The Fortune of War

Aubrey & Maturin #6

by Patrick O'Brian

This time it's the War of 1812 that gets in the way of Captain Jack Aubery's plans. Caught en route to England in a dispatch vessel, Aubrey and Maturin are soon in the thick of a typically bloody naval engagement. Next stop: an American prison, from which only Maturin's cunning allows them to engineer an exit.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Nautical, Audiobook, War

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Patrick O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series of historical novels has been described as "a masterpiece" (David Mamet, New York Times), "addictively readable" (Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune), and "the best historical novels ever written" (Richard Snow, New York Times Book Review), which "should have been on those lists of the greatest novels of the 20th century" (George Will).

Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian's twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician (and spy) Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format.

In addition to the Aubrey-Maturin novels, Patrick O'Brian wrote several books including the novels Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, and The Unknown Shore, as well as biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He translated many works from French into English, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, the first volume of Jean Lacouture's biography of Charles de Gaulle, and famed fugitive Henri Cherriere's memoir Papillon. O'Brian died in January 2000.

The Aubrey-Maturin Series on Goodreads

Reviews

[Darwin8u · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A noble spread of sails, upon my word"
- Patrick O'Brian, The Fortune of War



There is a danger in writing a review of these books too soon after finishing them. If it is possible to describe my reception of a book of literature as somehow the equivalent of love, these books by O'Brian would certainly be a top contender for one of the great literature loves of my life. No. This isn't Shakespeare, but often even Shakespeare isn't Shakespeare. But these books are something. They are beyond prose and art. There is a lift that I get from them that is hard to translate adequately. All I have to do is look at the edge of one of these books after I've finished it, and I've absolutely abused it with sticky notes and post-it tabs. There are just so many fine turns of phrase, observations, and witticisms that I don't want to lose. The edge becomes as layered as Caesar's hair.

As always, I love O'Brian's attention to Aubrey and Maturin's friendship and how he further explores the two very distinct aspects of manliness and honor, war and intelligence, love and loyalty. Captain Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin present very two idealized, but also very human, studies. Much like Johnson's pictures of birds, presented to Dr. Maturin "gives us not the bird, for no bird ever had this brilliant clarity in every member, but the Platonic idea of the bird, the visible archetype of the turkey-buzzard", these character studies of these two binary, nautical protagonists gives the reader not just men, but the archetype of men. It is done with grace, beauty, humor, and at moments - perfection.

One of the other parts of this particular book I adored was its focus on the American Navy during the War of 1812, specifically around Boston and Nantucket. I spent a day in Nantucket this last Summer and also spent an afternoon snooping around the USS Constitution. I loved reading O'Brian describe the coast around Boston, the town of Boston, and the USS Constitution, and finally the battle between the HMS Shannon and the USS Chesapeake on 1 June 1813.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much do I love these books? Let me count the ways...so far, we're up to six. Six splendiferous volumes of early 19th century seafaring goodness!

By the sixth of this series of twenty, I was fully enamored of the characters, the story, the writing - the whole kit and kaboodle! With each rereading, O'Brian's work still stands up as some of my favorite writing of all time. Granted, to be sympatico as book besties, you too would need to be down with the Austen-esque style, the Napoleonic War setting, as well as the sailing, naval warfare and spying subject matter. If none of those things interest you, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't like O'Brian's Master & Commander series. For those who are still with me, let's continue on, shall we?

The Fortune of War admittedly does not kick off with a fast-paced start. It languishes for much of the beginning and some in the middle. While helpful for those who are reading these books out of order, an explanation of the preceding book's action does stall the current action. The middle is slow for reasons I don't want to spoil and also because O'Brian is setting up the plot up for his big finish, and it's well worth it!

This book contains two lengthy sea battles that make up for what the last book lacked. Like fights during NHL games, that's what some of the people come for. Just as exciting, in my opinion, is the second protagonist, Stephen Maturin's secret profession as an intelligence agent, which gets just as much play in this one as the naval aspect. In fact, because of Maturin's clandestine work the later part of the book flies with heart pounding intensity.



The Fortune of War is also intriguing because up to this point in the series it's been all about the British and their fight against the French. Now the British are fighting America, and things get a little weird for American readers. All this time we've been rooting for our British/Irish heroes and now they're the enemy. Potentially alienating a massive portion of your readers can be a tricky business, but I think it's handled with delicacy. The good and bad natures of both sides are shown, and yes, there's plenty of nuanced grey area, too.

On a personal level, I really enjoyed the setting for the later half of the book, having grown up in Massachusetts and spent a good amount of time in Boston, the principle location for much of the story.

USS Constitution, aka "Old Ironsides", in Boston Harbor



My review for book #5: Desolation Island

My review for book #7: The Surgeon's Mate

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Listen, Jack,” said Stephen, “if you brood upon it now, without all the data or learned advice, you will do no good, and you will make yourself sick. I know your constitution: who better? It is not one that can withstand prolonged, and above all useless brooding. You must discipline your mind, my dear. For you are to consider, that thanks to this blessed order, you will be home sooner than the swiftest messenger --- you are yourself the swiftest messenger --- and that therefore it is your present duty to be reasonably gay, or at least to affect the motions of gaiety…Be not idle; be not alone. I speak in all gravity, brother, as a physician.”

There are other top notch series by British authors including Jane Austen, Laurence Durrell, Charles Dickens, J.R.R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and Bernard Cornwell. If you choose to pass on this series, you have deprived yourself of one of the most ambitious and most successful efforts to portray the world of the early 19th Century while providing characters of depth and substance to rival any other.

Captain Jack “Lucky Jack” Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin are back in O’Brian’s sixth novel of the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Those who have read the previous book, Desolation Island, know some of what Maturin is referring to given the battering their ship, The Leopard, received and how the ship and crew were presumed lost for many months.

This book is barely underway when it looks like Aubrey is headed home from the Dutch East Indies to take command of a magnificent frigate. All he has to do is get around the Cape of Good Hope and avoid any of Napoleon’s ships in the process. Things do not go as anticipated, in part because of the United States declaring war on Britain and, because the ship carrying Aubrey and Maturin becomes stuck in the doldrums for days and then weeks and then….

This book again displays O’Brian’s wonderful gift of storytelling including his deft hand with characterization and description. Here are several examples:

The first draws a distinction, in a humorous way, between the point of view of seamen (sailing and fighting) contrasted with that of others such as Dr. Stephen Maturin. “…ignored by others, such as Stephen and McLean, who cared for none of those things. They had some interesting sunstrokes in sickbay now, together with the usual diseases that some of the hands had found time to acquire in their few moments of free or stolen time at Simon’s Town.”

The second is a succinct snapshot of this point in time. “The news (of the United States declaring war on Britain) was received with mixed feeling aboard…..some…who had American friends…thought that the whole affair had been shockingly bungled…Others again left politics to politicians, but supposed that if they had to fight the Americans…it was all part of their calling; and at least there might be some hope of prize-money. The glorious days of Spanish treasure-ships were gone for ever; French prizes were precious thin on the ground; but American merchantmen had taken to carrying much of the world’s trade, and they might be met with anywhere at all.”

This is the first of the series to concentrate on America and the British Empire in the early 19th century. O’Brian deftly maneuvers the story to place Aubrey (and Maturin) in a confrontation with the young American Navy. From there, the plot burrows deeply into the intelligence game and Maturin’s skill set. The large portion of the book takes place landside in New England, gives O’Brian his best opportunity to detail the character of “Americans” and to dissect the various elements of the complicated relationship between Britain and the USA.

Brilliant and satisfying but I would choose to start reading with the first book, Master and Commander.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2008, and its the 6th marvellous volume of the delightful "Aubrey/Maturin" series.

This book is set in the year AD 1812, and war has once again broken out between England and its allies against France of Napoleon Bonaparte.

At first Captain Jack Aubrey, RN, arrives in the Dutch East Indies to find himself appointed to the Command to the fastest and best-armed frigate in the Navy.

Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin at first will the ship act like a dispatch vessel, but when war breaks out fully in AD 1812, Maturin's work in the past as a spy will return to him with a vengeance, while they are en route.

What is to follow are at first unexpected but in the end necessary battle actions at sea between Aubrey's men against the French, and those actions will cause bloody mayhem and death on both sides, but in which Aubrey will triumph in the end due to sheer force, luck and determination, and all this once again told by the author in his own particular and amazing authentic fashion.

Highly recommended, for this is another magnificent addition to this terrific series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Glorious Fortune Of War"!

[Eric Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desolation Island’s long arc of calamity and humiliation continues here, with a fire at sea, an open boat, and rescue by HMS Java, just in time for that ship’s historic ass-whipping at the hands of USS Constitution. What follows is so intricately dire that I felt relief at their deliverance, expected as it was. And they’re not home yet - though home is never more than a respite, for these two.

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see no sign of diminishing interest in the Aubrey-Maturin adventures for me. Like one of the frigates described here, the series pushes on with all sails hoisted proudly, with a fair wind pushing the friends forward to distant, exotic shores.
These winds were actually tempestuous in the last installment (Desolation Island), describing one of the most fraught with danger and disaster journeys, as plague, Dutch raiders, hurricanes, icebergs, mutiny on board and hostile American sloops prevent Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin from reaching their destination in Botany Bay. I was expecting the follow up to show me an episode at the Antipodes, but nothing of much interest seems to have happened there, and the story picks up a few months later, as the battered HMS Leopard reaches Pulo Batang, a former Dutch colony that is now of interest to the British crown. Here, Aubrey receives a new comission and embarks on a fast ship (La Fleche) back to England where a brand new frigate waits for his command. Maturin is completely absorbed in the extensive collection of plants and animals , both alive and preserved in alcohol, that he has gathered at various stops in their journey. Maturin is also responsible for much of the comic relief as his pets eat Jack's hat, and he blissfully redefines the rules of the game of cricket.

The first chapters of the present novel almost lull the reader into a sense of peace, with smooth weather and plenty of humour to heal the scars of their ordeal on Desolation Island:

The monsoon bore them steadily west and south over a limitless and amiable sea, with never an island, never a ship, and rarely a bird to recall them to any sense of the terrestrial, clouds their only companions. It was a sea-borne life, ordered by an exact sequence of bells and of naval rites: the sound of the decks being holly-stoned, swabbed, and flogged dry in the early morning, hammocks piped up, the fore-noon tasks, the ceremony of noon itself, when a dozen sextants shot the sun from La Fleche's crowded quarterdeck and Captain Yorke said "Make it so, Mr Warner", the bosun and his mates piping the hands to dinner, the fifer fifing them to grog; then the drum for the gun-room's meal, the quiet afternoon, and the drum again for quarters and for retreat, the piping down of hammocks, and the setting of the watch.

Alas, the tranquil interlude is cut short when a fire aboard sinks La Fleche in about one hour, and leaves Jack and Stephen stranded in a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic with little water andn o food, all their belongings and precious collections sunk to the bottom of the ocean. A last minute rescue by a British frigate only serves to land them in the middle of the recently declared War of 1812, between the mighty Royal Navy and the upstarts in the American fleet. The reason the book is called Fortune of War becomes clear now, as our protagonists find themselves prisoners of the Americans and are sent to Boston, Jack Aubrey with an added complication of a grievous injury to his left arm.

An extensive part of the novel is now taking place in Boston and I was expecting to find this section of less interest than the naval battles, but I believe here is an example of how good a writer O'Brian is. Instead of boring, the time spent in Boston turns out into a thrilling spy novel that would make even Le Carre envious. Jack is suspected of espionage, and his exchange of prisoners is delayed, while Maturin is pursued with deadly intent by his French counterparts in the intelligence game. A good account of the reasons behind the 1812 War and of the positions of different factions on the American political scene is an added bonus. For me though, the main interest in Boston is the reunion between Maturin and his love interest, the tempestuous and inconstant Diane Villiers, now the mistress of an American Southern gentleman that may also beinvolved in the spying game. With Jack Aubrey happily married, it is Stephen who still goes through the pain of unrequited love and who is torn, like in one of my favorite Chris de Burgh tunes Fatal Hesitation, between the head and the heart. He may be disillusioned by the woman he meets now in Boston, but he cannot deny his passion of the past.

Flower: is it a flower?
Mist: is it a mist?
Coming at midnight
Leaving with the dawn.
She is there: the sweetness of
a passing springtime.
She is gone: the morning haze
- no trace at all.

I'm not sure if this fragment of poetry is penned by O'Brian or quoted, but it captures the divide between man and woman, and Stephen's dillema in particular: "... women often expect oranges to grow on apple-trees, and men look for constancy to a purely imaginary ideal: how often a woman proves to be no more than the morning mist."

No matter how many women come into their life, the friendship between Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin remains the backbone of the series, like the North - South axis around which the world spins. Their relationship has grown comfortably old and reliable, as illustrated in this thorny exchange aboard yet another small boat that takes them to another deadly sea battle:

'Not to know the odds between a halliard and a sheet, after all these years at sea: it passes human understanding', said Jack.
'You are a reasonably civil, complaisant creature on dry land', said Stephen, 'but the moment you are afloat you become pragmatical and absolute, a bashaw - do this, do that, gluppit the prawling strangles, there - no longer a social being. It is no doubt the effect of the long-continued habit of command; but it cannot be considered amiable.

There are only two naval actions in the novel, but they are enough, considering how interesting and edge-of-your-seat thrilling was the Boston interlude. In a foreword, the author lets us in on one of his secret ingredients that made his stories so succesful: they are based on actual battles and actual officers that took part in the conflict:

It seems to me that where the Royal Navy and indeed the infant United States Navy are concerned there is little point in trying to improve the record, since the plain, unadorned facts speak for themselves with the emphasis of a broadside; and the only liberty I have taken is to place my heroes aboard.

Speaking of historical actors, I couldn't help noticing the name of a small character who appears towards the end of the novel and whose role is only to carry a letter of challenge from the British to the Americans. I wonder if this Slocum is related to the famous solitary navigator who first sailed around the world alone. I have had Joshua slocum's journal on my TBR for years, and maybe I have now a final push to bring it forward.

The author also graces us with an afterword, a rare glimpse into the domestic life of a reclusive writer, who prefers to stay away from the limelight and let his novels speak for themselves:

.. the man does not coincide with his books, which, if the Platonic "not who but what" is to be accepted, are the only legitimate objects of curiosity. [...] privacy is a jewel; and not only one's own privacy but also that of one's friends, relatives, connexions.

The appeal to respect for privacy is especially significant for me in this year 2015 when I read daily about new proposed laws that would strip us of every dignity and right to control our own information.

[Malacorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Siamo tutti soggetti alle fortune della guerra", osservò Evans, visibilmente imbarazzato, mentre gli porgeva un pacchetto più piccolo. "Sono certo che non mi condannerete, se sono in ritardo rispetto ai miei compagni di bordo. Suvvia, signore, non ho bisogno di dirvi che c'è una generosità anche nell'accettare: e purtroppo non sono che venti sterline".

Ancora una volta, per commentare un nuovo episodio della saga mi trovo a lodare numerosi pregi e rilevare pochissimi difetti.

Unici difetti: qualche imprecisione nella scrittura in singoli e isolati passaggi (come sempre sarebbe poi da individuare qual è il peso della traduzione); e il titolo la cui traduzione non è felicemente azzeccata: in casi diversi The fortune of war poteva anche sostenere di essere tradotto con "bottino di guerra", ma qui il significato è diverso, e mi dispiace di tenere in mano il libro e leggere un titolo che non sia perfettamente calzante per una storia che mi è piaciuta così tanto.

Quanto ai pregi, potrei stare qui un'ora a sperticarmi in lodi esagerate, ma sarà meglio cercare di essere più concisa: l'articolazione della trama inizia a raggiungere i livelli - se non addirittura a fargli invidia - di un Hugo o di un Dumas. I caratteri dei due protagonisti, il rapporto tra loro e il rapporto con gli altri personaggi, tutta questa "rete psicologica" è sempre ottimamente mantenuta e ragionata e ragionevole in considerazione delle congiunture, del passare degli anni, di tutto il contesto. Poiché si racconta di due uomini e non di due santi, i rapporti con l'altro sesso sono ovviamente presenti: ma non sono buttati lì a casaccio tanto per timbrare il cartellino, e i sentimenti sono sempre trattati ed esposti in maniera non melensa, al contrario: ruspante al punto giusto. Lo stesso dicasi per le riflessioni lievemente filosofiche e lievemente malinconiche che le disavventure possono indurre nei due protagonisti: dosate con perfetta accortezza. E anche l'ironia è sempre inserita con il tempismo giusto.

Per ora ho deciso che metterò da parte la saga per un po', onde evitare il rischio di un'inutile ubriacatura... ma in verità non sono sicura di quanto riuscirò a resistere prima di leggerne un altro ancora.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avast there ye swabs!

I’ll translate for yous..... Hello folks!

A grand series is this & i’m sure it gets better with every read, each tale easier to get into than the last, much smoother in its storytelling & this time even a little backfill (via a despatch letter) as the story continues straight after Desolation Island which is most welcome to this reader as he ages......

We start in the East Indies & a little landlubbing is done before we set to the high seas, less lubbing than normal at the start i’ll add which is jus grand! Jack & his jolly tars leave The Leopard behind which stood them in good stead & head of to blighty & there awaits a new ship....... along the ways there are a few misfortunes to say the least..... special mention of a declaration of war by the colonials who finally throw there lot in with them damn Frenchies, land & resource grabbing in Canada be the reason....... and the best bit is that Dr Maturin features a lot more in this episode & it makes for grand reading too as the story goes away from the usual fare/formulae in the pursuit of his remit..... he wears many hats as will transpire.

If yer a historical fiction buff I implore you to give this series a go, perhaps even jump in a few books as the first of the series is on reflection a little staid & the writing does get smoother as you go with less nautical terminology..... albeit from a naval family I do recognise a lot of the slang & ship speak readily. Run out the guns........ clear for action...... beat to quarters...... splice the main brace........

A ripping yarn as they say, clear 4 star rating.

[Joshua Rigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. O'Brian is a master of period detail and description.

**Spoilers Below**

O'Brian moves between frenzied action and contemplativeness with ease. We watch as a ship catches fire and burns, the crew scramble for the lifeboats, the captain is last seen firing off the cannons to keep them from accidentally damaging the smaller craft. Then follows a slow summary of the agony of hoping for rescue on the open sea. Rationing food and water. Hoping for wind. Screaming to be seen by a passing ship. Rowing themselves to death. All to no avail, until finally, in the eleventh hour, they see a sail, and make it on board another British navy vessel. Captain Aubrey does his best to follow decorum in the extreme situation, but collapses on deck, remarking how wonderfully comfortable the deck planks feel beneath his face after days of exhaustion and malnutrition.

This, and the naval action that follows, are wonderful, peak O'Brian, crafted by a master.

Some of the tension in the line slips a bit when Aubrey and Maturin are taken as prisoners to the U.S. mainland, however. For one, the two of them are allowed a remarkable amount of freedom as hostile enemy combatants. Aubrey, still recovering from injuries, is left in an insane asylum, but not under any kind of guard. Maturin wanders freely all around New England. After Maturin's several near-misses from French thugs who want him for his information, he and Aubrey hatch a plan to escape to the British vessels blockading the harbor.

They come up with an audacious (and frankly problematic, from a modern perspective) plan to put Aubrey in blackface and help Maturin escape through a basket tied to a balcony in the dead of night. Yet, upon surveying the situation and beginning their mission, it's unclear whether and why they choose to abandon this plan, or why they planned it up in the first place. Aubrey and Maturin simply walk out of the hotel after French soldiers leave. Their American assistant's horses get spooked and drive away, and we never hear from him again. They get on their boat, and sail to the blockade—easy as kiss my hand.

The American portion of the story felt under-developed. Some of its portrayals felt a bit ham-fisted or heavy-handed—but perhaps I am just defensive of my own people. Also, as dearly as I love him, Patrick Tull's wonderful gifts of narration are sadly inadequate to the task of reproducing a passable American accent, much less that of a Southerner.

I was excited to see O'Brian explore the war of 1812. He describes, convincingly, the disbelief in the British navy as one ship after another falls to the smaller, nimbler, and less-storied American volunteer navy. This affects Aubrey in convincing ways. The bones of the story are as strong as his others, it's just that the latter half of the narrative felt malnourished after the exposure of the open ocean and the taxing naval battles that lead to their capture.

I would be happy to write anything half as well, however.

http://joshuarigsby.com

[Sherwood Smith]

One of my favorites, in which Stephen gets to be seriously badass.

There are two ship battles, both based on historical battles, complete to living commanders. To get Jack Aubrey in, he has to be a guest, and then a prisoner of war. We also see them in a shipwreck. It's interesting to see Jack under extreme duress, in circumstances he cannot control, and Stephen's internal life, while always fascinating, brings him near to discovery.

Diana Villiers is back, complicated, in as much turmoil as Stephen, but rises to the challenge, whether it's rescuing her diamonds from a hecatomb or shooting rats in a nasty little cabin while warfare booms and thunders overhead.

A very fast read, with so many great one-liners and deep character studies, coming to a startling close rather than a real end: it is truly the first in a long connected series of books.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

In the wake of the last episode, er volume, we find Jack and Stephen pulling into the port of Pulo Batang in Java having completed their Australian mission (alas off-page, so we have no chance to see what, if any, their interactions with the infamous Captain, now Governor, Bligh may have been). After the beating it took, the dilapidated Leopard is no longer fit for military service and Jack and his remaining crew are being shipped back to England as passengers aboard the La Flèche so he can take command of his new ship the Acasta. Despite the seemingly preternaturally smooth sailing of the vessel in the first part of its voyage disaster ensues not once, but twice, as first the La Flèche goes down in an accidental ball of flame and the survivors (including Jack and Stephen of course) must survive in a small boat on the open ocean shadowed by the spectres of starvation and the burning sun; then a second catastrophe strikes immediately on the heel of their being rescued through the ‘lucky’ intervention of the HMS Java, when the British ship immediately runs afoul of the USS Constitution. With war having newly been declared between the US and Britain this leads to a battle which, much to the surprise and chagrin of Jack and all of the British hands, the English promptly lose. This is apparently par for the course, as we discover that since the war’s inception the tiny US Navy has done nothing but succeed against the supposedly superior forces of His Britannic Majesty, a fact that soon comes to weigh heavily upon Jack’s spirit.

Now the prisoners of the Americans, Jack and Stephen are taken to Boston where the former convalesces from some serious wounds he received in the previous actions on board ship and the latter finds himself drawn into the political intrigue between the warring nations spurred on by some old French ‘friends’. This intrigue is only complicated by the appearance of our old acquaintances Michael Herapath and Louisa Wogan and, even more so (for poor Stephen), with the advent of everyone’s favourite man-eater Diana Villiers whose venal lover Harry Johnson is in tow. It is safe to say that complications ensue with intelligence agents coming out of the woodwork and Stephen proves himself a more than capable spy, willing to take any measures required to keep himself and his friends safe. If you hadn’t already thought that Stephen Maturin came into his own in previous volumes he certainly does in this one. I’m even starting to wonder, as the series continues, whether its main protagonist isn’t starting to become Stephen. To be fair in this volume Jack is definitely at a disadvantage due to the fact that our heroes are prisoners on land for the majority of it (certainly not the place where Jack is at his best), with Aubrey also convalescing from some serious wounds. The sense of Jack’s lesser role is no doubt further exacerbated by the fact that even for those parts of the book where we are at sea he is in the interesting position of being little more than a passenger on another captain’s ship. That being said, I must admit that Aubrey always acquits himself well when at sea (whether or not he is in command) and in this volume even manages to come through in the clutch on land when Stephen needs him. He has proven himself intelligent and even cunning (in regards to naval matters at the very least), a sailor that can not only plan a long game against his foes, but also react nearly immediately (and perhaps more importantly correctly) when circumstances put paid to his original plans. In essence I would say that Stephen tends to come across as the more complex character (and in many ways I think this is fair), but Jack is certainly more than the simple-minded and bluff figure he may sometimes appear.

Once again, then, I would say that it is definitely the characters that carry the story and are O’Brian’s greatest strength. In addition to our two heroes we get to see some new sides to Michael Herapath (who proves himself to be a steady hand and loyal friend despite appearing somewhat feckless at times) and his somewhat disingenuous lover Louisa (who to be fair *is* a spy), not to mention Diana Villiers whom we see in a rare period of weakness and indecision and thus clings to Maturin, her only life-line amidst the ruin that her life has become thanks to the personal decisions she has made. (Stephen and Herapath really need to form a mutual assistance society to help each other get away from toxic partners.) Most interesting of all, though, is Diana’s mercenary and slave-owning lover Harry Johnson who is equally charming and fearsome and, I trust, will be an intriguing foil for Maturin in future volumes.

So far this has been my favourite of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and while I wouldn’t suggest starting here it’s definitely recommended if you’ve begun the series.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many of us come to Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey & Maturin series because we have a thing for nautical tales, but I imagine most of us stay and reach the end of this twenty book series then reread them again and again because of volumes like The Fortune of War.

Bookended by O'Brian's impeccable nautical writing -- two battles with Frigates of the U.S. Navy (as England and the U.S. are currently engaged in the War of 1812) -- the bulk of The Fortune of War is landlocked in Boston, where Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin are prisoners, the former convalescing from a serious arm injury, the latter visiting old friends (some are old marks of his Intelligence work) and a lover, while making new friends, enemies, and rekindling his love relationship if not the relationship's spark.

It is this time in Boston, punctuated by thrilling spy work, attempted assassination, gut-carving self-defence, comic relief in the local sanitarium, all manners of subterfuge, and Dr. Maturin as the volume's primary protagonist, that make The Fortune of War positively sing. The relationships between Stephen and Diana, Stephen and Jack, Stephen and Herapath all deepen and widen, and we get the clearest indication yet of how bad ass Stephen Maturin really is.

We are also treated to a taste of Boston in 1812, with all its racism, its youth, its factions, its tenuous position in an infant nation, its arrogance intact, and it is a treat of historical fiction that I imagine any fan of the early-U.S. must love.

Yet The Fortune of War's finest moment (for me, at least) comes in the final chapter ,when Boston is left behind and we find ourselves back on the sea in HMS Shannon, in that right sided bookend that O'Brian used to close out his tale. It is one of the most rousing and bloody naval battles anywhere in Aubrey & Maturin, and it carries an extra portion of emotion to make its conclusion bittersweet.

The Fortune of War isn't actually the best in O'Brian's unparalleled series, but it ranks damnably high. I hope you, fellow reader, make it all the way to The Fortune of War; I think you'll be happy you did.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that some might be tempted to label this, the sixth installment in the 'Aubreyiad,' to be "slow." In actuality, this novel is one of the most brilliantly crafted and erudite novels written in the English language. Like peeling an onion, the reader discovers in the layers that Patrick O'Brian has not only provided some incredible naval action with the great guns and all; but has also taken the opportunity to provide a significant amount of backstory and extensive character development associated with both Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. O'Brian does it via Jack's and Stephen's 'personal reminiscence, and as Jack and Stephen exchange stories whilst prisoners of war. A very clever literary device masterfully executed.

It was interesting to experience the cunning of Stephen in his role as intelligence agent too. One can't help but be caught up in the excitement and anticipation as Stephen deals with the fledgling American and very deadly skillful French intelligence services; while at the same time trying to rescue the beautiful and headstrong Diana Villiers. Finally, the reader is given the 'bonus' of the showdown between U.S.S. Chesapeake and H.M.S Shannon, in a brilliant description of two frigates mauling each other yard-arm to yard-arm.

This is a dangerous and heady brew that Patrick O'Brian has served up in the pages of The Fortune of War; and, oh, so wonderful to partake in from the first page to the last. I loved this book!

[Ensiform · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up right where the previous book, Desolation Island, left off, this chapter in the ongoing "Aubreyad" finds Stephen and Jack sailing into the Spice Islands, where they hitch a ride home on a boat that burns; nearly dying of thirst, they sail to another ship, only to be taken prisoner by an American vessel, as the war of 1812 has just broken out. Prisoners in Boston, Stephen finds himself the interest of an American intelligence officer who is rather chummy with the French, and his identity as a secret agent puts him in an extremely vulnerable position. And then there’s the matter of Diana Villiers, who has run away with this very intelligence officer but now finds herself a cast-off.

If anything, this erudite, slyly humorous, suspenseful, thoroughly entertaining novel is even better than its predecessor. There’s simply nothing to critique in these pages, and everything to admire: the linguistic jokes — malapropisms made by Stephen — that are a wink to the reader; the thrilling scenes of bloody battle and unassuming bravery; the rich language and wonderfully arcane vocabulary; the overall subtle tone, in which the most significant passages are emphasized by the lack of dwelling upon them, leaving the reader to imagine their effects. Rich in humor and utterly steeped in the culture of the early nineteenth century, these really are the best historical novels ever written.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Maturin and Aubrey become prisoners of war of the newly formed United States, both are suspected of being spies, and Diana Villers is back. Daring escapes! Love affairs! Cold blooded murders! And of course, exciting ship battles!

It's a bit odd to see the early US from a British POV, especially since so many of the American characters seem to think they're British. Aubrey and Maturin are in fine form once more--their banter is top notch, and I love the little moments where the reader can see how one sees the other. We also get reintroduced to Haropath (the ancient Chinese scholar) and his unrequited love, Mrs. Wogan (espionage badass, neglectful mother, and delightful conversationalist). And while we get deep in Maturin's head while he ruminates on his need for his diary andd an enduring love to combat his crippling depression, the reader also gets more insight into Aubrey. Aubrey isn't in command for this book, being mostly a guest or a prisoner of war throughout, and he's physically weaker than ever before as well.

We're also reminded of how awesome Diana Villers can be. Possibly she gets badass scenes because O'Brian wanted her to seem worthy of Maturin, possibly O'Brian just likes her as much as I do. She's the kind of character who walks past the bloody corpses of former friends to get her jewels; who refuses to translate documents for her protector because she has too much loyalty toward the country of her former citizenship; who shoots rats in the dark hold of a ship while waiting to see if she'll be hanged. For all that this series is purportedly about Napoleonic naval battles, the characterization in it is top-notch.

And the battles! O'Brian whips the tension up until I was so stressed whilst listening to the last battle that I actually had to stop the recording and catch my breath. Tull does a fantastic job reading this, btw--I've complained about his reading style before, but he's much better in this. The long pauses between sentences and even words, the artificially drawled last syllables, the long sighs in the midst of words--none are here! Frabjous day.

One of the best Maturin&Aubrey books yet.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Americans enter the war alongside the French and against Britain, and the Americans win the first several naval encounters. The British navy is stunned by the defeats. Jack moves from ship to ship by “the fortune of war”, and for the first time we witness naval actions without him in charge. Diana agrees to marry Stephen - immediately after Stephen realizes that he no longer loves her.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000...

Description: Captain Jack Aubrey, R. N., arrives in the Dutch East Indies to find himself appointed to the command of the fastest and best-armed frigate in the Navy. He and his friend Stephen Maturin take passage for England in a dispatch vessel. But the War of 1812 breaks out while they are en route. Bloody actions precipitate them both into new and unexpected scenes where Stephen's past activities as a secret agent return on him with a vengeance.

1/3. By Patrick O’Brian. In 1812 Britain is at war with America and France. When Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr Stephen Maturin are forced to abandon ship in the South Atlantic they are picked up by the Royal Navy frigate, Java, in pursuit of an American heavy frigate, Constitution. But when the ships exchange fire the enemy proves superior. Jack and Stephen are taken as prisoners-of-war to Boston – where Stephen’s former lover, Diana Villiers, has become the mistress of an American diplomat. Dramatised by Roger Danes.
Captain Jack Aubrey...................................DAVID ROBB
Doctor Stephen Maturin.................RICHARD DILLANE
Diana Villiers......................................CANDIDA BENSON
Killick.................................................................JON GLOVER
Bonden..................................................................SAM DALE
Johnson..................................................STRUAN RODGER
Pontet-Canet...................................NICK UNDERWOOD
Clapier....................................................STEPHEN HOGAN
Jaheel Brenton...........................GERARD MCDERMOTT
Lt. Babbington..................................................DON GILET
Captain Lambert......................................SEAN MURRAY
Chads..........................................LIAM LAU FERNANDEZ

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Jack and Steven find themselves off the in America after Jack's luck has run out not once, but twice.

Unfortunately this means there's another encounter with Diana, now ensconced unhappily with Mr Johnson (although he has chucked diamonds at her like theyre going out of fashion - and wealth is Diana's usual motivating factor in any relationship).

I admit to not being a fan of the women in these books - although Sofie is pleasant enough. Diana gets on my nerves exceedingly and if I were Steven I would run a mile, let alone put myself in danger for the ungrateful woman.

Anyway, there's several hairy moments on sea and off, culminating in a very surprising battle.

All in all, too much Diana, but otherwise good.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! As a child, there was a book I used to check out of the library on the War of 1812. I still remember reading about all those famous frigate actions so to see two of them show up in this book (Constitution vs Java, and Chesapeake vs Shannon) was really cool.

The battle : Well, I guess if we're not going to get one from Desolation Island, we'll make up for it by having two here! Both of these actions were really well described. Constitution/Java was probably a little better from a battle narrative point, but Chesapeake/Shannon did a better job with the buildup of tension before the fight so I guess call that a wash! Also, not really a battle, but alarming to see how quickly everything can go to hell when everything's looking fine on their first ship and a fire breaks out on board. Within a few pages, the ship's blown up and sunk and everyone's on a rowboat eating each other. Really drives home how fragile your floating home is in this time period.

The scientific : Not a ton here, but it's clear that Maturin is widely recognized in his field, and is able to use that to his advantage when making connections. Apparently his work on boobies is quite well-regarded (*childish giggling*).

The relationships : More Stephen spywork! Wogan & Herapath return, which really solidifies to me that this and Desolation Island are more like two halves of a set. Aubrey gets another time to shine bailing Stephen out of a tight spot when some French agents have him holed up in a house in a well-done escape sequence which is reminiscent of an earlier volume where Aubrey made a landing party to pull Stephen out of a French prison. And Diana and Stephen are back together and totally for sure this time going to get married. Right after the battle that the book ends on. So that STILL hasn't happened, and at this point I'm a bit skeptical of it ever happening. Diana is much more likeable in this one. I can't fully commit, I still don't like her as a person, but she's a well-drawn character and she does have sympathetic qualities in addition to her more unlikeable ones. Yay for complexity!

The medical : Stephen doesn't have a lot to do in this line as most of the time he's on a ship that already has a surgeon. He does spend a good bit of time dissecting and cataloguing his collection from Desolation Island with an outrageously incomprehensible Scotsman named McLean...so incomprehensible that they have to switch to Latin. There's an interesting snippet during their captivity in America where Aubrey is confined to what is essentially a nuthouse, but a more humane one than is generally the case at this time period. Patients wander the halls at will and there's no locks on the doors which...don't sign me up for that, please, if I should ever go mad. Stephen also advises Herapath that the best way to learn the physician/surgeon trade is to acquire a "private corpse" that he can just mess around with. Because I guess cutting up a body and poking around at random is all you need in order to learn medicine? *shudder*.

Today's malapropism : Secondhand, alas, but one of the American interrogators conveys to Stephen his confusion that while grilling Aubrey, Jack made a reference to "killing the golden calf", apparently mangling "worshiping a golden calf" with "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs".

6 down, 14 to go. I still have a pin in Aubrey coming to blows with his obviously snake-oil land surveyor once he gets home to England. We had one throwaway reference to it in a letter from Sophie, and that was not enough to slake my bloodlust.

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

O’Brian continues his run of irresistible historical novels. Captain Aubrey and his surgeon, Steven Maturin, having survived being stuck on Desolation Island (previous book) are passengers on the Java back to England, then embroiled in a series of adventures where they are captured by the US, whom the King is again at war with. Suspected of being spies, they make their own way to freedom and witness more spectacular naval engagements. O’Brian’s knowledge of the sailing lexicon and his skillful writing make this series stand above all others.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fortune of War is the sixth book in the series and with the exception of a few pages at the beginning of it Jack doesn't command a ship. Similarly unlike most if not all of the previous books the voyage doesn't start from England. Instead it virtually starts straight where Desolation Island (the preceding novel)ended and just before war has broken out between Britain and America.

The book features a wrecked ship, two naval battles,one successful, one not (as far as Jack ad Stephen are concerned, a long distance open boat voyage with thirst and a touch of cannibalism thrown in, a little spying and a daring escape. Perhaps it's the fact that with Jack not in command meaning that Stephen is more to the fore or maybe because America are the enemies rather than the French or the Spanish but whatever it is, it has a very different feel from the previous novels. It appears like a different kind of war in any case.

Not only does the timeline follow straight on from Desolation Island but also (for want of a better word) the villain of that particular book, Louisa Wogan, makes a reappearance. Therefore this probably wouldn't be a good place to start the series or to try as a taster. But for those who are working their way through the series it is interesting to see the results of the poisoned intelligence that Stephen fed Wogan and the deep water it lands him and Jack in as a consequence.

I must admit that there are some interesting elements to this book, some terrific writing and I rather liked the fact that it breaks from the pattern of the earlier books but it also felt like the sea that our heroes are sailing on, it had some peaks and troughs.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories have really turned into a series with this book, more than the others. This one did not start off with Jack and Stephen at home in England. They were going home, but were captured by an American ship and taken to Boston, as prisoners of war after the War of 1812 broke out between England and the United States. Jack was hurt badly and Stephen was not sure he was going to save his right arm for a while. Then he gets pneumonia.

Stephen spends much of his time, when not with Jack, trying to avoid French agents who want to kill him. He also is in contact with Diana V. I really don't like her.

I thought the politics that were dragged up and how the Americans managed the prisoners of war were interesting. I really do not know much about the War of 1812, but it seems to not be a very popular one, at least in Boston. Stephen and Jack were not locked up in a prison. They spent a lot of time trying to make arrangements to be exchanged, but the Americans did not like Jack and did not want to let him go.

I cannot wait to see what is going to happen in the next book!

[Miguel Angel Pedrajas · Rating 4 out of 5]

La sexta entrega de la saga de Jack Aubrey y Stephen Maturin comienza exactamente donde lo dejó Isla Desolación.

Y entre sus páginas encontraremos situaciones totalmente nuevas y sorprendentes. Con la flota de Estados Unidos en pie de guerra y unos protagonistas totalmente fuera de sitio o en circunstancias muy complicadas. Se desarrolla aquí una trama de espías muy entretenida en el que veremos a Maturin como agente de campo pasándolas canutas. Y, por supuesto, tendremos oportunidad de presenciar un par de combates navales con un final emocionante.

Con esta saga me ocurre todo lo contrario a la de Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher) Llevo ambas sagas a la vez. Los libros de Patrick O'Brian me emocionan, se desarrollan bien. Y aunque tienen decenas de diálogos y situaciones que pueden parecer superfluas, el conjunto de la novela demuestra que no. Hace a los personajes más ricos, con matices, con taras y virtudes. Las tramas que se desarrollan en la novela van paralelas a situaciones y momentos históricos reales, en las que el autor demuestra haberse documentado notablemente y presenta una saga fácilmente asimilable para el lector. Aunque reconozco que a mí, la temática histórico-bélica me encanta. Puede que a otros lectores que no les guste tanto esto, la saga se les pueda hacer un poco cuesta arriba en ocasiones. Pero dadle una oportunidad. Es genial. Estoy deseando empezar el siguiente libro…

[Alex Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a nice and historically accurate 2.5 hours for me. I have not read fiction in a long time. Yet. despite that, I still did not enjoy the book that much. The story is interesting, without any doubt, but there is no underlying theme for it — I cannot dig deeper, therefore I review this one as some sort of periodic.
Nevertheless, I want to acknowledge the research O’Brien did. As my professor told me: “When I saw him, he was crazy about the documents and historical accuracy of his fictions.” This can be clearly seen in the book, as all the ships and events are 1:1 accurate. I will further return to this author, yet for now I have only read it for my naval history class and, god, do I love the concept!

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[Jordan Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best so far, less boating more spying. You can only make a naval battle sound so exciting when it is essentially two boats going in zig zag blasting each other with cannonballs

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's...different in that our main character - a naval captain. - never commands a vessel. It's thrilling the suspense PO generates in wartime Boston. But it still limps to a conclusion like far to many other recent volumes.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

America as very foreign land. Jack making friends in the asylum is so fun!

intelligence services were something else again, little worlds of their own, often inhabited by strange, extreme beings: he knew something of the French and Spanish; he had seen the English in the Dublin of 1798, and the riding-school in Stephen’s Green, where suspects were put to the question. Infamous creatures, most of the questioners; but even honourable, humane men were capable of almost anything for unselfish motives.

The depiction of slavery is very low-key - Diana is not fussed about it for instance - but this is because O’Brian shows the glossy civilised Southern surface and the sick pressure underneath:

[The slave], reaching behind Johnson for an empty cup, dropped it on the floor; Johnson whipped round, and Stephen saw her face turn grey as she stared in naked terror, her arms down by her sides; but Johnson turned back to Stephen with a laugh – ‘Where would the china-makers be, if no cups were ever broke?’ – and went on talking about the ivory-billed and the pileated woodpeckers.

Johnson is a good villain - charming, fluent, energetic, with his violence and vice always third-party, deniable - but a bit similar to Canning.

I finally catch Maturin in some bullshit:

“...after all a monarchy is best.’
‘When you look about the world, and view the monarchs in it – I do not refer to your own, of course – can you really maintain that the hereditary king cuts a very shining figure?’
‘I cannot. Nor is that to the point: the person, unless he be extraordinarily good or extraordinarily bad, is of no importance. It is the living, moving, procreating, sometimes speaking symbol that counts.’
‘But surely mere birth without any necessary merit is illogical?’
‘Certainly, and that is its great merit. Man is a deeply illogical being, and must be ruled illogically. Whatever that frigid prig Bentham may say, there are innumerable motives that have nothing to do with utility. In good utilitarian logic a man does not sell all his goods to go crusading, nor does he build cathedrals; still less does he write verse. There are countless pieties without a name that find their focus in a crown. It is as well, I grant you, that the family should have worn it beyond the memory of man; for your recent creations do not answer – they are nothing in comparison of your priest-king, whose merit is irrelevant, whose place cannot be disputed, nor made the subject of a recurring vote.”

Poetry, being quicker than novels and requiring zero capital, comes out pretty well on a real utilitarian view. Cathedrals are good, it's just that they have to wait, after the homeless shelters. And never mind that he justifies illogical monarchy, illogical governance with a logical argument (tacitly anyway - it is Hobbes’ plea for stability, any stability, or maybe an appeal to the great deadweight of political manoeuvring). Never mind Maturin’s own independence fervour, hatred of tyranny, and half republicanism.

Not that this demeans the book, nor my affection for him, I’m just not used to agreeing with characters so much and it was a relief that Maturin is so real that he does eventually err, or say things just for the sound of them.

[Gonzalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most readers, myself included, would like to see ourselves reflected in Jack. He perfectly embodies some of the virtues commonly associated with traditional masculinity: he is utterly dedicated to his job, a natural leader of men, etc. Because he is a very real man, he also has some very humane—and traditionally masculine—defects, like incompetence or lack of interest of anything that is not within his realm of expertise. This is the book however, where “I” identify with Aubrey the most. Not because I am brave, nor because I can command a thousand men into battle. No. I, like my hero, likes to take someone else’s joke, and make it my own—usually destroying it in the processes. What a terrible trait to share with your fictional betters. I also have a terrible sense of humor, and because of that, I laugh really hard with the weevil joke, which I would not spoil for you here.
The nonexistent readers of these reviews might be bored of reading sentences along the lines of “this book is unlike others in the series.” Maybe it is because all six volumes so far are quite unique. I am sure in the coming 14 there will plenty of room for repetition. In any case, what makes this one different is that most of the action happens in land—Boston to be precise—and for most of the naval action, Jack is for once a mere spectator. But what actions ladies and gentleman! U.S.S. Constitution vs H.M.S. Java! U.S.S. Chesapeake vs H.M.S. Shannon! If this does not shake you and make you cheer for the wrong team, I do not know what will! As an ignorant Russophile I always say the “real” war of 1812 happened on the way to Moscow, but I might need to reevaluate that statement. I know close to nothing about Mr. Madison’s War, but I think that might have even improved the book—me not knowing what to expect next. There is certainly some information dumping about the situation in America. However, this is—as always—moderately subtly done thanks to Steven, who is but a child in these matters. Just phenomenal.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the heroics of Desolation Island I just had to keep going for the next Aubrey-Maturin adventure ... Patrick Tull narrating as always.

I'm especially interested in this one since the Americans are going to war with the British. There's a nice set up bridging from Desolation Island to this book where you find out that neither Lucky Jack nor Doctor Maturin approve of war with America, for varying reasons. So that leaves us free to watch as the inevitable war looms nearer and nearer.

I'm in the early chapters and really wish that O'Brian (or his publisher?) hadn't felt the need to recap the entire series up to this point. You've either been reading or you haven't. However, one hopes that things will pick up after this tedious info dump.

UPDATE - MILD SPOILER
I am really loving this book and especially enjoying Stephen and Jack in Boston as prisoners waiting to be exchanged. I was dreading Stephen meeting Diana again because I despise Diana with the red hot heat of a thousand suns - to the point that I was willing to let Stephen deal with heartache by dosing himself with laudanum for the rest of his life rather than have to hear any more about her.

But NOW! Oh my goodness. He's fallen out of love with her and that pain might be worse than any pain he'd felt in his life? AAARGH! These sensitive Irish souls can be a real pain in MY life! Even Jack's angst over his lost battle is better than this.

And the lunatic asylum where Jack is staying is a source of true amusement.

FINAL
A thoroughly entertaining book except for that unnecessary recap at the beginning. As others have mentioned I actually did feel conflicted during the battles between British and Americans. I naturally would like Jack to win. And yet ... and yet, I found some patriotic pride flickering when the Americans would do so. So I was mightily invested in the conflicts in a way I hadn't been before.