FREE THE AUBREY-MATURIN CHRONICLES: MASTER AND COMMANDER / POST CAPTAIN / HMS SURPRISE VOLUME 1 PDF Patrick O'Brian,Robert Hardy | 9 pages | 01 May 2009 | HarperCollins Publishers | 9780007319305 | English | London, United Kingdom Post Captain (novel) - Wikipedia I have put together a comparison of actual historical events with the books in the POB series. Actual historical events are in italics. It is well The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 remember that POB's canon is fiction set across an historical backdrop. There are inconsistencies, and it is a matter of personal choice as to which events are accepted and which are rejected in establishing a timeline. August 1, Battle of the Nile. Lord Cochrane is the prizemaster who takes her into Port Mahon. The book begins in Port Mahon on April 18,according to dated entry in Sophie's muster book. Jack was previously a Lt. Jack receives this letter on April 18 actually after midnight on April 19 at the beginning of the book. POB observes that he has taken the liberty of delaying this battle until after the grape harvest. The book concludes with the court-martial shortly after the battle. Post Captain October Preliminary peace treaty and cease-fire. March 27, Peace of Amiens between France and England. The book begins a few days after the signing of the treaty, with Jack and Stephen enroute to England from Gibraltar. This is the Oct. We don't know what Jack has been doing since his court-martial, but Stephen has apparently started his spying career. On Nov 6, the in the text must be a typohaving established residence at Melbury Lodge, they are at Mr. Savile's fox hunt, where they first see Diana Villiers. Jack's interview with Lord St. Vincent does not go well, and he remains unemployed and unpromoted. Jack and Stephen are in Toulon when war breaks out. A couple of months later, Jack meets with new First Lord Melville, who appoints him to the Polycrest. The following year, probably in May or June, he cuts out the Fanciulla. A letter at this time is dated Sept 20,but this is clearly contradicted by other events. Melville posts him, effective May 23, and Jack has temporary command of the Lively during the summer. At this time, Stephen is off spying in Spain, promising to return before Michaelmas Sept. He is back in England in very early autumn to receive Jack's letter dated Sept He attends the opera, observing Diana with Canning apparently Stephen considers this a key event in his private life, referring to it almost nine years later in The Fortune of War. Hammond, capture Spanish treasure fleet. It is Stephen's intelligence that leads to the British action against the Spanish treasure fleet. Jack is, of course, substituting for Hammond, who is attending Parliment. Followers of H. Hornblower will note that he too was in the general vicinity. Nelson is blockading Toulon, but Villeneuve's fleet evades him in late Marchstarting the chain of events that will lead to the battle of Trafalgar in October. The book begins shortly after the capture of the Spanish treasure in late autumn of last leaves on the trees. Lord Melville has been replaced Melville actually served from May to April 30, Jack is on blockade duty off Toulon under Nelson. He leaves the blockade to go to Port Mahon to rescue Stephen. This must be before the end of March Villeneuve escapes blockade. The remainder of the book is not tied very strongly to any actual events. A reference to the position of the sun while off South America indicates that they are in the southern tropics somewhat before the spring equinox. They bypass Cape Town which is in Dutch hands at the time. The action between the East India convoy and Linois' squadron is apparently based upon a real event in February Jack is back in England inwhere he visits his distant cousin Capt. Broke mentioned in Fortune of War. August Beginning of the Battle of Grand Port. There are major inconsistencies The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 the passage of time, making it difficult to The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 whether the book begins in late or in It ends with the British conquest of the islands in lateAdmiral Bertie claiming the credit. Between andJack has married Sophie, settled in Ashcroft Cottage with his now bankrupt mother-in-law, and had twin daughters. He has been unemployed for part of this period perhaps all of it. We can speculate that Stephen has played a major role in instigating Spain's revolt against Napoleon during this period. Jack is given the Leopard and is ordered to Botany Bay to deal with uprising against Bligh. War with the Americans hasn't begun, but is expected at any time. The past history of the Leopard causes further problems when they encounter Americans. The setting would seem to be late and early O'Brian has apparently shifted the dates of Bligh's term in Australia. Jack's reference to an eclipse off the NE coast of Australia is apparently fictional. There was no solar eclipse, either total, annular or partial, in this region in the early 's. The book begins in the East Indies with no word yet received of war with the US. By the time they reach Cape Town, they learn that war has been declared. Admiral Keats transports them back to Spain to fight against Napoleon. America in Februarybut the voyage is interrupted by the news of Napoleon's escape. All of the action somehow takes place between March and the end of June Skip to main content. Aubrey-Maturin Chronology. Lord St. MayEngland and France declare war. Oct 21, Battle of Trafalgar Jan. These books all take place in the repeating year of The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 Search website Search. Aubrey-Maturin Chronology | The Gunroom of The book proved to be the start of the novel Aubrey—Maturin seriesset largely in the era of the Napoleonic Warsthat O'Brian continued working on up until his death in The novel is set at the turn of the 19th century. It follows the young Jack Aubrey who has just been promoted to The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 rank of Master and Commanderand Stephen Maturin, a destitute physician and naturalist whom Aubrey appoints as his naval surgeon. The naval action in the Mediterranean is closely based on the real-life exploits of Lord Cochraneincluding a battle modelled after Cochrane's spectacular victory in the brig HMS Speedy over the vastly superior Spanish frigate El Gamo. The novel puts the reader into the times in every aspect, from the ways of the Royal Navy on sailing ships to the state of science and medicine and social status. Master and Commander met with mixed early reviews on its first publication. Although UK sales were respectable enough for O'Brian to continue with his series, it was not initially a success in the US. In Britain and Ireland, however, voices of praise gradually became dominant. Inthe US publisher W W Norton re-issued the book and its sequels; this was an almost immediate success and drew O'Brian a new, large readership. O'Brian's biographer has placed the novel at the start of what he called the author's magnum opusa series that has become perhaps the best-loved roman fleuve of the twentieth century. The novel opens in April Jack Aubrey, a shipless lieutenant wasting away in the Royal Navy port of Mahon in Minorcameets Stephen Maturin, a destitute Irish- Catalan physician and natural philosopherat a concert at the Governor's Mansion. During the performance, Maturin elbows Aubrey who is beating the measure "half a beat ahead". The men, both at personal low points, treat the matter as one of honour; they exchange names and anticipate a duel. Later that evening, Aubrey learns that he has been promoted to the rank of commander and has been given command of the gun HM Sloop Sophie. Meeting Maturin in the street the next day, Aubrey's joy overcomes his animosity and he invites Maturin to dine. The men discover a shared love of music, Aubrey playing the violin and Maturin the cello. On learning Maturin's profession, Aubrey asks him to join his ship. Although as a physician Maturin's expertise goes far beyond that normally expected of a naval surgeonhe agrees. Sophie is sent to accompany a small convoy of merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Aubrey takes the opportunity to get to know his sailors and work them into a fighting unit with the aid of his new first lieutenantJames Dillon, a wealthy and aristocratic Irishman. Dillon and Maturin had met earlier a fact they keep to themselves as members of the United Irishmena society dedicated to Irish home rule and Catholic emancipation. Dillon suffers a crisis of conscience when ordered to intercept an American ship thought to be harbouring Irish rebels, and he works to help them avoid capture. Maturin, who has never been aboard a man-of-warstruggles to understand nautical customs, and O'Brian has the crew explain to him and to the reader The Aubrey-Maturin Chronicles: Master and Commander / Post Captain / HMS Surprise Volume 1 terminology and the official practice whereby prize money can be awarded for captured enemy vessels. Maturin is treated by the crew as a landsmanthough without offence.