- Hardcover
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies (1 July 1994)
- ISBN-10: 0070480567
- ISBN-13: 978-0070480568
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
The Golden Ocean
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Product Description
Review
‘The story has in it something like greatness. It is naive, matter-of-fact; tragic, richly funny; closely detailed but with a bold sweeping action. It goes on that very small shelf reserved for authors who, disregarding aptitudes spin a story out of the heart and soul of their experience and the joy of living.’
TLS
Product Description
The first novel Patrick O’Brian ever wrote about the sea – and the precursor to the famous Aubrey/Maturin series – is now available in paperback for the first time in forty years.
The Golden Ocean is the first novel Patrick O’Brian ever wrote about the sea. The novel shares the same sense of excitement and the rich humour of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, invoking the eloquent style and attention to historical detail that O’Brian readers admire so much.
The protagonist of this story is Peter Palafox, son of a poor Irish parson, who signs on as a midshipman, never before having seen a ship. He is a fellow who would have delighted the young Stephen Maturin or Jack Aubrey… and quarrelled with them as well. Together with his life-long friend Sean, Peter sets out to seek his fortune, embarking on a journey of danger, disappointment, foreign lands and excitement.
Written in 1956, this is a tale certain to please not only the many admirers of O’Brian, but any reader with an adventurous soul.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
'GOOD-BYE,' THEY WERE ALL CRYING. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
'GOOD-BYE,' THEY WERE ALL CRYING. Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the story of Anson's expedition of 1740, round the Horn to a then almost unknown Pacific, crossing to Manila, and capturing one of the richest treasure galleons of any time. Although the story is told as fiction, all the facts are from the contemporary accounts and are historically correct. If you've read a Patrick O'Brian book before, you know you're in for a real treat. If you haven't, this is a good place to start. The expedition suffers horrendous weather, scurvy and other diseases, sea dangers, and loses four of its five ships on the way to its final huge success. The expedition had real-world effects long afterwards; Anson's first lieutenant, Saunders, later comanded the naval expedition that took Wolfe and his army up the St Lawrence to Quebec. (If you like this book, also read "The Unknown Shore" by the same author, which tells the story of the Wager, another of the original five ships. It was wrecked on the shore of Patagonia; how the few survivors coped with the almost unimaginable hardships they faced, is just stunning).
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Golden Ocean is the first of Patrick O'Brian's seafaring novels, and it's one of a pair set during Commodore Anson's circumnavigation of the globe in 1740 (the other is the Unknown Shore). These books came immediately before the 20 novel Aubrey-Maturin series, so if you are looking for the starting point for O'Brian's naval stories, this is it.
Anyone who has ever read and enjoyed one of these novels knows that once you have read far enough to be hooked, it becomes incredibly difficult to read not only other historical fiction, but almost any other fiction at all, because everything else seems so flat and worthy by comparison. The breadth and depth of detail, the lightness and humour, the contemporary attitudes and speech patterns -- all are so rich and so believable that it's almost impossible to believe the author didn't somehow experience it all at first hand.
This style is well-established even at this early stage, and the Golden Ocean is still one of his best novels. It's also very difficult not to see some of the seeds of Jack Aubrey's character in Peter Palafox - even though it's worth bearing in mind that the setting is quite far removed in time. Very highly recommended.
Anyone who has ever read and enjoyed one of these novels knows that once you have read far enough to be hooked, it becomes incredibly difficult to read not only other historical fiction, but almost any other fiction at all, because everything else seems so flat and worthy by comparison. The breadth and depth of detail, the lightness and humour, the contemporary attitudes and speech patterns -- all are so rich and so believable that it's almost impossible to believe the author didn't somehow experience it all at first hand.
This style is well-established even at this early stage, and the Golden Ocean is still one of his best novels. It's also very difficult not to see some of the seeds of Jack Aubrey's character in Peter Palafox - even though it's worth bearing in mind that the setting is quite far removed in time. Very highly recommended.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love this book, and have just finished a second reading. It might seem strange to call a tale of such hardships a lovely book, but the tone of the writing is lighthearted and cheerful, echoing the attitude of the leading participants. The main characters are human and lovable, and the writing is quite funny. A book to read when you want to escape your own life and at the same time realise what a cushy life you actually have.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Patrick O Brian
Have used Amazon with a few exceptions to acquire all the Aubrey/Maturin books before starting to read them Was not aware of earlier works so was delighted to find this still... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Bwncath
A wonderful sea-faring story!
This book by Patrick O'Brian is a fantastic book for it is telling us the tale of the circumnavigation of the globe by Commodore Anson in HMS Centurion from 1740-1744. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Clemens Schoonderwoert
Good Enough
Good enough to rate 4 stars. An interesting tale pre-dating the Aubrey/Maturin series but not in the same league. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by Ecce
A brilliant book
I have read most of Patrick O'Brian's books but I keep coming back to this one. It is easy to read and I love the sense of humour in it. Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2005
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