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From Amazon
In this installment of O'Brian's maritime epic, Captain Aubrey and the crew of the Surprise are pursuing an American privateer through the Great South Sea. As is his custom, O'Brian grabs your attention with the first, beautifully memorable sentence: "A purple ocean, vast under the sky and devoid of all visible life apart from two minute ships racing across its immensity." And he doesn't relinquish it until 260 pages later, by which point Jack Aubrey is delighted at the mere fact of being alive.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Though the Jack Aubrey-Stephen Maturin books can be profitably read separately, as fans know, together they read as one long, wonderful novel. This 16th installment (following The Truelove ) is no doubt the best chapter yet. In the early 1800s, Bluff Jack, captain of the privateer Surprise , steers his frigate across the Pacific to South America, around Cape Horn and into the Atlantic, taking French and American prizes, fighting off a Yankee Man of War and suffering dire eye and leg wounds for his trouble. Subtle Stephen, ship's doctor and British intelligence agent, almost pulls off a coup in Peru and must escape across the Andes, losing some toes to frostbite for his efforts. Favorite characters reappear here: Killick, Jack's crabby steward; Sarah and Emily Sweeting, precocious Melanesian waifs attached to Maturin's sick-berth; Sam, Jack's illegitimate black son and rising Churchman. The naval actions are bang-on and bang-up--fast, furious and bloody--and the Andean milieu is as vivid as the shipboard scenes. As usual, readers can revel in the symbiotic friendship of Jack and Stephen, who make for a marvelous duo, whether in their violin and cello duets or in their sharp dialogue. If O'Brian hasn't quite had a break-out book yet, then this deserves to be it. 40,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wine Dark Sea #16 - by Patrick O'Brian,
By
This review is from: Wine Dark Sea #16 (Paperback)
What a pleasure to read another episode in the life of Aubrey and Maturin and, as usual, I was unable to focus on anything else until I had finished. I also found that I was beginning to speak and think in this colourful and addictive language. I am looking forward eagerly to reading Commodore (#17) which I purchased at the same time.Of course they were delivered in the usual prompt and efficient manner which I have come to expect from AMAZON.CA
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comment on High Cotton Review,
By JCL "JCL" (Coarsegold, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wine-Dark Sea (Paperback)
The joy of Patrick O'Brian's books is the accuracy of his language among the characters as they speak ("Give you joy!") and the accuracy of the depictions of naval events. This includes accuracy of naval terminology. I have listened to all of these books as Books-On-Tape and often find myself replaying sections to hear the language spoke again. This approach may assist persons like High Cotton "could not get into these books". One of the greatest things about these books is their unparalleled historical accuracy. When you hear a naval battle described, you can be assured it happened just as described. How does the author place a fictional character and fictional ship into real events? Cleverly! Such as by having the hero captured by the enemy and observe the battle from the deck of the enemy's vessel. Or by having the hero's vessel arrive a few minutes behind the actual combatants and not actually taking a role in the action, but seeing and describing it. In one of the books, Capt. Aubrey was called on the carpet at the Admiralty Offices in London for his provisioning of his ship. Indignantly, he recites from memory what "vittels" and other supplies he provisioned his last voyage with. In fact, the author, Patrick O'Brien, was given access to real Admiralty records. What his character Aubrey was reciting was from an actual invoice of provisions for a naval warship during the Napoleanic War. Very interesting stuff if you like history and if you like ships at sea. Highly recommended, especially if you hear the novels read (spoken) rather than reading them. Star Trek fans will love these books!
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too Heavy on Naval Termonology,
By high_cotton (Glastonbury, CT USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wine-Dark Sea (Hardcover)
This is the second Aubrey/Maturin book that I have read. I did not enjoy the first one. I figured, however, that I had to give the series another try because Patrick O'Brian has so many fans. I fared no better with this one.I just cannot get into these books. O'Brian's repeated use of archaic nautical words and phrases is more than distracting. It is overwhelming and it buries the stories. I would suggest staying clear of this stuff unless you are well-versed in 18th century naval termonology.
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