Patrick O'Brian brilliantly captures the essence of life at sea in the eighteenth century. I thoroughly enjoyed this work of historical fiction. If it has one weakness it is that the plot seems to chart a rather random and unfocussed course, although this is in keeping with the nature of the life being described. It could benefit from more illustrations and a few footnotes for those of us whose maritime knowledge needs recaulking but overall it was excellent and at some point I shall hunt down the sequel, Post Captain and take it as my prize.

I picked up this copy from the main cabin of Morning Star, a 62' sail training vessel.

Here is a list of all the books in the series:

Master and Commander (1969)
Post Captain (1972)
HMS Surprise (1973)
The Mauritius Command (1977)
Desolation Island (1978)
The Fortune of War (1979)
The Surgeon's Mate (1980)
The Ionian Mission (1981)
Treason's Harbour (1983)
The Far Side of the World (1984)
The Reverse of the Medal (1986)
The Letter of Marque (1988)
The Thirteen-Gun Salute (1989)
The Nutmeg of Consolation (1991)
Clarissa Oakes (1992)
The Wine-Dark Sea (1993)
The Commodore (1994)
The Yellow Admiral (1996)
The Hundred Days (1998)
Blue at the Mizzen (1999)
The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (2004)

I'm adding a comment about Post Captain here, as I was able to borow it from a friend (not, sadly, registered on BookCrossing). It was a much better and more comprehensible read than Master and Commander, although there were still moments when the plot was hard to grasp. This is owing to the fact that O'Brian keeps us close to his two main characters - and of these it is Aubrey's rather than Maturin's perspective we see most clearly - so that events are only understood as well as they understand them. Although this gives a good sense of being present in the time and events described, it is occasionally frustrating. Again I found myself longing for a few footnotes and/or appendices, especially where the intricacies and personalities of eighteenth-century politics are brought to bear.

I haven't used this Hostel before but most of them have a lounge with a shelf load of books. I shall leave this there.

good read

CAUGHT IN CANTEBURY KENT UK