Aubrey/Maturin Novels: Master and Commander (Series #1) (Edition 40) (Paperback)

from ctpress

This is Jane Austen on a ship of war, with the humanity, joy and pathos of Shakespeare. (quote from a blog-review) The praise and accolade for Patrick O'Brians 20-novel long Napoleonic naval series are worth attention. And I agree. This first one in the series was just great. You are instantly br...

from SeriousGrace

For starters, Master and Commander is an excellent lesson in naval warships. The dense nautical terminology will make your eyes go dry if you let it. There are many areas where the plot and dialogue altogether cease making it an arid read. Amidst the didactic seagoing vessel lesson 19th century B...

from Napoleonicus

The year is 1800 and the place is Port Mahon, Minorca. The island is a British possession since 1713, and a base of operations of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. There, Lieutenant John "Jack" Aubrey, a naval officer, enjoyed some shore time. During a concert at the governor's mansion, he...

from denmoir

This is good writing. Compare O'Brian's approach to the reader with that of countless popular writers who tediously explain technical terms, assuming we are all morons. The same authors display their technical knowledge self-consciously, knowing their own deficiencies. O'Brian assumes we will fin...

from Jenson_AKA_DL

Wow, this is one of the most difficult books I've read through to the end. The nautical terminology used was like reading a foreign language. I did pick up a companion guide called "A Sea of Words" which was helpful, but really, there was so much I didn't understand I would have had to stop readi...