The Letter of Marque (Aubrey/Maturin Book 12)

by Patrick O'Brian

book data

960 ratings, 4.41 average rating, 31 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		52%
4		36%
3		10%
2		0%
1		0%

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published

August 17th 1998 by HarperCollins (first published 1988)

details

Hardcover, 288 pages

characters

Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin

isbn

0002231492 (isbn13: 9780002231497)

description

When Jack Aubrey is unfairly deprived of his commission in the Royal Navy, Stephen Maturin comes to the rescue, purchasing the captain's former ship a…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1,199)

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Jun 05, 2007

Siria rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: 20th-century, british-fiction, historical-fiction

Read in January, 2006

This was a wonderful conclusion to The Reverse of the Medal. As Stephen notes at one stage in the book, Aristotle's definition of tragedy encompassed not only a great man being brought down but also the redemption and deliverance of a man who had been laid low. If that's true, then this book, in company with the last, forms a truly great example of the same. From the nadir of fortune that both Jack and Stephen experience in TRotM, LoM sees a complete reversal. Jack is more successful than he's e...more

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Nov 16, 2009

Ken-ichi rated it:

(review of isbn 0393309053)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

Read in November, 2009

Another pleasant journey with Jack and Stephen, resolving the financial scandal begun in The Reverse of the Medal and Stephen's romantic issues that began earlier (Treason's Harbour, maybe?). The ending is unusually syrupy for O'Brian, but who cares.

As usual, here are some passages that had me laughing aloud in public places and some words that had me scratching my chin:

"I am sorry not to have seen you at breakfast, but I slept as the person in Plutarch that ran fro...more

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2 comments

Mar 19, 2009

EJD rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: fiction-not-fit-for-lit

Read in January, 2002

Repeated from review of Book 1

That Patrick O'Brian chose to place his characters on the sea in the not so distant past just raised the hurdle I had to leap to get to know this wonderful author.

I had never been enamored with sea stories, didn't much care for European history, and yet was wonderfully taken with this series. The sea is a major character, but history is not greatly illuminated, almost a backdrop to the specific circumstance the characters find themselves in....more

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Nov 15, 2008

Eric_W rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in January, 2004

In the last volume of the wonderful Maturin/Aubrey series, Jack had been court-martialed for what appeared to be his complicity in a stock market fraud. Being a naïve landlubber, he had no idea of what he was being fraudulently involved in, thought he was just helping someone out and making a killing in the meantime. He was kicked out of the navy and removed from the post-captain’s list, eliminating all his accumulated seniority. Stephen, having come into a considerable fortune, purchased The...more In the last volume of the wonderful Maturin/Aubrey series, Jack had been court-martialed for what appeared to be his complicity in a stock market fraud. Being a naïve landlubber, he had no idea of what he was being fraudulently involved in, thought he was just helping someone out and making a killing in the meantime. He was kicked out of the navy and removed from the post-captain’s list, eliminating all his accumulated seniority. Stephen, having come into a considerable fortune, purchased The Surprise, Jack’s old ship, and bought a letter of marque so Jack could operate as a legal privateer.

Having been sent on a special mission (remember that he is still an English secret agent), Stephen obtained a special exemption for the men of The Surprise to prevent them from being pressed into service should they be stopped by an English naval vessel. O'Brian really has a delightful way of writing. Here's another example of that wry humor that pervades his books. Russell is declaiming how all Frenchmen are worthless and uses as examples some French proverbial expressions, ". . .when the French wish to describe anything mighty foul they say, 'sal come un peigne', which gives you a pretty idea of their personal cleanliness. When they have other things to occupy their mind they say they have other cats to whip: a most inhuman thing to do [at least we beat dead horses] And when they are going to put a ship about, the order is 'a- Diue-va', or 'we must chance it and trust to God', which gives you some notion of their seamanship." One can only guess about O'Brian's early relationship with publishers, but from numerous comments made by a variety of characters, I suspect it was not a happy one: "You were telling me about publishers," asks Stephen of Mowett. “ ‘Yes , sir: I was about to say they were the most hellish procrastinators--' " 'Oh, how dreadful,' cried Fanny. 'Do they go to special houses, or do they . . .' " 'He means they delay,' said Babbington." O'Brian was a big fan of opium apparently, for Maturin is constantly singing its praises as a cure for all sorts of ills, and when queried about its ostensible addictive qualities, he replied in this book: "The objections come only from a few unhappy beings, Jansenists for the most part, who also condemn wine, agreeable food, music and the company of women: they even call out against coffee, for all love! Their objections are valid solely in the case of a few poor souls with feeble willpower, who would just as easily become the victims of intoxicating liquors, and who are practically moral imbeciles, often addicted to other forms of depravity; otherwise it is no more injurious than smoking tobacco." One learns all sorts of interesting things. Jack returns to his ship only to discover the word Seth written on the side.

The Sethians were a Gnostic Christian group who believed that Cain and Abel were brought into the world by angels, and that Seth, who was born after Abel’s murder, was the Almighty’s direct and pure creation. Anyway, there were pockets of Sethians scattered throughout England and, naturally, there were two schools of Sethians, the old that wrote the S backwards, and the new that wrote it in the conventional manner. Unlike Quakers, “they have no dislike for warfare,” so Jack has several Sethian sailors who celebrated recent good fortune by honoring Seth by painting his name on the side of the ship. When ordered to remove the name, they refused, not wishing to dishonor Seth. What makes this interesting is Jack’s novel way of making everyone happy. Rather clever, I thought. (Check out the Sethians on the web. They have a rather different perspective on the universe.) (less)

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Feb 07, 2008

purplechick rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in March, 2008

***CAUTION, SPOILERS AHEAD***

This episode in the Aubrey/Maturin series really lets you see the difference between the way things are done in the Royal Navy (tm) and the workings of a Privateer or to use the more polite terms a Private Man-of-War or a Letter of the Marque.

In previous books O'Brian has shown how Aubrey struggles to have a happy ship sometimes saddled with completely unexperienced and unwanted hands. So often he only succeeds in recruiting enough good cre...more

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Feb 13, 2010

Bill Zodanga rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: historical-fiction, want-to-read-again

Please note, this 5 star rating is based on my long ago memories of this book - I may have read it greater than 12 years ago. I recall reading and really liking it, and even kept the book to read again in the future (something I only do with good, or otherwise significant books). The memories of an old man are sometimes faulty so this could really only warrant 3.5 to 4.5 stars, instead of the 5 I gave it. Once I re-read the book I will update this rating/review to more accurately reflect my thou...more

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Sep 16, 2009

Isis rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

Read in September, 2009

Damn, I love these books. After a few accidental rereads I am now back on track with the books I have not read yet. This one is beautifully filled with sly naval tactics, political machinations, and bantering.

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2 comments

Jun 08, 2009

Morgan rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in January, 2009

I read this in one sitting. Don't pick it up unless you have a lot of time in front of you...there's no place to pause and catch your breath.

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Sep 08, 2009

Heath rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in September, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 20, 2009

Sandi rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in October, 2009

The last Patrick O'Bryan was disappointing but this one followed up and was just a good as ever with storms at sea and naval action. Enjoyed it thoroughly

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Feb 16, 2009

S. Ben rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: fiction, nautical-fiction, owned, series

Read in February, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 05, 2009

Gerold Whittaker added it (review of isbn 0006499279)

Read in August, 2007

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Nov 25, 2008

Thomas rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

love the series

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Feb 09, 2010

Aneel rated it:

(review of isbn 0393309053)

Read in March, 2008

This one seemed like it was a little too easy.

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Aug 25, 2009

Steph rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

Read in September, 2009

Lots of action! And I was so glad to see Jack finally get some lucky breaks! That poor guy is so sincere and fair, but unfortunately a little too gullible when it comes to issues on land...

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Feb 26, 2008

SF SQRL rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: 100-books-2008, aubrey-maturin

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: armchair sailors

O'Brian's books often seem to end when you're not expecting it. I blame those little essays at the end--they make the books appear longer than they are.

Despite attempts to create a sober mood surrounding Jack Aubrey's dismissal from the Navy, and Stephen Maturin's problem with his runaway wife, this is a cheerful, upbeat book. All is in a fine train for turning out happy in the end, and the Surprise sails on her merry way.

Every series needs at least one of these books. ...more

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4 comments

Feb 17, 2009

Carolyn rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: library-books

Read in March, 2009

While I drive, I'm re-listening to all of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series read by Patrick Tull (and you have to get Patrick Tull who knows the naval jargon and all the characters) - for me this was the best way to experience the books.

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Feb 13, 2008

Philip rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: sea

Read in February, 2008

This book has one of my favorite endings - I actually waited several days to finish the last chapter in gleeful and glum anticipation. On a quay in Stockholm harbor our heroes drive up in a coach and four, leaning out the windows to sing "ah tutti contenti saremo cosi, ah tutti contenti saremo cosi, saremo cosi, with surprisingly melodious full-throated happiness."

Some day I will bask in hearing those words sung in a live performance of Figaro ...

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Sep 08, 2009

Birgit rated it:

(review of isbn 037541598X)

Read in September, 2009

I don't know why I choose this book... definitely wasn't worth the time listening to it.

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Feb 14, 2008

Katherine rated it:

(review of isbn 0006499279)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

Read in May, 2006

Jack Aubrey, though dishonored in the Royal Navy, manages to find action at sea as a privateer in his old ship the Surprise. Meanwhile, Maturin struggles to deal with newfound wealth, his troubled marriage, and his addiction to laudanum. Lots of character growth for both of them, and it's sweet to watch them support each other even though their separate lives aren't going so well.

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