Desolation Island (Paperback)

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The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian 4.2 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.99

The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian 4.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.99

The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.39

H.M.S."Surprise" by Patrick O'Brian 4.4 out of 5 stars (7)  £6.39

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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 'In a highly competitive field it goes straight to the top. A real first-rater.' Mary Renault 'I never enjoyed a novel about the sea more. It is not only that the author describes the handling of a ship of 1800 with an accuracy that is as comprehensible as it is detailed, a remarkable feat in itself. Mr O'Brian's three chief characters are drawn with no less depth of sympathy than the vessels he describes, a rare achievement save in the greatest writers of this genre. It deserves the widest readership.' Irish Times

A sequel to The Mauritius Command (1970), which was the opening salvo in the Capt. Jack Aubrey series about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Once again Jack's dear friend Dr. Stephen Maturin is also aboard, so they have the opportunity to indulge themselves in their cello and violin duets. And the romantic intrigue this time is supplied by French agent Mrs. Wogan, who's been captured by the British and is being shipped as a prisoner to Botany Bay aboard Aubrey's new command, the Leopard. Aubrey has been having a hard time ashore, losing a fortune gambling and buying horses while his wife frets silently with the children, and it's much against his will that he accepts the commission to haul convicts to Australia. On the other hand, Dr. Maturin is fighting an addiction to tincture of laudanum, and needs the time at sea. (He is soon masterfully fighting shipboard plague, tooth decay, and scurvy.) A battle with a Dutch ship in Antarctic waters ruins the Leopard's rudder, and the ship lays over at Desolation Island until a passing American vessel can be induced to give them a forge. The usual action ensues - but O'Brian's literate, clear-eyed realism should draw a slightly broader audience than most nautical fare. (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Description
Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. All eighteen books are being re-issued in hardback by HarperCollins with stunning new jackets to coincide with a new film based on the adventures and to introduce these modern classics to a new generation. Commissioned to rescue Governor Bligh of Bounty fame, Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend and surgeon, 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 ingredients of a wonderfully powerful and dramatic O'Brian novel are heightened by descriptive writing of rare quality. Nowhere in contemporary prose have the majesty and terror of the sea been more effectively rendered than in the thrilling chase through an Antarctic storm in which Jack's ship, under-manned and out-gunned, is the quarry not the hunter.

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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 Browse Sample Pages
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6 Reviews 5 star:  (6) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best in the series, 25 Sep 2003 By  negativtoo "'nuff said" (Hamburg) - See all my reviews This review is from: Desolation Island (Aubrey-Maturin) (Paperback) 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. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars "Not So Lucky" Jack Aubrey!, 27 Dec 2001 By A Customer 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! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The first time I have ever clapped after finishing a book!, 20 Jul 1999 By A Customer This review is from: Desolation Island (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). Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 6 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars 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 18 months ago by C. Harman 5.0 out of 5 stars 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 5.0 out of 5 stars 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 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 6 customer reviews...

Aubrey and Maturin series - in order: A list by S. Hunt "stephen--hunt"   PATRICK O'BRIAN 'Aubrey & Maturin' Novels - In Order: A list by A. Rose   my historic fiction top 10: A list by dph Create a Listmania! list

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