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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 Meyers, 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 sympathy that the vessels he describes, a rare achievement save in the greatest of writers of this genre. It deserves the widest readership.' Irish Times
Review
‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’
James Teacher, Spectator
“Robert Hardy’s reading gives a real feel of salt spray, not to mention a taste of the lash.”
Times on The Fortune of War
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Thick weather in the chops of the Channel and a dirty night, with the strong north-east wind bringing rain from the low sky and racing cloud: Ushant somewhere away on the star-board bow, the Scillies to larboard, but never a light, never a star to be seen; and no observation for the last four days. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Jack receives orders to command a squadron of ships going to West Africa to harrass the slave trade, but also to lay in wait for a convoy of French ships.
As with other books in this series, it isn't the action that makes the book very good. The quality lies in the description of life on the boat, both the daily routine chores, the events and the social life among the men, and especially in the dialogue between Jack and Stephen. We get to know them and their family lives, their lives as navy officer and as scientist, and their friendship and the carefulness with which they live so close together despite their outward and inward differences.
O'Brian is obviously a first-class writer and uses language masterfully to convey a feeling of early 19th century to us, both in choice of words and in wording.
Despite the caption of naval novel, this is a book of dialogue and slowly unfolding life, with short bursts of fast action in between.
After half the book, we set sail again, and Captain Aubrey leads a squadron to West Africa - this time in admirals' uniform. He is 'only' a Commodore, but with Killick we delight in this new rank.
If you are new to the series, don't begin with this book; start with 'Master and Commander', and you'll have a wonderful experience of a sea of books to look forward to.
The joy of O'Brian's writing - his style, the choice of words, his constructions, so familiar, and giving pleasure time and again. These books are very re-readable, too; O'Brian can make me feel pleasure, and pain; when I am sad, he can make me laugh out loud, and you can't say better than that. I believe I am on my seventh read-through, and I hope many more will follow. I think the pleasure might increase in re-reading!
The interaction Jack/Stephen reaches new sensitivities. Stephen hears Jack playing his Guarnieri in the summerhouse at Ashgrove, and realizes Jack has been holding back in their duets - his playing now is masterful, and infinitely sad. Stephen's interactions with his daughter are an absolute delight. And to the connaisseur, Killick saying "no-one can call me nosy..." is almost worth the price of the book by itself.
A delight, an absolute delight.
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