e e Novels Novels in order of publication Auey/Maturin by Auey/Maturin 1. Master and Commander Ptri O’Bian 2. Post Captain 3. H.M.S. Surprise 4. e Mauritius Command 5. Desolation Island 6. e Fortune of War 7. e Surgeon’s Mate 8. e Ionian Mission 9. Treason’s Harbour 10. e Far Side of the World 11. e Reverse of the Medal 12. e Letter of Marque 13. e irteen-Gun Salute 14. e Nutmeg of Consolation 15. e Truelove An 16. e Wine-Dark Sea 17. e Commodore 18. e Yellow Admiral Overview 19. e Hundred Days 20. Blue at the Mizzen 21. e Final Unnished Voyage of Jack Aubrey In the New York Time Book Review, as they sometimes surprise even while also observing a character, Food, or, Skillygalee, Richard Snow described Patrick themselves. Scars, hardships, victo- Maturin, who remains oblivious Drowned Baby, & Soused O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series as, ries and trials mold the characters to the machinations of the Hog’s Face “e best historical novels ever into recurring people that we love or wooden and canvas world, written.” Here’s an overview of the hate. thereby opening opportunities series for those not yet familiar. e palate is frequently to the for explanation as Maturin is fore. From the splendor of a In 2003, a feature lm was released educated by his shipmates. successful captain’s table to the Brilliant Characters based on the series. While titled squalor of a crew too long on Master and Commander, the lm Although the nautical world is to station, food (names of dishes As O’Brian’s series opens, Jack mixed major plot lines from the the forefront of the series, casual referenced above) is a critical Master and Commander Aubrey is a hard-driving ocer on books Master and Commander and readers can easily keep up with part of the Aubrey-Maturin the brink of great exploits. His love e Far Side of the World. Incidents the movement and action of the Post Captain series. In fact, the books have of chamber music sets him on a and characters from many other novels without being experts. H.M.S. Surprise spun o their own cookbook, collision course with an unconven- books were added as well, and When Aubrey and Maturin e Mauritius Command Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: tional natural philosopher and characters in the lm were compos- come on shore, O’Brian weaves Desolation Island Which It’s a Gastronomic physician, Stephen Maturin. Soon ites of multiple characters from the wonderfully detailed environ- Companion to the e Fortune of War enough, however, the pair end up books. Many of the more interesting ments, from the treacherous Aubrey/Maturin Novels. A e Surgeon’s Mate balancing each other, as Maturin aspects of the characters, including streets of London to the wild question therefore arises: How ensures that Aubrey is able to important physical traits and charac- shores of Australia and beyond. e Ionian Mission many ction series have navigate his way through relation- terizations from the books are le Treason’s Harbour spawned a cookbook? (Spotted ships, debt collectors and national completely out of the lm. is is e Far Side of the World Culture Dog, it should be noted, is a politics, while Aubrey leads unfortunate when you consider the e Reverse of the Medal Maturin into a world lled with kind of pudding.) depth of the character writing in the Aubrey and Maturin are steeped e Letter of Marque exotic locales, new species and an novels. in the culture of the late Enlight- outlet for his hidden life as a spy. e Vessel e irteen-Gun Salute enment. Music, coee, human- e shortcomings of one character e Nutmeg of Consolation Napoleonic Navies ism, debates of religion, revolu- play to the strengths of the other, Aboard the wooden ship, the e Truelove tionary politics, gender roles, creating a friendship that won’t be reader embarks on a deep At the heart of the series are the class, economics—all of the e Wine-Dark Sea easily broken by wine, women and literary foray into a historical wooden navies of the Napoleonic topics of the period are in play e Commodore wars. period, complete with all of Wars. O’Brian is as technical as any throughout the series. More than e Yellow Admiral the elements that made it armchair admiral could desire. mere swashbuckling tales, Each character in the series is memorable. O’Brian’s prose e Hundred Days Rigging, seamanship, celestial O’Brian’s books are about the richly engaging, from the lowliest style matches the period. e Blue at the Mizzen navigation, the art of sea battle—all world of the late 18th and early cabin boy to the highest politician. Aubrey/Maturin Series is a e Final Unnished of these elements and more are at 19th century. Ultimately, the Aubrey’s crews mature, wander o, singular literary oeuvre, work in fascinating detail. e reader is immersed in the broad Voyage of Jack Aubrey and nd their way back as the recognized as a zenith of its genius of O’Brian’s approach is that forces that shaped Western series develops. e two protago- kind, rewarding on every level. he allows the historian of these Europe. nists evolve over time, their char- navies to swim freely in the details acters revealed in every situation, .