- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; first edition, edition (5 May 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002221454
- ISBN-13: 978-0002221450
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 933,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Desolation Island: Aubrey/Maturin series, book 5
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Product Description
Review
'... full of the energy that comes from a writer having struck a vein... Patrick O'Brian is unquestionably the Homer of the Napoleonic wars.' James Hamilton-Paterson 'You are in for the treat of your lives. Thank God for Patrick O'Brian: his genius illuminates the literature of the English language, and lightens the lives of those who read him.' Kevin Myers, Irish Times 'Seldom has it been my pleasure and thrill to have the terror and majesty of the sea more graphically depicted.' Irish Independent 'Unlike most sea-writers, Mr O'Brian has humour and human nature at his command as well as high adventure. There is good history, fascinating erudition, espionage, romance, fever in the hold, wreck in lost latitudes and an action at sea that for sheer descriptive power can match anything in sea-fiction.' Christopher Wordsworth, Guardian 'Without intending to sacrilege C.S. Forester, for me Mr O'Brian's timbers are as sound, his historical soundings as deep, his power to impress and excite with the mystique of a ship under sail as great, and he packs more humour and writing into his books.' Stephen Vaughan, Observer ' Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey books are sheer delight.' Guardian
Review
‘…full of the energy that comes from a writer having struck a vein… Patrick O’Brian is unquestionably the Homer of the Napoleonic wars.’
James Hamilton-Paterson
‘You are in for the treat of your lives. Thank God for Patrick O’Brian: his genius illuminates the literature of the English language, and lightens the lives of those who read him.’
Kevin Myers, Irish Times
Patrick O’Brian is unquestionably the Homer of the Napoleonic wars.’ James Hamilton- Paterson
‘You are in for the treat of your lives. Thank God for Patrick O’Brian: his genius illuminates the literature of the English language, and lightens the lives of those who read him.’ Kevin Myers, Irish Times
‘In a highly competitive field it goes straight to the top. A real first-rater.’ Mary Renault
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The breakfast-parlour was the most cheerful room in Ashgrove Cottage, and although the builders had ruined the garden with heaps of sand and unslaked lime and bricks, and although the damp walls of the new wing in which this parlour stood still smelt of plaster, the sun poured in, blazing on the covered silver dishes and lighting the face of Sophie Aubrey as she sat there waiting for her husband. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
The breakfast-parlour was the most cheerful room in Ashgrove Cottage, and although the builders had ruined the garden with heaps of sand and unslaked lime and bricks, and although the damp walls of the new wing in which this parlour stood still smelt of plaster, the sun poured in, blazing on the covered silver dishes and lighting the face of Sophie Aubrey as she sat there waiting for her husband. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is easily one of the best books inthe Aubrey/Maturin series of O'Brian - set a few years after "Mauritius Command" it sends Captain Aubrey and faithful Dr. Maturin back into the landless, vast and eternally stormy seas of the southern Indian Ocean - in an old tired frigate of ill-repute, stuffed with a plague ridden crew, convicts for the Australian colony and a beautiful spy in the hold, as well as rotten timbers, a quarrelling set of officers and a tireless foe on their heels. More than enough to keep both the captain and the doctor/spy busy and on their toes, the dialogue loaded in the typical "low-key" way and the reader glued to the pages.
The running battle with the Dutchman is easily one of the best (and most remarkable deadly ) actions in the entire series.
Oh, and the readers get treated to some wrecking and life-boat frollicking, too. No more could be asked for.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A turning point in the series! After the success' Aubrey has in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean in the early novels in 'Desolation Island' O'Brian shows another side of Jack Aubreys luck as he faces disease, storms, enemy chases in treacherous seas and is nearly ship-wrecked! The intelligence world of Maturin is delved into in more depth as he spins his webs of deception around an on board enemy spy. It is hard to find a great book in a fantastic series but for me this one stands out just that little bit more. If Amazon would let me I would give it 6 stars!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've been working my way through the Aubrey Maturin series, with each of the first few books amazingly outdoing the previous ones.
I am now trying to ration myself in an attempt to avoid tearing through the lot in one mad dash.
Desolation Island was a fantastic read, finishing with the dramatic control of a masterly writer, it really did have me clapping to myself (to be fair I was probably becoming slightly deranged due to loss of sleep - it was 4am).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Masters of their trades
Captain Jack Aubrey's seamanship skills interweave with ship surgeon Stephen Maturin's extra-curricular espionage activity as they journey together once again. Read more
Published 7 months ago by JoTownhead
Genius - pure genius
In my humble opinion it is almost impossible to review just one of the books in the A-M cycle: to review one is to review them all. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Crookedmouth
adventure on the high seas
a wonderful tale of daring and adventure.captain jack is believable , daring and yet
slightly naive.
slightly naive.
Published 18 months ago by barbarian
Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian
Anyone who loves adventure, the sea, plus amazing writing and characterisation will love this book. A part of the series of about Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his... Read more
Published 23 months ago by C Taylor
The best in the series so far
Despite being based around the now familiar journey to the southern seas, O'Brain manages to hold one's attention on every page. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2008 by C. Harman
The best of the series
The peak book in the Aubrey Maturin series, where the pace and humour balances perfectly.
Published on 14 Jan 2000
Breathtaking
I've read all the classic and contemporary authors. This is the best Novel of all. Loathe though I am to pick a favourite O'Brian (surely the only decent writer alive) this just... Read more
Published on 19 Oct 1999 by j.a.hopkinson@btinternet.com
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