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This, the first in the splendid series of Jack Aubrey novels, establishes the friendship between Captain Aubrey, Royal Navy, and Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and intelligence agent, against the thrilling backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Details of life aboard a man-of-war in Nelson's navy are faultlessly rendered: the conversational idiom of the officers in the ward room and the men on the lower deck, the food, the floggings, the mysteries of the wind and the rigging, and the road of broadsides as the great ships close in battle.

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Shaking off this label, a shy and lonely 17-year-old, Horatio Hornblower, embarks on a memorable career in Nelson's navy on HMS Justinian. In action, adventure, and battle he is forged into one of the most formidable junior officers in the service.

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Publisher's Summary

The time is the early 1800s, and the British Navy stands as the only bulwark against the militant fanaticism of Napoleonic France. Captain Jack Aubrey, R.N., a brilliant and experienced officer, has been struck off the list of post-captains for a crime he did not commit. His old friend Stephen Maturin, usually cast as a ship's surgeon to mask his discreet activities on behalf of British intelligence, has bought for Aubrey his former ship the Surprise to command as a privateer, more politely termed a letter of marque. Together they sail on a desperate mission against the French which, if successful, may redeem Aubrey from the private hell of his disgrace.

Aubrey, the lion in action, leads a solo night attack on a French port; a jewel of great value is returned to its owner; Dr. Maturin's fondness for tincture of opium takes a more serious turn, and he is at last reunited with his estranged wife, the coldly fascinating Diana Villiers. From such seemingly familiar materials Patrick O' Brian fashions a narrative that is both original and profoundly exciting. This is the twelfth in O'Brian's 20-volume Aubrey/Maturin series.
Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.
©1988 Patrick O'Brian (P)2000 Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)
"No writer alive can move one as O'Brian can; no one can make you laugh so loud with hilarity, whiten your knuckles with unbearable tension or choke with emotion. He is the master." (Irish Times)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

You can start in the middle

You don't have to have read any of the prior books in the series to enjoy this book--or any of the other books in this wonderful series. This one has everything--drama, romance, history, sailing, international intrigue--and O'Brian gives puts in short, concise explanations of what has gone on in previous books in ways that don't interrupt the flow of the narrative. Patick Tull is one of the best "readers" I've heard for any audio book. Read it--you'll be hooked.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful