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Post Captain (Hardcover)

by Patrick O'Brian (Author) "At first dawn the swathes of rain drifting eastwards across the Channel parted long enough to show that the chase had altered course ..." (more)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; First Thus edition (27 Jan 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0002216574
  • ISBN-13: 978-0002216579
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.6 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 493,591 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #85 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > O > O'Brian, Patrick

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Product Description

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 edition.

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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At first dawn the swathes of rain drifting eastwards across the Channel parted long enough to show that the chase had altered course. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars High standard maintained by O'Brian, 19 Jun 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Post Captain (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 ?

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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly one of the best historical novelists of all time, 24 Oct 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Post Captain (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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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fine sequel to Master and Commander, 1 Jan 2008
This review is from: Post Captain (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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 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 2 months ago by Stephen Town

3.0 out of 5 stars A mess, but sometimes an interesting and amusing one
A friend is very keen on these Patrick O'Brian books and I was persuaded to read "Master and Commander", the first in the series. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Steve W.

5.0 out of 5 stars A major contribution to Naval history and wonderful read
Patrick O'Brian's work is in a class of it's own.

Having read every one of Aubrey/Maturin stories, I found the characters rich and the stories riveting... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Night Bird

5.0 out of 5 stars Winner all the way
For anyone who hasn't come accross Patrick O'Brian and his two Heros Maturin and Aubrey, you have a treat in store. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. P. A. Bullen

1.0 out of 5 stars A real struggle
Being half way through this book, I am becoming more and more despondent and totally confused by the constant use of 18th century Naval parlance. Read more
Published on 16 July 2007 by Mr. C. Cooper

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacks Fluency
I'm struggling with Post Captain as I did with Master and Commander (which I didn't finish). I am up to page 152 and have found this an interminably difficult read. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2007 by Mr. R. Davies

4.0 out of 5 stars Splice the mainbrace! Ahoy there!
As entertaining as ever, this instalment of Aubrey's and Maturin's adventures was spoiled quite a bit by an unbelievably tedious first 100 pages -- yes, a whole 100 pages! Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2006 by possiblejersey

2.0 out of 5 stars A Great Historical Novel?
Perhaps it is because I am a landlubber, hailing from about as far away from water as you can get in the UK - unless of course, you include the West Midlands canal network - but I... Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2005 by benjamenline

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