patrick o'brian

An appropriate title for the thirteenth volume in the series! This is another great book in the on-going saga of the Napoleonic actions of Aubrey and Maturin. Aubrey’s name has been cleared after his unfortunate debacle with the stock market and he is put back on the navy list; something far...

This is the ninth book in O’Brian’s Aubrey and Maturin books. Aubrey is still in the Mediterranean at Malta but currently without a ship as the Surprise awaits repair in the harbour and where Maturin continues to conduct his usual secretive operations. From Malta he is dispatched on a couple of...

This, the eighth Aubrey and Maturing book, is far and away my least favourite in the series so far. In the first two thirds of the book both Aubrey and Maturin are plagued by self-doubts about both their courage and their abilities. Aubrey, already depressed by his legal issues at home, has been...

There’s not much to say about this book other than it continues O’Brian’s generally consistent, good writing in the acclaimed Maturin and Aubrey age of sail series. As always O’Brian describes the sailing and fighting exploits of the Napoleonic British navy sympathetically but without avoiding...

Aubrey is once more ashore on half pay, married now with a daughter (rather than the son he really wants) inevitably short of money again and living in a rather down cottage almost but not quite with a view of the sea. Naturally, despite loving his new family, he is desperate to get back to that...

HMS Surprise, the third book in O’Brian’s series following the fortunes of Stephen Maturin and Jack Aubrey, stands out for me as clearly the best instalment so far. Aubrey, back in debt again, is given command of the HMS Surprise and is given the job of taking a diplomat out to the Far East by...

There was a sputter of discussion on O'Brian and these books at Chrons -- Patrick O'Brian It seems appropriate to have a place here for the discussion of these books. I'm reading my fourth of them, The Fortune of War -- I haven't been trying to read them in sequence. This attracted me as one...

Aubrey and Maturin are landbound and, thanks to Aubrey’s prize money, living comfortably, if somewhat boringly, as rural gents. Romance is on the horizon and after various mishaps both Aubrey’s and Maturin’s interests become painfully convergent, heading towards a catastrophic climax only...

This book provides a very good introduction to the world of Aubrey and Maturin at the time of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It covers the political and social atmosphere of the time along with and pretty well painted backdrop of the navy at the time; the organisation, ship...

Note that if you have previously read any of C S Forester’s Hornblower books, as have I, it’s almost impossible to discuss this book without making comparisons with Hornblower and I will be doing so here. Do not be deceived by the title of this book; other than the main characters it bears...

To an American, these series can at first seem a little indistinguishable. However, I've got a book shop gift card and have been enjoying Shogun so a little more adventure on the high seas seemed appropriate. Anyone have strong feelings one way or the other about which is the better series? Or...

Are there any other fans on here? I got into his books a few years ago after really enjoying the Master and Commander film with Russel Crowe. I'd never even heard of the books before then. I'm not generally interested in anything outside of sci-fi (at least in books), and certainly have never...

any fans? I've looked this series over for years.. always meaning to get started on it. Finally read the first Master and Commander and liked it very much. Looks like I can read for quite some time on the series, what is there 20 or so books?