Books

Green cloth, lettered in silver to the spine. To the half title it is signed by Forester, without inscription. A bit of light staining along the lower few inches of the cover fore edges. There is also some staining at the mid-page fore edges, near the front and rear of the text. Former owner name and date to the front pastedown. Very tight. The dust jacket also shows staining along the fore edge flaps. Chips to the spine ends and corners. Some darkening to the spine. Light soiling and other lesser edge wear. Original price of 7/6 to the lower, front flap. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 287 pages; Signed by Author.

The Happy Return is the first novel in the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. The book portrays the adventures of the fictional naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars as he sails to Central America on a secret mission for the British government.

Identifying first edition can vary, but common methods include checking the publisher's information page for the words 'First Edition', along with dates or numbers that indicate first printing.