As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.

Home / People / Charles XIV John of Sweden

Historical person

Charles XIV John of Sweden

1763–1844

Charles XIV John of Sweden was born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in southern France and rose through the Revolutionary army to become one of Napoleon’s marshals. In 1810 the Swedish estates elected him crown prince, expecting military leadership and a secure succession.

He redirected Swedish policy against Napoleon, helped lead the coalition in 1813 and gained Norway for the Swedish crown. He became king in 1818 and founded the dynasty that still occupies the Swedish throne. Charles XIV John of Sweden was born in Pau and died in Stockholm Palace.

C. S. Forester’s Commodore Hornblower encounters Charles XIV John before he was king, as Crown Prince Charles John—better known to contemporaries as Bernadotte—during the diplomatic crisis of 1812. Hornblower’s Baltic squadron is sent to influence Sweden and Russia against Napoleon, placing the French-born Swedish heir inside a shifting coalition of former enemies. His position illustrates the novel’s central strategic problem: Britain must persuade states with their own interests and recent grievances to cooperate against the French emperor.

Series

Historical novels and book series featuring Charles XIV John of Sweden (1 series)

Hornblower Saga in Order

by C. S. Forester 12 books 4.3(138,286)

The Horatio Hornblower novels follow a Royal Navy officer from his first service as a midshipman during the French Revolutionary Wars to senior command after the defeat of Napoleon. The books combine shipboard life, naval combat, intelligence work, diplomacy and the practical burdens of command with Hornblower’s private…

All books in this series

Mr Midshipman Hornblower cover

1. Mr Midshipman Hornblower

First published 1920 · 4.2(25,820)

Read more Amazon

Lieutenant Hornblower cover

2. Lieutenant Hornblower

First published 1983 · 4.4(18,589)

Read more Amazon

Hornblower and the Hotspur cover

3. Hornblower and the Hotspur

First published 2007 · 4.4(16,975)

Read more Amazon

Flying Colours cover

4. Flying Colours

First published 1999 · 4.4(12,113)

Read more Amazon

Hornblower During the Crisis cover

4. Hornblower During the Crisis

First published 1967 · 4.1(7,436)

Read more Amazon

Hornblower and the Atropos cover

5. Hornblower and the Atropos

First published 1953 · 4.3(10,172)

Read more Amazon

Lord Hornblower cover

5. Lord Hornblower

First published 1981 · 4.2(10,462)

Read more Amazon

Beat to Quarters cover

6. Beat to Quarters

First published 1937 · 4.3(12,524)

Read more Amazon

Ship of the Line cover

7. Ship of the Line

First published 1938 · 4.3(8,922)

Read more Amazon

Commodore Hornblower cover

9. Commodore Hornblower

First published 1945 · 4.3(8,672)

Read more Amazon

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies cover

11. Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

First published 1958 · 4.2(6,429)

Read more Amazon

Hornblower’s Temptation and the Last Encounter cover

12. Hornblower’s Temptation and the Last Encounter

First published 1967 · 4.0(172)

Read more Amazon