Master and Commander

O’Brien performed some sort of alchemy in turning a previously dry and underpopulated section of the historical fiction genre into literary gold, at once gripping and supremely well-written. One follows the adventures of a Royal Navy Commander and his Irish doctor friend–a man with a secret life–through the war at sea in the Napoleonic era, and I found the balance between naval exploits–Jack Aubrey being a swashbuckler of renown–and period history made for fascinating counter-points.

Over and above that, I loved the way O’Brien built an ensemble cast and proceeded to draw the reader into their lives, making the death… show more.

This book filled me with the thrill and horror of being a sailor, the addiction to the sea, and the beauty and tragedy of the world at the time of the Napoleonic wars; it filled me with this experience as if I were there, friends with the protagonists, seeing the sails fill and shine in the sun, receiving my bowl of grog, preparing for battle.

Patrick O’Brian was one of the world’s top experts on the British Navy and the Napoleonic wars, and this gorgeously written series takes you into their most intimate experiences. O’Brian bases his battles on move-by-move… show more.

This book is the penultimate adventure story set on the high seas during the Napoleonic Wars. The characters are expertly made and presented around a plot line that takes every pain to stay true to the truth of past events while still offering the reader a series of novels that will keep even the greenest of landlubbers glued to their seats.

I loved reading this novel because it describes how people behave under extreme duress.

Set in the British Royal Navy of Napoleonic times, authenticity drips from every page. The time-honored ploy is the accidental coming together of a dissimilar pair to form a heroic but troubled partnership—think Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, or Holmes and Watson.

The book made me not only glad to be warm and dry, but also it made me wonder how I would have coped under such harrowing circumstances. It is unputdownable, but more than that, I learned a lot about myself without knowing… show more.

I can hardly recommend the first book without recommending the entire series.

The historical accuracy of these books will blow you away, as will the depths and complexities of every character involved, from Dr. Maturin with his fascination with languages, music, and the natural world, to the stalwart, steady Captain Aubrey, who lets his drive to serve king and country push him to the very heights of his profession.

Their wild, dangerous adventures will hook you and each time you finish a novel you’ll hardly be able to wait for the next adventure, until at last the final book ends… show more.

This is the first of the 21 Aubrey/Maturin novels about the British side in the Napoleonic Wars. Read one and you’re hooked for the duration! O’Brian recreates an accurate and nuanced immersion into the age of sail and the British Navy. His characters are rich and complex with foibles and flaws, yet rise to the circumstances of their lives. His research is impeccable and exhaustive. One feels they are on the oak deck next to the crew.
The movie of the same title is far more truncated than the novel, but still a wonder in its beautifully rendered scenes.

The… show more.

Patrick O’Brien writes tall ship adventures with a blythe spirit, expertly portraying life at sea. Captain Jack Aubrey runs a happy ship, as opposed, say, to Captain Bligh. But rigors remain, and the distance between captain and crew is maintained to preserve social structure. The whole twenty-volume series is compelling for any seafarer, and Master & Commander is best known. The movie was good, except for Russell Crowe, who mumbled his lines.

This should actually cover the whole 20-book series as I’ve read them all. Three times. They take historical fiction, and Napoleonic sea stories, to a whole new level. Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are wonderfully rounded characters, the detail of life at sea is amazing , and the books unputdownable. And did I say they are beautifully written too? Well worth a few months of reading. Get them and discover their world. You won’t be disappointed.

I can still remember my surprise when I first read Master & Commander. I was studying 18th-century naval history at university at the time, and a fellow student recommended it to me. I read the first few pages and realised that all the dialogue, attitudes, ideas were all authentic to the period. It was a revelation to me that historical fiction could be so immersive. I found myself quickly being drawn into a wholly alien world. Much historical fiction is populated with modern characters in period dress, which was why I found O’Brian’s novels so distinctive. It is something… show more.

Master & Commander is the first in a big, long, wonderful series of sea adventures set in the early 1800s. There was a movie made from this book, and I thought it didn’t come close to being as good as the book itself. O’Brian is a talented, great author. The characters are interesting, different, tough but human, and this (and all the rest in the series) is fast-paced and full of action. One of the best series of books I’ve ever read.