As with all the Aubrey/Maturin novels, this is an enthralling and exciting read. The clever use of the title of a sultan in the previous book - The Thirteen Gun Salute - as the title of this book is an endearing aspect of Patrick O'Brian's humour. His knowledge of naval life in the early 19th century is an education in itself, and my only reservation is that I really would have liked to have a diagram of the whereabouts of all the below-decks cabins and spaces mentioned in the books, particularly the orlop. Once you have read one of these books, you just have to go on and read the other 20!