Post Captain: Aubrey/Maturin series, book 2
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Amazon.co.uk Review
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. --Amazon.com
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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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
‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’
Sunday Times
‘Liveliness and expertise… the hero is vigorous flesh and blood.’
Observer
‘This book sets him at the very top of his genre’
Mary Renault
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This impressive follow up to the very good, 'Master & Commander', follows the mixed fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey, the good natured and garrulous Royal Naval commander and his good friend, the calm and introverted ships surgeon and sometime secret agent Stephen Maturin, as they try to readjust to peace with Bonaparte's France following the Treaty of Amiens.
After indulging in the social life expected of country gentlemen and tying themselves in emotional knots over women in the shape of the graceful and beautiful Sophie Williams and the feisty and attractive Diana Villiers, they are forced to flee England when Jack unexpectedly finds himself in penury following the trickery of his prize agent and the successful appeal by two 'neutrals' (captured ships) whose money he had banked on..
Throughout the book, the naval action is interspersed with three other elements that in effect bind the novel together.
Firstly Jack's financial plight, that sees him living in dread of being arrested for debt. In one riotous episode, Jack is nearly apprehended during a celebration at an inn for Pullings promotion.
Secondly the romantic entanglements of both Jack and Stephen, who find affairs of the heart much more problematic than affairs at sea.
The last binding element is Stephen's spying missions for the Admiralty. These are always undertaken without Jack's knowledge and see him travelling throughout Spain trying to gauge Spain's intentions and the likelihood of a bid for Catalan independence.
An initially ponderous book, that is hard going for the first one hundred pages, it nevertheless comes alive in time to join its predecessor as another fine example of historical fiction set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Let there be no mistake, this is historical fiction from the top drawer. O'Brian's detail and ability to capture the ambience of the period is quite without equal, to all intents and purposes, in both dialogue and attitudes, you are transported nearly two hundred years into the past where as a 'fly on the wall' you can view the adventures of our two incompatible but inseparable heroes. At times the realism of the naval jargon, as orders and instructions are flying to and fro, can leave one feeling a little bewildered, much like a landsman coerced onto Jack's ship, however O'Brian never leaves you in any doubt about the result of all these nautical discourses.
The comedic element is also present. Stephen's inability to observe the rigid naval code of proper etiquette and behaviour is a constant theme in this book. His insistence, for example, on bringing a hive of bees on board the crack frigate 'Lively'whilst dressed in an odd woollen garment is very amusing. I also had to laugh at the drunken antics of the young midshipman Parslow who addressed Jack as 'Goldilocks' on the quarter-deck.
All in all an impressive book, a more than worthy follow-up to the groundbreaking 'Master & Commander' and a book that confirms O'Brian as one of the leaders in the field of historical fiction. If you have read 'Post Captain', having previously read, 'Master & Commander', then it is too late, you are by now most definitely hooked and all O'Brian's other Aubrey and Maturin novels lie in wait.'Where away ?' is the nearest bookshop ?
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Master and Commander was an excellent start to the Aubrey-Maturin series of novels, and the going gets even better with Post Captain. We find Aubrey and Maturin living ashore for a period, which gives O'Brian the chance to show us a romantic side to both their characters that we have not previously seen, with a depiction of early 19th century bourgeois society that Jane Austen would have been proud of. Far from weakening the book (as some reviewers below have suggested), this strengthens it and the series in general, as it fills out the characters and prepares us for what is to follow, not least the jealousy that arises between the two men, the flight from the bailiffs, and Stephen's spying activities.
O'Brian of course serves up the usual fare of sea battles, both at sea, in a French harbour, and on land between Aubrey and the malicious Admiral Harte. What captivates in these books is that O'Brian is not describing perfection. His heroes are clearly flawed and compromised, but this does not prevent us from becoming deeply attached to them. Even the ships in which they sail are far from perfect - in fact, in the case of the Polychrest, it is exactly the opposite.
Another great quality is that one is completely immersed in O'Brian's universe. Although most of the technical descriptions of sailing are beyond my knowledge, it is still a joy to read them used without compromise. Similarly, the descriptions of 19th century medical practices and beliefs are both erudite and fascinating.
The quality of the writing, the delicacy of thought and the narrative drive and excitement in the heat of the action mean that these are not just good historical novels, they are excellent as novels of any genre. I look forward to the next volume!
O'Brian of course serves up the usual fare of sea battles, both at sea, in a French harbour, and on land between Aubrey and the malicious Admiral Harte. What captivates in these books is that O'Brian is not describing perfection. His heroes are clearly flawed and compromised, but this does not prevent us from becoming deeply attached to them. Even the ships in which they sail are far from perfect - in fact, in the case of the Polychrest, it is exactly the opposite.
Another great quality is that one is completely immersed in O'Brian's universe. Although most of the technical descriptions of sailing are beyond my knowledge, it is still a joy to read them used without compromise. Similarly, the descriptions of 19th century medical practices and beliefs are both erudite and fascinating.
The quality of the writing, the delicacy of thought and the narrative drive and excitement in the heat of the action mean that these are not just good historical novels, they are excellent as novels of any genre. I look forward to the next volume!
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had put off reading the Aubrey/Maturin novels; I was still undecided after reading "Master and Commander"; I bought this book (the second in the series) because I had a plane journey ahead - I had finished it and bought the sequel within 24 hours. Patrick O'Brian does not re-create the past - he inhabits it in a uniquely rich, exciting and funny way. I recommend this book heartily - "and wish you of joy of it, for all love."
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Post captain
The Aubrey/Maturin series (21 books in all) is the most authentic, technically and historically accurate set of books of fiction related to the Naval aspects of the Napoleonic... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Tricky Dickie
EXCELLENT VALUE
Bought this with Master & commander and they were my first purchases of second hand books. Both arrived in excellent condition and don't even really look as though they have been... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ruby
Fitful progress
Captain Jack Aubrey's fitful career progression continues, supported by his friend and physician Stephen Maturin. Read more
Published 7 months ago by JoTownhead
REVIEW FOR THE AUDIO VERSION NOT THE BOOK!
First let us start by saying this is a review for the 4CD abridged reading by Robert Hardy Because previous reviews of READ books have been slated as they have been attached to the... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Glenn Cook
Travels with a dancing bear
I first came across these books about ten years ago when a friend gave me Master and Commander - the first book in the Aubrey-Maturin series - as a gift. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Flic
man o war
Excellent sea faring stories of yesteryear,Patrick O,Brian was a master of bringing sea stories to life, with a knowledge of ships and men,interlaced with a good story line. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. D. L. Hughes
Well-written but episodic and a bit rambling...
I've only just started reading the Aubrey-Maturin books and while I found this, the second in the series, more involving than Master and Commander, I can't yet personally agree... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Roman Clodia
Requires commitment, but ultimately rewarding
It took me quite a while to get into this book and then it took me much longer than usual to read it in its entirety. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by J. Cooper
Masterly and Commanding
Who am I to follow so many far more distinguished reviewers of Patrick O'Brian. Suffice to say that if you have not had the pleasure of reading the works of best historical... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2010 by Mr. M. P. D. Onslow
Outstanding
I wondered what all the fuss was about after reading 'Master and Commander', but, very much like an earlier reviewer, I was completely hooked by this book and the rest of this... Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2009 by Stephen Town
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