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In the SpotlightThe 'Aubrey and Maturin' books of Patrick O'BrianWhat can I say about these books that hasn't already been said? I discovered Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series about the fictional Jack Aubrey just a few months before O'Brian sadly died (he had just finished the last of the series). The series is set at the start of the 19th century, and follows the fortunes of Aubrey, a naval officer in the British Royal Navy, from his early days in the service through the many ups and downs he experiences as he progresses through the ranks. Early in his career he meets and forms a firm friendship with Stephen Maturin - physician, natural philosopher and eventually one of Britain's most valuable secret agents. One of the many strengths of these books is the marvellous characterisation, from the smallest "walk-on" parts through to the main characters themselves. As you progress through the series, you get a very real sense of gradually getting to know these characters as they get to know each other. The books are also notable for their period detail - O'Brian was a meticulous researcher. But the detail never intrudes. On the contrary, the level of detail contributes to the very real sense of "being there", of looking over the characters' shoulders. If you enjoy historical fiction, excellent characterisation and naval history, you will thoroughly enjoy these books; and with 20 books in the series, there is plenty to enjoy. By the way - this is one of those series that is best read in order. And do look out for the episode where Stephen takes a swarm of bees on board the ship - I ended up in tears from laughing so much! -- Donna Smillie List of titlesNote: The audio cassette editions listed here are mostly abridged editions. See the Amazon.co.uk description for details.
Aubrey/Maturin Series 20-Volume Complete Cloth Set
Master and Commander
Synopsis: The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamber music recital. Fortunately for millions of readers, the two quickly make up. Then they commence one of the great literary voyages of our century, set against an immaculately detailed backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This is the place to start - and in all likelihood, you won't be able to stop. Post Captain
Synopsis: The year is 1803, and that scalliwag Napoleon Bonaparte has gone to war again. For Captain Jack Aubrey, who has fled to France to escape his creditors, this is doubly alarming news. In short order the captain is interned, makes his escape across the French countryside, then leads a ship into battle. And again, his adventures are cleverly counterpointed by those of his alter ego Stephen Maturin. H.M.S. Surprise
Synopsis: This novel follows the variable fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey's career in Nelson's navy, as he attempts to hold his ground against admirals, colleagues and the enemy, accepting a commission to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. The voyage takes him and his friend Stephen Maturin to the strange sights and smells Indian sub-continent, and through the archipelago of spice islands where the French have a strong local superiority. The Mauritius Command
Synopsis: Ashore without a command--and on half pay to boot--Jack Aubrey's prayers are answered when Stephen Maturin shows up with a secret mission for him. The two men have been ordered to the Cape of Good Hope. There they hope to dislodge the French garrisons on the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion. Alas, two of their own colleagues--a dilettante and a martinet--prove to be nearly as great an obstacle as the French themselves. Desolation Island
Synopsis: Commissioned to rescue Governor Bligh of Bounty fame, Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend Stephen Maturin sail the "Leopard" to Australia with a hold full of convicts. Among them is a beautiful and dangerous spy - and a treacherous disease which decimates the crew. The Fortune of War
Synopsis: Captain Jack Aubrey, R.N., sails the storm-beaten H.M.S. Leopard into harbour in the Dutch East Indies to find himself appointed to the command of the fastest and best-armed frigate in the Navy. He and his friend Stephen Maturin take passage for England, but the war of 1812 against the United States breaks out while they are en route. Bloody actions precipitate them both into new and unexpected scenes where Stephen's past activities as a secret agent return to him with a vengeance. The Surgeon's Mate
Synopsis: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are ordered home by despatch vessel to bring the news of their latest victory to the government. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attentions of two privateers soon become menacing. The Ionian Mission
Synopsis: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin return to the seas where they first sailed as shipmates. A sudden turn of events takes them off on a mission to the Greek islands, where Aubrey's old skills of seamanship and proverbial luck when fighting against odds, come triumphantly into their own. Treason's Harbour
Synopsis: Another novel telling of the exploits of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. This time, the scene is set in a Malta crowded with senior officers, waiting for news of the French and wondering if the war will end before their turn comes for prize money. The Far Side of the World
Synopsis: Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for Cape Horn, determined to intercept an American frigate before it can wreak havoc on the British whaling trade. As always, he is accompanied by intelligence operative Stephen Maturin, and as always, Aubrey has no idea of what his companion is up to. Another impeccably written adventure, by the end of which you should be able to identify a mizzen topsail in your sleep. The Reverse of the Medal
Synopsis: Jack Aubrey is persuaded to make investments in the City on the strength of supposedly certain information. From there he is led into the half-worlds of the London criminal underground and of government espionage - the province of his friend, Stephen Maturin, on whom alone he can rely. The Letter of Marque
Synopsis: When Jack Aubrey is unfairly deprived of his commission in the Royal Navy, Stephen Maturin comes to the rescue, purchasing the captain's former ship and outfitting it as a privateer, to be commanded by none other than Jack Aubrey. Soon the Surprise is off to sea, on a mission that Aubrey hopes will redeem his good name. The author's grasp of period detail is astonishing as ever--and so is his gift for pure entertainment. The Thirteen-Gun Salute
Synopsis: Will Napoleon Bonaparte form an alliance with the Malay princes of the South China Sea? Not if Jack Aubrey can help it. Conveying a diplomatic mission to the Sultan's court, Aubrey and company must also contend with orang-utans, typhoons, and a squadron of wily French envoys. The Nutmeg of Consolation
Synopsis: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are stranded on an uninhabited island in the Dutch East Indies, attacked by ferocious Malay pirates. They manage to escape only to become embroiled in the insidious conflicts of the terrifying penal settlements of New South Wales. Clarissa Oakes
Synopsis: As Jack Aubrey sails away from the hated Australian prison colonies in his favourite vessel, he soon becomes aware that he is out of touch with the mood of his ship. His crew knows, as he does not, that there is a stranger aboard potentially as dangerous as a light in the powder magazine itself. The Wine-Dark Sea
Synopsis: At the opening of a voyage filled with disaster and delight, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are in pursuit of a privateer sailing under American colours through the Great South Sea. Stephen's objective is to set the revolutionary tinder in South America ablaze to relieve the pressure on the British government which, already engaged in a death-struggle with a Europe dominated by Napoleon, has blundered into war with the young and uncomfortably vigorous United States. The Commodore
Synopsis: When Jack Aubrey is promoted to the rank of Commodore and given a squadron of ships to command, his twofold mission involves making a dent in the slave trade off the coast of Africa and intercepting a French fleet carrying weapons to the disaffected Irish. The Yellow Admiral
Synopsis: Life ashore may once again be the undoing of Jack Aubrey. But Stephen Maturin returns from a mission in France with news that the Chileans require the services of English officers. And then an urgent despatch arrives, ordering Jack to Gibraltar: Napoleon has escaped from Elba. The Hundred Days
Synopsis: This story is set in the days succeeding Napoleon's escape from Elba, where Aubrey and Maturin are in the thick of Europe's attempt to prevent the French emperor from regaining his power. Blue at the Mizzen
Synopsis: The final book in the acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series. Napoleon's hundred days of freedom and his renewed threat to Europe have ended at Waterloo. Aubrey and Maturin - at last - set sail on their much postponed mission to Chile. |
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