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Patrick O'Brian's Navy: The Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey's World
First full-color historical reference companion for the popular Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 14, 2021
The most famous part of the Patrick O'Brian literary legacy is the multiple-volume series of novels centered on the Royal Navy's battles with the French navy during the period of the Directory and Napoleon Bonaparte's Empire, released between 1969 and 1999. O'Brian's books are very richly detailed with the usage of indelible characters and highly textured plots, set against the backdrop of actual historical events. I can attest to the fact you don't need a companion book to enjoy the novels, even if you're a "landsman." I had seen this book on display at bookstores (remember them?) when I was still working my way through the series of novels. I bought it and read it, not by design, after I had completed the series; I just hadn't got around to purchasing it before then. I found this book to be immensely interesting because I could relate all of its numerous ties to the novels to my own reading experiences. There is such a wealth of well-edited prose and skillfully-placed artwork, however, that "Patrick O'Brian's Navy" is a worthwhile experience at whatever point during the series that an individual reader gets involved with it.
In fact, this book would greatly inform anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge of the naval engagements involved in this most fascinating period of British and European history. You can learn how the British and French navies compared with each other; how life was lived by sailors on board; how the ships were constructed; what some of the most important naval engagements were and how they were fought; who some of the most notable naval and political personalities were. And did I mention artwork? The selection of neo-realistic contemporary and modern paintings, photographs and illustrations combined with the large book format is highly appealing. The most beautiful example is the sea-battle painting placed on a two-page spread on the title page. Duplicate that, e-readers!
The Captain Aubrey reader will find Chapter Five, "The Eyes of the Fleet", of particular significance to their enjoyment of a number of the related novels. This chapter focuses in on what the Admiralty would drily call Fifth- and Sixth-rated ships; ships in this category are commonly called Frigates. The Frigate had one main gun deck, generally with no more that forty guns, compared to the large "ships-of-the-line" First-, Second- and so-on rates, starting with more than 100 guns on three gun decks, and working downward. Famous admirals were noted for maneuvering their large warships in battles along "battle-lines", slugging it out against enemy fleets arrayed in similar battle lines, but the frigates usually fought in smaller, even individual actions. They were highly maneuverable, allowing them to be used for discovering and tracking enemy movements, but were very powerful for their size. They were the ideal vehicle for a fighting captain to gain glory and to use to advance up the naval promotion ladder, as Jack Aubrey demonstrates in his odyssey.
The book also contains "A Cast of Characters" section near the end, which gives a brief bio of each of the numerous important characters encountered in the books. This is where I would add a caveat to the O'Brian fan who has not completed all of the novels. Not everyone has the same concern about learning the fate of characters before they have finished reading the book. If you are not the kind of person who likes to read the last page of a mystery first, you may want to skip this section if you have more Aubrey books to read, because the fate of at least one major character may surprise you. A word to the wise, but enjoy the book regardless.
In fact, this book would greatly inform anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge of the naval engagements involved in this most fascinating period of British and European history. You can learn how the British and French navies compared with each other; how life was lived by sailors on board; how the ships were constructed; what some of the most important naval engagements were and how they were fought; who some of the most notable naval and political personalities were. And did I mention artwork? The selection of neo-realistic contemporary and modern paintings, photographs and illustrations combined with the large book format is highly appealing. The most beautiful example is the sea-battle painting placed on a two-page spread on the title page. Duplicate that, e-readers!
The Captain Aubrey reader will find Chapter Five, "The Eyes of the Fleet", of particular significance to their enjoyment of a number of the related novels. This chapter focuses in on what the Admiralty would drily call Fifth- and Sixth-rated ships; ships in this category are commonly called Frigates. The Frigate had one main gun deck, generally with no more that forty guns, compared to the large "ships-of-the-line" First-, Second- and so-on rates, starting with more than 100 guns on three gun decks, and working downward. Famous admirals were noted for maneuvering their large warships in battles along "battle-lines", slugging it out against enemy fleets arrayed in similar battle lines, but the frigates usually fought in smaller, even individual actions. They were highly maneuverable, allowing them to be used for discovering and tracking enemy movements, but were very powerful for their size. They were the ideal vehicle for a fighting captain to gain glory and to use to advance up the naval promotion ladder, as Jack Aubrey demonstrates in his odyssey.
The book also contains "A Cast of Characters" section near the end, which gives a brief bio of each of the numerous important characters encountered in the books. This is where I would add a caveat to the O'Brian fan who has not completed all of the novels. Not everyone has the same concern about learning the fate of characters before they have finished reading the book. If you are not the kind of person who likes to read the last page of a mystery first, you may want to skip this section if you have more Aubrey books to read, because the fate of at least one major character may surprise you. A word to the wise, but enjoy the book regardless.
September 19, 2016
This book provides a very good introduction to the world of Aubrey and Maturin at the time of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. It covers the political and social atmosphere of the time along with and pretty well painted backdrop of the navy at the time; the organisation, ship construction, command hierarchy and fighting.
It is not perfect but it is good. Some of the organisation of data is a little erratic; for example the canons are described in one chapter and the carronades in another. Also I would have like a much more ordered description of the different types of ships: sloops, brigs, corvettes, schooners, frigates, ships of the line etc. They all get mentioned but sometimes the differences between them are really not clear, especially between the smaller one. But on the whole it does make a good companion and certainly helps when it comes to deciphering some of the nautical terms.
It is not perfect but it is good. Some of the organisation of data is a little erratic; for example the canons are described in one chapter and the carronades in another. Also I would have like a much more ordered description of the different types of ships: sloops, brigs, corvettes, schooners, frigates, ships of the line etc. They all get mentioned but sometimes the differences between them are really not clear, especially between the smaller one. But on the whole it does make a good companion and certainly helps when it comes to deciphering some of the nautical terms.
August 15, 2018
Having finished reading Patrick O'Brian's fabulous Aubrey-Maturin series earlier this year, I enjoyed this book as it provided additional interesting background about the British navy during the historical period in which the novels take place. This book also contains lots of excellent illustrations. However, I recommend not reading this book before reading (or finishing) O'Brian's novels, as it is full of spoilers, which, even if they don't bother you, also won't make that much sense if you're not familiar with the references made to the Aubrey-Maturin books. For a more useful companion while reading the series, I found the book A Sea of Words, by Dean King et al., to be invaluable; it contains some excellent general essays as well as a terrific glossary of nautical, medical, geographical, and miscellaneous terms.
August 28, 2015
This is an excellent resource not only for the Aubrey/Maturin series, but as an introduction to naval warfare and the seagoing life in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. I particularly appreciated the tables about such things as the actual breakdown of personnel on a Royal Navy ship by rating (how many lieutenants, how many Marines, etc.) and diagrams about how a crew would be broken down into smaller groups aboard ship. Fans of the Aubreyad will appreciate the sidebars relating historical fact to episodes within the series. Plenty of references and lists of further reading material make this a great starting place for anyone interested in the naval battles of the Napoleonic War.
December 12, 2017
I found this book informative--particularly the narration of three great sea battles contemporaneous with the Aubrey novels. However, a number of plot points were casually revealed in sidebars and glossaries, which completely caught me off guard. Usually I don't mind spoilers as I tend to see stories more about the journey than the destination, but these were so significant that it made me put the book down till I was done with the series so as to avoid further "contamination".
April 5, 2024
This book is a great companion for Patrick O'Brian fans and history lovers. I found it at a secondhand marketplace and needed it automatically. It delivers exactly what it promises. Richard O'Neill and his collaborators explain and offer details about the historical period of the Napoleonic Wars and the British naval forces. The book delves into Jack Aubrey's adventures and researches the real background of the 19th century and his military history.
In its chapters, we can discover the world that Aubrey and Maturin knew. It explores Aubrey's England, the warships of His Majesty and their construction, life at sea, the Fleet, the most remarkable battles, and the laws of the Sea. All this information is authentic and documented with valuable color illustrations, including contemporary paintings, maps, diagrams, and photographs. The authors also included profiles of the real historical figures whose exploits and personalities O'Brian used to lend more authenticity to his fictional characters. Caution: The companion contains spoilers for O'Brian's twenty books. Read it only if you've already read the saga, or if spoilers don't bother you.
It was wonderful reminiscing about this historical period and Aubrey's adventures. However, I did miss a section dedicated to agents and the British Intelligence service related to Stephen Maturin, the other main character of the saga.
In its chapters, we can discover the world that Aubrey and Maturin knew. It explores Aubrey's England, the warships of His Majesty and their construction, life at sea, the Fleet, the most remarkable battles, and the laws of the Sea. All this information is authentic and documented with valuable color illustrations, including contemporary paintings, maps, diagrams, and photographs. The authors also included profiles of the real historical figures whose exploits and personalities O'Brian used to lend more authenticity to his fictional characters. Caution: The companion contains spoilers for O'Brian's twenty books. Read it only if you've already read the saga, or if spoilers don't bother you.
It was wonderful reminiscing about this historical period and Aubrey's adventures. However, I did miss a section dedicated to agents and the British Intelligence service related to Stephen Maturin, the other main character of the saga.
May 5, 2020
O’Brian began writing his now near legendary series of sea stories about “Lucky Jack” Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in the mid-’60s, but for a quarter-century he was “the best author you never heard of.” Then, about 1991, he was suddenly discovered and, in addition to the immediate and well-deserved fame of the novels themselves, there also sprang up a whole cottage industry of explanatory works about life in the Royal Navy, about frigate warfare generally, about the grand strategies of the Napoleonic War, and about the real individuals on which O’Brian’s characters were based and the battles in which they fought. This lovely volume is one of the best of that flood of titles -- a full-color, oversized book put together by four highly expert and experienced popular historians on naval matters. It begins by setting the place and time (context is everything), explaining why Britain and France had been at war for most of a century before the French Revolution had ever been thought of, and the role of urban growth and the Industrial Revolution in the new era -- as well as the “Irish Question,” a subject of the greatest importance to Maturin. The nature of the navy in Aubrey’s time is elucidated, especially its administration and structure, how a naval officer’s career typically progressed, and how a fleet was commanded. A great deal of useful but not overly technical detail is given to the classes of ships available, how the rating system worked and how it changed over time, and why the frigate was the most desired command of any red-blooded young captain. A series of very clear diagrams lay out the ship’s standing and running rigging, sail system, and deck plan. The square-rigged naval ship was the most complicated machine of its time and to operate it efficiently required the individual and collective skills of a considerable number of people. An entire chapter is given over to their broadly grouped duties and to the multiple hierarchies to which every man aboard belonged, from the newest landman up to the first lieutenant, who answered to whom, who was most important in the scheme of things, the difference between watches and stations, and how the day was divided. Commissions, warrants, and appointments are carefully explained, including those of the Royal Marine contingent aboard, including their uniforms. Other topics include living conditions, food, sanitation, and crime and punishment, with special consideration of the Articles of War. Other sections discuss the routines of convoy and blockade duty, the conventions of combat, the signals system, and the prize system from which every man potentially benefitted. Then the general gives way to the particular with a discussion of the life and career of Thomas Lord Cochrane, the finest frigate commander of his time and the primary model for Jack Aubrey. Finally, three particular events are considered in detail: The Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797 (as a fleet action), which was a glorious victory for the Royal Navy; the Walcheren Expedition of 1809 (an amphibious campaign), which was an equally notable failure; and the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, in which two squadrons of relatively small vessels, one British and one American, fought ferociously and suffered greatly. A last chapter considers piracy, privateering, the slave trade, and mutiny and desertion. And throughout there are brief excerpts from contemporary logs, reports, and seamen’s reminiscences. Illustrations are heavy on naval “action” paintings of the period and also the savagely satiric drawings of George Cruikshank. If you can only afford one reference/source book to keep handy while you read the Aubrey canon, I recommend this one.
January 24, 2020
A nicely informative overview of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Organization is a little haphazard. For example, the book ends randomly with a chapter on punishment in the navy. Filled out with lots of period paintings and illustrations. There are two appendices - one of naval terms and expressions and another of characters from the Aubrey canon. The latter includes some unnecessary spoilers regarding the ultimate fates of some characters. Could have been better.
February 28, 2013
This is an excellent research resource masquerading as a coffee table book. (Or at least it's the kind of book I would put on MY coffee table.) For anyone who is writing or reading stories about the English Navy during the early 1800s, this book is a must have. It explains the ins and outs of everyday life at sea and even gives the layouts of various ships. Best of all, for fans of the Aubrey/Maturin series, it puts the stories in a historical context.
October 21, 2020
Nice illustrations and artwork that fill in some of the mysteries of 18th Century naval life. The text feels like it was copied and pasted from various other works as it was disjointed and hard to follow in places, but useful all the same. I’m reading the Aubrey/Maturin series again (my fourth “circumnavigation”), so none of the spoilers here affected me. If you haven’t read all twenty of the books (go now and do that!), you probably wait to read this until you’re second go-round.
April 17, 2020
My grandfather, formerly a Commander in the British Navy himself, recently recommended to me the Aubrey-Martin novels by the late Patrick O’Brian, widely acclaimed as the finest historical novels of all time.
Luckily, my grandfather owns this vital piece of contextual and illustrated literature, which vitally helps to explain, among many other things, the various theatres of war which manifest in the O’Brian novels. The information on the context and also the characterisation of Jack Aubrey is concise and deeply researched.
Although concise, the level of detail is also greatly satisfying, from construction of war-ships, living conditions and positions of rank, all explained and linking back to the work of O’Brian in a succinct manner.
For somebody unfamiliar with naval history and this period in particular, I highly recommend consulting this immensely valuable piece of literature to fully immerse yourself in the world of Jack Aubrey prior to reading the series. I am certain that it will provide a more enriching reading experience.
Luckily, my grandfather owns this vital piece of contextual and illustrated literature, which vitally helps to explain, among many other things, the various theatres of war which manifest in the O’Brian novels. The information on the context and also the characterisation of Jack Aubrey is concise and deeply researched.
Although concise, the level of detail is also greatly satisfying, from construction of war-ships, living conditions and positions of rank, all explained and linking back to the work of O’Brian in a succinct manner.
For somebody unfamiliar with naval history and this period in particular, I highly recommend consulting this immensely valuable piece of literature to fully immerse yourself in the world of Jack Aubrey prior to reading the series. I am certain that it will provide a more enriching reading experience.
July 22, 2019
This is a highly detailed and illustrated book to help put the Aubrey-Maturin series into its historical context. It might be possible to use this as a reference while reading, but it probably best serves to fill in information either after reading at least the first book or possibly the entire series. There are spoilers for the Aubrey-Maturin series inside that are dropped into the middle of the text or in the image descriptions. After reading one or two, I figured out pretty quick that anytime one of the novels is mentioned by title or Aubrey or Maturin's name is dropped, it might be best to skip ahead a little.
January 3, 2024
Wonderful companion to the series, but, WARNING SO MANY SPOILERS! I'm not sure when the authors expect you to read this book. It would make sense to read it along with the first book (Master and Commander) so you're not having to constantly Google terms they use. But they literally have spoilers all the way through the entire series. Also, a little haphazardly organized and could have used some more editing. But, all around a great help in learning the era of the books.
July 21, 2023
So this is a pretty coffee table book, but less scholarly than I was expecting. The illustrations in particular have very little info on where they are from. I learned more about where some of them come from due to having read the annotated Jane Austen novels than one could determine from this book.
April 3, 2025
This is needed before progressing into O'Brian's main works. Helps one understand the world that is being described in the main works. Use this to understand the terms and colloquialisms that are found throughout the books. It will act as the glue that will hold all of the text together.
August 17, 2020
Lots of information about the Royal Navy at the time of the Aubry/Maturin series. Wish I had it the first time I read these.
June 29, 2022
This book is like a minefield of spoilers. Author dropped them so randomly that you'll never see them coming.
August 31, 2023
Well illustrated book with excellent information on naval history.
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May 19, 2011I highly recommend this book if you are feeling a bit lost in nautical terms and the history of the Napoleon Wars and the Royal British Navy at the time. There are some dangerous spoilers, but I learned more than I lost from just having it around for a few weeks to page through as I read the second Aubrey-Maturin, Post Captain. I have just started the third in the series, HMS Surprise, and I was happy to have immediate assistance from the companion to know what was meant by the First Lord and the Admiralty, though of course O'Brian's context helps a bit. The illustrations are a great help with understanding the ships, there makeup and the general practice of sailing.
February 15, 2015
Comprehensive, well-illustrated, authoritative, readable - and skilfully linked-in to the Aubrey-Maturin stories. This is, indeed, an excellent companion to Jack Aubrey's world. I doubt if there are many readers of Patrick O'Brian's great work who would not find this a useful and welcome source book for much information that sets the scene and describes the context.
July 6, 2015
A really great companion book, worth it just for the copies of old paintings and drawings depicting various battles and scenes of shipboard life. These are fairly accurate since they are contemporary with the period.
A warning however: this should not be read until one has finished the canon at least once because it contains MAJOR SPOILERS concerning various plot points and important characters!
A warning however: this should not be read until one has finished the canon at least once because it contains MAJOR SPOILERS concerning various plot points and important characters!
June 17, 2016
I very much enjoyed reading this book, and I wish I had had it while I was reading all 21 books. However, the treatment of things American left something to be desired - lost a star for that. This is especially glaring with respect to the heavy frigates. Still, I would recommend this for anyone interested in the Age of Sail and Wooden Ships and Iron Men.
June 28, 2008
Very good and very informative and inspirational. Simply the jewel in my bookcase:)Every POB fan must have it:)
February 9, 2009
Great pictorial companion to the O'Brian series.
January 21, 2013
A very good companion coffee table book for the Aubrey-Maturin Series. Detailed illustrations of the sailing ships, maps, etc. Enjoy it very much.
December 19, 2011
A fascinating guide to the world of the Royal Navy in the time of the Napoleonic wars. Lavishly illustrated I enjoyed reading this alongside the Jack Aubrey books and return to it again and again.
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August 10, 2012Patrick O'Brian is the bedrock for my Mount Rushmore of authors! If you enjoy reading, you will find his books worthy of your time and probably will find them as favorites.
October 24, 2012
Brings the series all more to life.
February 24, 2013
Tough book to rate overall a tough read, pictures a 5 info for reference also, a 5, I injoyed but would not want to read again
September 22, 2013
it was very good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews