Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (1992), 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, veterans now of many battles, return to the seas where they first sailed as shipmates. But Jack is now a senior captain commanding a line-of-battle ship in the Royal Navy's blockade of Toulon, and this is a longer, harder, colder war than the dashing frigate actions of his early days. A sudden turn of events takes him and Stephen off on a hazardous mission to the Greek Islands, where all his old skills of seamanship and his proverbial luck when fighting against odds come triumphantly into their own. The fierce, thrilling action in this historical adventure novel will keep listeners riveted until the final page is read..
User reviews
LibraryThing member Larou
The Ionian Mission is the eighth chapter in the adventures of Aubrey and Maturin - although "adventures" might be just a tad misleading for this particular volume. As O'Brian continues his series he also continues to play with and explore the roman fleuve form, quite obviously enjoying the freedom
For the umpteenth part in a potentially infinite series of novels there is no need to bother with even the most basic Aristotelian structure of having a beginning, a middle and an end; instead, just like a chapter in a novel, it has to fit in with the parts surrounding it and the overall picture, a mosaic piece rather than an independent entity, part of a whole rather than something that needs to stand on its own. This appears to have suited O'Brian perfectly - even the early Aubrin-Maturin novels, before he was planning them as a series, are characterized by a free, easy flow rather than a tightly drawn structure and as the series progresses O'Brian happily throws all limiting constraints of a formal framework overboard, in the end jettisoning even plausibility as his Napoleonic War drags on an improbably long time, stretching the series' timeframe far beyond any realistic limits.
This time, O'Brian's target seems to have been to find out with just how few things actually happening he could get away with - there have been earlier volumes which have been low on action but in The Ionian Mission absolutely nothing at all happens until the novel's final fifteen pages or so. And by "nothing at all" I do mean nothing at all - in spite of several attempts to engage French ships, to Jack Aubrey's increasing frustration there is no action actually happening, engagements always avoided at the last moment by the singularly evasive French. Instead, we get an extensive portrait of life on sea at the start of the nineteenth century, with special emphasis on songs and poetry (and yes, that is to be taken quite literally, too - the reader should be prepared for an uncommon lot of - really not very good - naval poetry when embarking on The Ionian Mission).
But as it turns out (not really surprisingly, for anyone who has followed the series this far) is that Captain Aubrey's frustration is the reader's delight. A novel describing nothing but the daily routine life on a Royal Navy vessel at the start of the nineteenth century might at first glance not sound like exciting reading material for anyone who does not happen to have a special interest in that particular subject, in fact from the bare description it sounds exceedingly boring. But somehow, Patrick O'Brian manages to make reading about sailors and officers going about their work and relaxing afterwards during a lengthy sea voyage appear like the most fascinating thing ever and not for a single moment through three hundred pages of non-plot, non-adventure and non-action did I feel even faintly bored. In a way, the reader becomes both Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin when reading an Aubrey-Maturin novel: like the former he enjoys navigating the sea of O'Brian's prose, gliding smoothly and easily, always with a favourable wind at his back, while, like the latter, delighting in all the wonders he encounters along the way, the original similes and metaphors, the well-turned periods, the vivid descriptions. The Ionian Mission presents readers with the pure essence of the Aubrey-Maturin series, stripped bare of everything that is extraneous to it until all that remains is the flow of O'Brian's language; and this novel proves conclusively that he really can write about absolutely anything and make it a joy to read, that his prose breathes life into even the most dry-seeming subject matter, and that even the most trifling and insignificant things sparkle when he touches them with the magic wand of his pen.
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from structural constraints the serial format grants him.For the umpteenth part in a potentially infinite series of novels there is no need to bother with even the most basic Aristotelian structure of having a beginning, a middle and an end; instead, just like a chapter in a novel, it has to fit in with the parts surrounding it and the overall picture, a mosaic piece rather than an independent entity, part of a whole rather than something that needs to stand on its own. This appears to have suited O'Brian perfectly - even the early Aubrin-Maturin novels, before he was planning them as a series, are characterized by a free, easy flow rather than a tightly drawn structure and as the series progresses O'Brian happily throws all limiting constraints of a formal framework overboard, in the end jettisoning even plausibility as his Napoleonic War drags on an improbably long time, stretching the series' timeframe far beyond any realistic limits.
This time, O'Brian's target seems to have been to find out with just how few things actually happening he could get away with - there have been earlier volumes which have been low on action but in The Ionian Mission absolutely nothing at all happens until the novel's final fifteen pages or so. And by "nothing at all" I do mean nothing at all - in spite of several attempts to engage French ships, to Jack Aubrey's increasing frustration there is no action actually happening, engagements always avoided at the last moment by the singularly evasive French. Instead, we get an extensive portrait of life on sea at the start of the nineteenth century, with special emphasis on songs and poetry (and yes, that is to be taken quite literally, too - the reader should be prepared for an uncommon lot of - really not very good - naval poetry when embarking on The Ionian Mission).
But as it turns out (not really surprisingly, for anyone who has followed the series this far) is that Captain Aubrey's frustration is the reader's delight. A novel describing nothing but the daily routine life on a Royal Navy vessel at the start of the nineteenth century might at first glance not sound like exciting reading material for anyone who does not happen to have a special interest in that particular subject, in fact from the bare description it sounds exceedingly boring. But somehow, Patrick O'Brian manages to make reading about sailors and officers going about their work and relaxing afterwards during a lengthy sea voyage appear like the most fascinating thing ever and not for a single moment through three hundred pages of non-plot, non-adventure and non-action did I feel even faintly bored. In a way, the reader becomes both Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin when reading an Aubrey-Maturin novel: like the former he enjoys navigating the sea of O'Brian's prose, gliding smoothly and easily, always with a favourable wind at his back, while, like the latter, delighting in all the wonders he encounters along the way, the original similes and metaphors, the well-turned periods, the vivid descriptions. The Ionian Mission presents readers with the pure essence of the Aubrey-Maturin series, stripped bare of everything that is extraneous to it until all that remains is the flow of O'Brian's language; and this novel proves conclusively that he really can write about absolutely anything and make it a joy to read, that his prose breathes life into even the most dry-seeming subject matter, and that even the most trifling and insignificant things sparkle when he touches them with the magic wand of his pen.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
This book is a bit of a return to form after the domestic and on-shore dramas of the previous two books in the series. Aubrey and Maturin head east to Turkey to fight (or not) the French and make alliances with local Turkish leaders. Lucky Jack is reunited with HMS Suprise although he takes a big
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blow to his reputation, Stephen does some spying, and there are some rollicking adventures and sea battles. Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
I find all of these books enjoyable for their colorful and vivid portrayal of seafaring in the British Navy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. O'Brian's language just sucks me in and the time passes.
That said, this is not the most colorful episode of the series. Those looking for action
In summary, as an individual volume, this is a mild recommendation though, as part of the larger series, the recommendation is stronger.
That said, this is not the most colorful episode of the series. Those looking for action
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will find it light in that department. Those looking for a complete story line will be left somewhat wanting at the end—it's not a cliffhanger, but neither is there a sense that any of the various sub-plots spanning the volumes are resolved.In summary, as an individual volume, this is a mild recommendation though, as part of the larger series, the recommendation is stronger.
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LibraryThing member woodshopcowboy
I picked up this particular O'Brian novel on sale at a going-out-of-business Borders for a buck, and what a bang I got. Rip-roaring adventure, very dry humor (or humour, take your pick) and some wonderful descriptions of the naval idiom, mannerisms and life in the Napoleonic era. O'Brian writes
The only difficulty with his novels, as I see it from this one, is the lengthy nature of them. At this point (#9 or something in the series) O'Brian has given up on all pretense, if he had one, of singular novels and has instead rolled on with the Robert Jordan style lifetime taking epic. I struggle with novels (and series) such as these as one must either take all the novels as one or not at all. I've only gotten a taste of this journey, and yes, it does leave me ready to read another. The trouble is, O'Brian has set off for a long voyage, and there's not much for entertainment on a ship once you get to know your fellow passengers, no matter how enchanting they are. In small steps, yes, I could see reading this series over my (and his) lifetime...but he's dead, the last novels at the printers, and I have 15 or so books to wade through. Is the adventure worth it (and more importantly, did he finish the story arcs within the time allotted. I'm not getting sucked into a Robert Jordan/Mickey Spillane/that guy that wrote Dune half-ghost-written-style crap again.
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with a deft hand, absolutely enjoyable. The only difficulty with his novels, as I see it from this one, is the lengthy nature of them. At this point (#9 or something in the series) O'Brian has given up on all pretense, if he had one, of singular novels and has instead rolled on with the Robert Jordan style lifetime taking epic. I struggle with novels (and series) such as these as one must either take all the novels as one or not at all. I've only gotten a taste of this journey, and yes, it does leave me ready to read another. The trouble is, O'Brian has set off for a long voyage, and there's not much for entertainment on a ship once you get to know your fellow passengers, no matter how enchanting they are. In small steps, yes, I could see reading this series over my (and his) lifetime...but he's dead, the last novels at the printers, and I have 15 or so books to wade through. Is the adventure worth it (and more importantly, did he finish the story arcs within the time allotted. I'm not getting sucked into a Robert Jordan/Mickey Spillane/that guy that wrote Dune half-ghost-written-style crap again.
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LibraryThing member clif_hiker
I cannot praise this series enough. The humor, authenticity and realism make this an absolute must-read for anyone who has an interest in naval fiction.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I love the way Mr. O'Brian can paint a whole picture in one vivid sentence. For instance - "Stephen walked on as far as the starboard forechains, took off his nightcap and nightshirt, stuffed them under the dead-eyes, scratched himself industriously for a while, crept out on to the projecting
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shelf, and holding his nose with his left hand, crossing himself with his right, dropped with tightly-shut eyes into the sea, the infinitely refreshing sea." Beautiful! Despite being the eighth of the series, I still manage to be impressed with the way in which Stephen and Jack come alive. This novel ends in a bit of a cliff-hanger so I'm heading for the bookcase now to get the next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
The eighth installment in the Aubrey-Maturin series, The Ionian Mission sees our duo on blockade duty in the Mediterranean, which a bit of action thrown in at the end in a battle against some renegade Turks. Much of the usual here: sailcraft, spycraft, and a few unresolved plot threads at the end
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to keep the reader's tastes whetted for the next volume. Show Less
LibraryThing member elenchus
In which Aubrey assumes command of the Worcester and endures the Toulon blockade. Respite in the companionship of Maturin and Graham, a Scottish philosophy professor with a provisional role in intelligence. Maturin's own role is unknown to Graham, and proves problematic. The fleet is worn out from
//
The main blockade action apparently inspired by a similar minor action of 5. Nov 1813 between Edward Pellew and French Vice-Admiral Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger, with Jack stepping in for Pellew? Seltzer notes the novel is one of several taking place in the "repeating year" of 1813.
Stephen and Diana's particular arrangement, so soon after their wedding. It appears to work, but it's soon yet. The theme of cuckoldry threaded neatly through, from Stephen to Jack, and to other characters in very different situations, cleverly done. Schuyler: "The real question is: Who is writing the letters?" (to Stephen falsely suggesting Diana is having an affair with Jagiello).
Jack's purchase of coloured fireworks powder, used for gunnery practise and unexpected effect. Hauling the cannon overland. / Chapter 1 an amusing character sketch of Jack and Stephen, separately and together, O'Brian's gift to the reader in showcasing their friendship and individual personalities. Gower's tailpiece a wink regarding a running joke.
Stephen suffers grave wounds (from splinters and falling shoulder block) during skirmish with Jemmapes. Later, his ill-advised decision to go a-swimming, almost lost at sea and cutting short Jack's effort to bring the French to bear.
Jack's upperyardsman's race with Admiral Mitchell aboard flag, arguably to a draw. Jack later shares Stephen's legendary witticism about the dog-watch, to "infinite mirth".
Surprise taking on the Turkish men-of-war Torgud and Kitabi. Pullings almost loses it in close-arms boarding action aboard the Torgud, falling to deck and saved only by Jack's personal intervention.
Seltzer notes only the narrative takes place in the "repeating year" of 1813: next reading, suss out clues as to months or seasons.
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the battering after years spent tacking and wearing to maintain blockade, and Admiral Harte's health declines the longer the French avoid any and all confrontation. The tedium is broken with the opportunity to serve as diplomat-negotiator with three Turkish pashas in the Ionian: still more welcome is the reunion with HMS Surprise.//
The main blockade action apparently inspired by a similar minor action of 5. Nov 1813 between Edward Pellew and French Vice-Admiral Maxime Julien Émeriau de Beauverger, with Jack stepping in for Pellew? Seltzer notes the novel is one of several taking place in the "repeating year" of 1813.
Stephen and Diana's particular arrangement, so soon after their wedding. It appears to work, but it's soon yet. The theme of cuckoldry threaded neatly through, from Stephen to Jack, and to other characters in very different situations, cleverly done. Schuyler: "The real question is: Who is writing the letters?" (to Stephen falsely suggesting Diana is having an affair with Jagiello).
Jack's purchase of coloured fireworks powder, used for gunnery practise and unexpected effect. Hauling the cannon overland. / Chapter 1 an amusing character sketch of Jack and Stephen, separately and together, O'Brian's gift to the reader in showcasing their friendship and individual personalities. Gower's tailpiece a wink regarding a running joke.
Stephen suffers grave wounds (from splinters and falling shoulder block) during skirmish with Jemmapes. Later, his ill-advised decision to go a-swimming, almost lost at sea and cutting short Jack's effort to bring the French to bear.
Jack's upperyardsman's race with Admiral Mitchell aboard flag, arguably to a draw. Jack later shares Stephen's legendary witticism about the dog-watch, to "infinite mirth".
Surprise taking on the Turkish men-of-war Torgud and Kitabi. Pullings almost loses it in close-arms boarding action aboard the Torgud, falling to deck and saved only by Jack's personal intervention.
Seltzer notes only the narrative takes place in the "repeating year" of 1813: next reading, suss out clues as to months or seasons.
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LibraryThing member oparaxenos
This Aubrey-Maturin book moved a bit more slowly than I am used to, but its ending compensated for that. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
LibraryThing member iayork
A Sinking Ship (and Book): THE IONIAN MISSION, the eighth novel in the "Aubrey/Maturin Series," is not a stand-alone book by any means. The revelation of Dr. Stephen Maturin's marriage to Diana Villiers near the opening of the book will have no significance to those who have not read the preceding
Patrick O'Brian (whose real name was Richard Patrick Russ) is an uneven writer at best. Each volume in this on-going sea-faring adventure does have stirring scenes of battle, often complete with missing limbs, shattered appendages, and other naturalistic gore. At these points, the books are veritable "page turners" for readers who enjoy fast-paced action and the vicarious excitement of pitched battles among men-of-war, frigates, sloops, and other fighting ships. Some of the descriptions are also rather educational; the reader comes away with a new appreciation of what naval battle was like in the days when ships were at the mercy of wind and wave. One learns what a "fighting top" was in these ships and why they carried foot soldiers as well as sailors.
On the other hand, O'Brian/Russ is a less successful writer when he endeavors to incorporate human-interest themes not directly germane to naval warfare. The pages devoted to Maturin's marriage to Diana are an unfortunate example of this weakness. The reader learns that it is hardly an intimate or passionate sort of marriage, and both partners are happy enough when Maturin goes again to sea with his captain, Jack Aubrey. This parallels a similar description in an earlier volume of the not-very-joyous marriage of Aubrey with his own sweetheart, and neither adds significantly to the overall story line.
Probably as in real life, there are also stretches of time in the novel where little transpires. The lack of any particular action or even captivating intrigue for rather long periods leaves the reader wishing that something of interest would happen. At one of these rather boring stretches of nothingness, I laid the book aside, read UNDER A FLAMING SKY: THE GREAT HINCKLEY FIRESTORM OF 1894 by Daniel James Brown, and then returned to finish THE IONIAN MISSION.
The ending of this volume leaves the reader suspended in the literary air, by the way. Aubrey has successfully attacked two Turkish warships in a thrilling climatic chapter. Having boarded one of the Turkish ships, he stands on the deck when one of his officers advises him to return to their own ship because this one happens to be sinking. End of book. Essentially, the volume ends in the very midst of an infrequent, exciting action. There is no sort of literary resolution, denouement, conclusion, or sense that anything has been completed. The ending is incredibly unsatisfying, and one prays that the next book in the series, TREASON'S HARBOUR, picks up exactly where this one leaves off, but, if O'Brian/Russ runs true to form, we'll rejoin Aubrey and Maturin somewhere in the future with no clue as to what happened after his victory over the Turks.
All in all, I find O'Brian/Russ to be generally a decent writer but hardly a great one. His books are generally entertaining reads but not memorable ones. His story line is generally entertaining but not a significant contribution to modern literature. One could certainly find a much worse use of time than reading his seafaring novels, but then one could likely find a better use as well. The one recommendation I shall presume to offer is that, if one wishes to sample O'Brian/Russ's writing, he begin with the first novel of the series, MASTER AND COMMANDER, and come to this one in its proper place in the series so as to properly understand many of the references and characters.
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works, particularly THE MAURITIUS COMMAND, and even its predecessor, POST CAPTAIN. As mentioned in reviews of some of the earlier volumes in this series, each novel is most accurately pictured as a chapter in one incredibly long story, not as an individual book, for, so far at least, a satisfactory understanding of each book depends upon some knowledge of what transpired in previous ones. However, this inevitably raises the question as to whether the entire series is worth the hours of one's life span required to read it. Patrick O'Brian (whose real name was Richard Patrick Russ) is an uneven writer at best. Each volume in this on-going sea-faring adventure does have stirring scenes of battle, often complete with missing limbs, shattered appendages, and other naturalistic gore. At these points, the books are veritable "page turners" for readers who enjoy fast-paced action and the vicarious excitement of pitched battles among men-of-war, frigates, sloops, and other fighting ships. Some of the descriptions are also rather educational; the reader comes away with a new appreciation of what naval battle was like in the days when ships were at the mercy of wind and wave. One learns what a "fighting top" was in these ships and why they carried foot soldiers as well as sailors.
On the other hand, O'Brian/Russ is a less successful writer when he endeavors to incorporate human-interest themes not directly germane to naval warfare. The pages devoted to Maturin's marriage to Diana are an unfortunate example of this weakness. The reader learns that it is hardly an intimate or passionate sort of marriage, and both partners are happy enough when Maturin goes again to sea with his captain, Jack Aubrey. This parallels a similar description in an earlier volume of the not-very-joyous marriage of Aubrey with his own sweetheart, and neither adds significantly to the overall story line.
Probably as in real life, there are also stretches of time in the novel where little transpires. The lack of any particular action or even captivating intrigue for rather long periods leaves the reader wishing that something of interest would happen. At one of these rather boring stretches of nothingness, I laid the book aside, read UNDER A FLAMING SKY: THE GREAT HINCKLEY FIRESTORM OF 1894 by Daniel James Brown, and then returned to finish THE IONIAN MISSION.
The ending of this volume leaves the reader suspended in the literary air, by the way. Aubrey has successfully attacked two Turkish warships in a thrilling climatic chapter. Having boarded one of the Turkish ships, he stands on the deck when one of his officers advises him to return to their own ship because this one happens to be sinking. End of book. Essentially, the volume ends in the very midst of an infrequent, exciting action. There is no sort of literary resolution, denouement, conclusion, or sense that anything has been completed. The ending is incredibly unsatisfying, and one prays that the next book in the series, TREASON'S HARBOUR, picks up exactly where this one leaves off, but, if O'Brian/Russ runs true to form, we'll rejoin Aubrey and Maturin somewhere in the future with no clue as to what happened after his victory over the Turks.
All in all, I find O'Brian/Russ to be generally a decent writer but hardly a great one. His books are generally entertaining reads but not memorable ones. His story line is generally entertaining but not a significant contribution to modern literature. One could certainly find a much worse use of time than reading his seafaring novels, but then one could likely find a better use as well. The one recommendation I shall presume to offer is that, if one wishes to sample O'Brian/Russ's writing, he begin with the first novel of the series, MASTER AND COMMANDER, and come to this one in its proper place in the series so as to properly understand many of the references and characters.
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LibraryThing member Richard7920
As much as I admire and enjoy the works of POB, I must confess that this volume of the Aubrey-Maturin was a painfully boring read. Perhaps the author intended to bore the reader, just as Captain Jack Aubrey was bored with this installments setting, which begins with his ship on blockade duty off
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Toulon. Adding to a fan's frustration, the interaction between Aubrey and Maturin is limited and shallow. Sure, this book includes the usual rich gallery of colorful secondary characters who enter and leave at various points over the course of the story, but they just didn't hold my attention because the plot was so thin. The story seems to meander about without much action and no sea battles until the very end of the novel. Patrick O'Brien was supremely gifted writer and a very good story teller, but this is not an effort equal to his other works. Show Less
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
The Ionian Mission, Patrick O’Brian’s eighth book in his Aubrey-Maturin series, sees Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin working on blockade duty around Toulon, France aboard the HMS Worcester. Much of the plot involves the prolonged sense of being outside the normal flow of time that
Of particular note is the return of the HMS Surprise, Jack’s favorite ship, second only to the Sophie, his first command. Jack is tasked with control of the Surprise to negotiate with the various Turkish authorities in order to determine who will best aid England in harrying French shipping in the Ionian Sea. Like his previous novels, O’Brian perfectly recreates the world of the Napoleonic War in 1812, this time focusing on much of the careful negotiations between England and other European, Asian, and Arabian powers that enabled their eventual victory. This Folio Society edition reprints the original text with insets containing historical portraits and sketches to illustrate some of the scenes. A great contribution to the Aubrey-Maturin series and the second of twelve to focus on what O’Brian described as an extended 1812, with these dozen books taking place between the beginning of June 1813 and November 1813.
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accompanies blockade duty, with Aubrey struggling to find his usual zeal, the crew composing poems and practicing Hamlet for a way to break up the monotony, and Stephen intermittently engaging in some intelligence work, though he limits his activities due to his no longer being unattached (having married Diana Villers at the end of the previous novel) and his loss of cover (also in the previous novel). Jack must likewise attempt to balance his political obligations to Admiral Thornton, commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and an old role model to Jack, with Thornton’s underline, Read Admiral Harte, who dislikes Jack based on past bad blood. Add to this Jack’s sense of obligation to his first lieutenant, Tom Pullings, who needs a successful action if he’s to have a chance of advancing to master, and our protagonists find themselves in an uncertain situation.Of particular note is the return of the HMS Surprise, Jack’s favorite ship, second only to the Sophie, his first command. Jack is tasked with control of the Surprise to negotiate with the various Turkish authorities in order to determine who will best aid England in harrying French shipping in the Ionian Sea. Like his previous novels, O’Brian perfectly recreates the world of the Napoleonic War in 1812, this time focusing on much of the careful negotiations between England and other European, Asian, and Arabian powers that enabled their eventual victory. This Folio Society edition reprints the original text with insets containing historical portraits and sketches to illustrate some of the scenes. A great contribution to the Aubrey-Maturin series and the second of twelve to focus on what O’Brian described as an extended 1812, with these dozen books taking place between the beginning of June 1813 and November 1813.
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LibraryThing member malcrf
O'Brian is as excellent as ever. Rich characterisation, evocative prose, an intriguing plot which balances action with realism. Superb
LibraryThing member bragan
Book number eight in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, featuring action on the high seas during the Napoleonic Wars.
Although there is less action in this one than usual. Indeed, for much of the novel, there is incident after incident of utterly failing to engage with the enemy for one reason or
And, of course, there is O'Brian's usual low-key humor scattered throughout it all to make it much more fun, no matter what is or isn't going on, plot-wise.
Although there is less action in this one than usual. Indeed, for much of the novel, there is incident after incident of utterly failing to engage with the enemy for one reason or
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another. You'd think this might be dull, but I found this one as pleasantly readable as any of them. And you'd think it would be frustrating, which is actually is, but it's frustrating the way I believe it's meant to be, as you vividly experience the characters' desire for battle and success along with them. And, of course, there is O'Brian's usual low-key humor scattered throughout it all to make it much more fun, no matter what is or isn't going on, plot-wise.
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Well, this was the first one of these that I had a little trouble finishing. It a lot going on here. I mean, of course the writing is beautiful, the language incredible, but I’ll admit I was a bit bored.
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
The eighth in the adventures of Captain Aubrey and Dr.Maturin. After a peak into their respective home lives (Maturin's is my particular favorite: he and Diana have homes of their own because their lives are so different--plus he needs privacy for all his intelligence work--but he visits often for At last, the French make a break for it, giving the squadron a chance to finally fight--and they can't catch them. The commander is so depressed he must go home for his health, and Aubrey is placed under the command of a man who deeply hates him. Then some other stuff happens that I have forgotten because I took a few months' break (purely because I listen to these books rather than read them), and then somehow Aubrey manages to get off his slow decrepit ship and onto the dear old Surprise! Moreover, he's off blockade duty and instead, gets to travel up and down the coast determining which Turkish leader to throw his support (and canons) behind. The book ends with a very exciting ship battle.
This is a wonderful episode in the lives of Maturin and Aubrey. Both characters are adorably showcased here, plus Aubrey gets to be a serious badass, which he's missed out on in the last few books. Additionally, this book is particularly funny--I cannot count the number of times I cackled.
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shared breakfast in bed and dinner parties), they ship off to support the blockade against the French. It's a long, boring period for them, made more troubling by the leadership. One of Aubrey's old commanders is in charge of the blockade, and too long without action or hope have severely depressed his spirits and health. His second in command is one of the many captains Aubrey has disobliged over the years--this time, not by sleeping with his wife, but instead by catching him cheating at cards. This is a wonderful episode in the lives of Maturin and Aubrey. Both characters are adorably showcased here, plus Aubrey gets to be a serious badass, which he's missed out on in the last few books. Additionally, this book is particularly funny--I cannot count the number of times I cackled.
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LibraryThing member kslade
Another good sea adventure historical in this series.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1981
Physical description
400 p.; 8.3 inches
ISBN
0393308219 / 9780393308211