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 construction, command hierarchy and fighting.
It is not perfect but it is good. Some of the organisation of data is a little erratic; for example the canons are described in one chapter and the carronades in another. Also I would have like a much more ordered description of the different types of ships: sloops, brigs, corvettes, schooners, frigates, ships of the line etc. They all get mentioned but sometimes the differences between them are really not clear, especially between the smaller one. But on the whole it does make a good companion and certainly helps when it comes to deciphering some of the nautical terms.
4/5 stars
It is not perfect but it is good. Some of the organisation of data is a little erratic; for example the canons are described in one chapter and the carronades in another. Also I would have like a much more ordered description of the different types of ships: sloops, brigs, corvettes, schooners, frigates, ships of the line etc. They all get mentioned but sometimes the differences between them are really not clear, especially between the smaller one. But on the whole it does make a good companion and certainly helps when it comes to deciphering some of the nautical terms.
4/5 stars
