuscripts of what appear to be two unpublished novels: The Perfect Lady and Tranquil God.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as related correspondence; drafts and proofs for The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck (1959); and drafts and notes for an unpublished piece, Leyte Gulf, with correspondence regarding a possible film adaptation.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.
- Biographical / historical:
-
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.
- 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.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481