Jack Aubrey Commands : An Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O'Brian

by Brian Lavery

In Jack Aubrey Commands, Brian Lavery relates the naval fiction of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester to the real world inhabited by famous Royal Navy heroes such as Lord Nelson, Sir Sidney Smith and Thomas Cochrane. It draws on the experiences and activities of men such as Frederick Marryat, the founder of naval fiction, the Austen brothers whose sister Jane created our most intimate picture of shore life in the period, and Nelson's chaplain, Alexander Scott, who also served as a part-time spy. All these individuals and others provided inspiration for Patrick O'Brian's character of Jack Aubrey. The historical facts behind the great works of naval fiction are fully explored while the text fully contextualises a number of key episodes and characters as well as the minutiae of naval life in the era of Nelson as it is put forward in these enduring sea stories.

Genres: History, Naval History, Nonfiction, Nautical, Historical

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Brian Lavery is a British naval historian, author, and Curator Emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of nautical adventure, this is definitely a book you want to own. Lavery, a greatly respected naval historian, has written several earlier volumes on the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic period (including the highly regarded Nelson’s Navy), and he was also one of the principal technical advisors on Peter Weir’s film, Master and Commander. (Weir, in fact, provides a glowing Foreword.) This heavily illustrated volume tries to cover all the bases, organizing its topics into chapters like “The World of the Seaman,” “The Ships,” “Officers,” “The Lower Deck,” “Techniques,” and so on. Technical information is provided but is kept under control so as not to frighten the novice, and he quotes heavily from early Victorian memoires, biographies, and histories -- and also from the works of Marryat, Forester, O’Brian, and even Jane Austen’s Persuasion. On the other hand, Lavery, unfortunately, was not well served by his editor, copyeditor, or proofreader. (Having worked for them myself in the past, as a freelance editor, I know Naval Institute Press is capable of far better support work.) There often are several typos, omitted words, and confusing references on a single page. There also are a number of incorrect or incomplete source citations and at least one mislabeled diagram (on page 104). Lavery also is prone to frequent and unnecessary repetition in his discourse, especially in explaining points of shiphandling and other technical matters. Finally, the index and the bibliography are rather amateurishly organized. But on the other other hand, I finally understand catharpins!

[Tony Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book... it is not so much about Patrick O'Brian's books regarding his fictional naval commander, Jack Aubrey, as it is a short history of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). For an ol'salt, it is some fascinating reading about many of the Navy traditions we have come to know, but never really had a complete compendium to bring it all together. The author uses many quotes from journals and logs of the time to give the reader an insight as to what life was like aboard many of HMShips, as well as a synopsis of many of the battles, both fleet engagements and single ship engagements. The book also includes many diagrams and prints of ships and battles of those days.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't do much for me. Your mileage may vary. The author's credentials and other works are impeccable, but as a prep for reading the Aubrey novels, this one is lacking. The chapters read more like short essays trying to summarize too much in too little space. Terms are used that are not defined, particularly in ship operations. Other sections delve off into too much detail that is difficult to see the relevancy of in reading the novels (e.g., the history of specific naval committees and how their leaders changed between military and civilian over time). Few if any of the illustrations in the book seem to have been created for it specifically and were instead reproduced from other sources. Diagrams showing the operations of the sails, etc. in detail would have been very helpful. Ditto for ship layouts and design. All of the above being said, the book wasn't a waste of time; it does give some insights into the subject matter and era. But it needed more focus, editing, and specially prepared technical illustrations.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good companion book to the series but as has been pointed out in a previous review some of the proofing errors in what was such an otherwise decent effort are egregious.

[João · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely horrible editing - typos everywhere. Other than that, I guess it might be a good introduction to what's happening in Patrick O'Brian's novels. I knew most of this information from reading his books for a while, googling terms, and other assorted reading.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting companion book to Aubrey/Maturin series

[Julian Stockwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the Georgian Navy.

[Edwin Yardley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.Almost a prerequisite for Jack Aubrey series.

[Donald McEntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of (informative) words; some Geoff Hunt artwork I hadn't encountered before. A good visit to a greatly-enjoyed series.