This comprehensive lexicon provides definitions of nautical terms, historical entries describing the people and political events that shaped the period, and detailed explanations of the scientific, medical, and biblical references that appear in the novels.
A Sea of Words
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Review
"To any disoriented lubber who needs to take a quick bearing on Aubrey's world of staysails and sternposts, it will be a useful compass."--The Economist
"Dean King's lexicon will charm cultists."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
"An outstandingly useful passkey to the wooden world of Britain's Royal Navy in the great age of sail."--Sea History
"A gem of a book."--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Dean King's lexicon will charm cultists."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
"An outstandingly useful passkey to the wooden world of Britain's Royal Navy in the great age of sail."--Sea History
"A gem of a book."--Minneapolis Star Tribune
About the Author
John B. Hattenborf is a professor of maritime history at the United States Naval War College. J. Worth Estes, Ph.D., is a professor of pharmacology at Boston University and a specialist in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century maritime medicine.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Subtitled "A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian," this is an absolutely marvelous book, the Third Edition of which includes references to all twenty of the Aubrey-Maturin novels. It scores high in the first test given any alphabetically organized reference book, viz., in looking up an entry, ... There's a wide variety of nautical jargon, period medical terminology, the characters' references to natural history and music, and the foreign words and phrases that crop up in the novels. O'Brian describes a large number of real personages, too, all of whom are succinctly biographed. There's also a pretty detailed timeline for the period 1793-1818, a narrative essay on the ins and outs of the Napoleonic wars, a most illuminating discussion of naval medicine and surgery in Maturin's day, and a nice series of period illustrations of ships and boats for those who can't tell a frigate from a corvette, nor a barge from a launch. This is definitely a book to keep at hand while you work your way through the series.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Dremonda
Format:Paperback
This book is absolutely indispensible for the O'Brian fan. Not only is it full of nautical terms for all us poor lubbers, but it contains much more as well. Herein are descriptions of food, wine, medical terms, natural science, a few people, places, ships, and events, and even foreign phrases lifted right out of the Aubrey/Maturin books and translated for your convenience. It also contains a meaty chapter on the Royal Navy, another on medical science of the era (scary!) and a Napoleonic war timeline. All I could ask for is more illustrations and a chapter explaining the basics of sailing.
I've had this book at my elbow constantly since HMS Surprise (3rd in the series). You'll wonder how you ever got along without it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Travis Weir
Format:Paperback
Wow, all I can say is wow. One of the finest glossaries of nautical and late 18th-early 19th century social terms that I have ever come across. The perfect compliment to the O'Brian series of books, especially if one is not familiar with naval terms of that time.
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
10 Shinning Stars for this BOOK! Excellent!
When I started to read "Master and Commander", I was completely lost in the "sea of words", the nautical vocabulary. Read more
Published on Jun 12 2004 by Leslie A. Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Handy companion
A good book to have along for the ride, when all those never-seen-before terms come up. And that doesn't include just the marine ones. Read more
Published on May 11 2004 by briw
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Companion Piece to the Series
While I somewhat enjoyed the task of deciphering and tracking down the myriad of specialized, arcane and obsolete words employed by Patrick O'Brian in his majestic Aubrey-Maturin... Read more
Published on Mar 18 2004 by John C. Mckee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful resource
I'd actually read all of the books before finding this gem, and now I can look forward to enjoying the O'Brian books all over again. Read more
Published on Jan 2 2004 by Lady Shelley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Reference for the Aubrey/Maturin Series
For someone starting out in the Aubrey/Maturin (or any other sea stories, for that matter), this is an excellent companion. Read more
Published on Nov 10 2003 by Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars
For God's sake buy this!
The reason for that review title is to alleviate the inevitable brain hemorrage that will result if you attempt to read Patrick O'brian's novels without a thorough 18th Century... Read more
Published on Dec 8 2002 by D. A Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's essential
The one annoyance about this book (for people like me, who came to Patrick O'Brian's stories through my own devices, at least) is that, by the time you hear tell off this book, you... Read more
Published on Sep 19 2002 by Oonagh molloy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, but not perfect companion to O'Brian
I found the book, which does not appear to have been authorized or endorsed by O'Brian or his publishers, to be generally terrific, highly readable, and a way to help quench the... Read more
Published on Aug 16 2002 by Frank Catalina
4.0 out of 5 stars
Invaluable reference
Dean King has done all lovers of naval history novels a great service with this book. Aimed specifically at the Aubrey/Maturin series, it nevertheless provides an invaluable wealth... Read more
Published on April 18 2002 by A. J. Watson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST Have
If you are reading the Aubrey-Maturin books, this is an absolute MUST! Not only is it fascinating to browse, but it helps greatly to clarify the ubiquitous nautical jargon. Read more
Published on Dec 29 2001 by DBA
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