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The Mauritius Command: Aubrey/Maturin series, book 4
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Ashore without a command--and on half pay to boot--Jack Aubrey's prayers are answered when Stephen Maturin shows up with a secret mission for him. The two men have been ordered to the Cape of Good Hope. There they hope to dislodge the French garrisons on the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion. Alas, two of their own colleagues--a dilettante and a martinet--prove to be nearly as great an obstacle as the French themselves. --Amazon.com
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 has written splendid novels — of which The Mauritius Command is the latest — recounting episodes in the lives of the naval officer Jack Aubrey and his friend the saturnine Irish physician, Stephen Maturin… Taken together, the novels are a brilliant achievement. They display staggering erudition on almost all aspects of early nineteenth-century life, with impeccable period detail. [Compared to Bush and Hornblower] Aubrey and Maturin are subtler, richer items; in addition, Patrick O’Brian has a gift for the comic which Forester lacks.’ T.J. Binyon, Times Literary Supplement
‘O’Brian has a monumental knowledge of Naval history of the time. Nothing is glamorised. The press gangings, the floggings, the squalor are all here. But here, too, are heroism and humour.’ Mark Kahn, Sunday Mirror
‘The Mauritius Command is outstanding’
Observer
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First Sentence
Captain Aubrey of the Royal Navy lived in a part of Hampshire well supplied with sea-officers, some of whom had reached flag-rank in Rodney's day while others were still waiting for their first command. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Captain Aubrey of the Royal Navy lived in a part of Hampshire well supplied with sea-officers, some of whom had reached flag-rank in Rodney's day while others were still waiting for their first command. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am gradually working my through the Aubrey/Maturin novels and it has been an absolute pleasure.
This book continues the series in fine style, with O'Brian's narrative changing pace to suit the events being described to perfection. His descriptions of ship to ship action in the age of sail are quite simply the best I have read. But in this book he also contrasts this with the dreary monotony of home life for the Royal Navy captain on half pay who longed for the sea.
The scene setting by O'Brian really allows you to imagine what the Mauritius area was like in the time of fighting sail. But he is equally adept at painting a picture of his characters as he is at describing locations, the states of the sea and naval maneuveres. I felt this was especially evident in this novel where Aubrey is joined by three other captains whose relationships and rivalries are brought to the fore and add a great deal of interest to the story.
I enjoyed 'The Mauritius Command' more than any other O'Brian book thus far so my advice is if you liked his others you'll love this so buy it!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was the first book that I bought, mainly because it was in the part of the Indian Ocean to which I am well acquainted. At times all the sea battles get a bit confusing but it is in the dialogue and in the use of the English language which makes the book special. I loved the comment by Aubrey that he had to return to Bourbon (Reunion) island to get more bourbon coffee - better than the stuff he got in Mauritius - The Bourbon Pointu is actually being grown again...anyway, it is an interesting book about a forgotten chapter in British Marine History when we took the islands of Rodriguez, Mauritius and Bourbon (La Réunion). Lets hear a Huzzah for Capt. Aubrey !
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Patrick O'Brian has the skill to take you on a journey which, although based on fictional characters, carries you to an exciting and different age, to a world being forged by men with character and determination. This book is no exception. Anyone who has read the dry factual accounts of this campaign in the Indian Ocean in 1810, will be held captive by Mr O'Brians Jack Aubrey, leading a dull domestic life which many of us who perhaps seek adventure recognise, given a command, a commodores pennant, and in the company of Stephen Maturin travels to The Cape of Good Hope to again deal with the French fleet. His acting rank also sees him managing the contrasting Captains under his command.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thrilling battles
Captain Jack Aubrey raises his game and proves more than capable of commanding a fleet - setting aside opportunities for personal gain for the good of the service. Read more
Published 7 months ago by JoTownhead
A welcome return
Several years after last reading an Aubrey-Maturin saga, I've picked this up and read it. Wonderful prose: easy to read and, yet, quality. Read more
Published 11 months ago by G. D. Busby
Great
I would have given this a 5 star rating, but one downside to the author's early Aubrey / Maturin books, is the seemingly dire need to tell the reader about every inch of every... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. J. M. Haines
o'brian series
I first read Master and Commander when my wife bought me the boxed set of the first three novels when they were first published. Read more
Published on 15 May 2010 by The storyteller
Well written and a good read
Bought this for a holiday to Mauritius and thoroughly recommend it - a good mixture of historical account and gripping plotlines. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by J. Lemon
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