Post Captain (Aubrey/Maturin Book 2)

Apr 30, 2013 Jason Koivu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jason by: C.S. Forester, in a way.

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorites

Dancing bears and loons that fancy themselves teapots? No, number two in the series is not a typical Aubrey/Maturin adventure, yet it is perhaps better than the first!

While book one, Master & Commander, was about war and friendship, the second book, Post Captain enters the love arena, and friendship is put to the test. Of course war is not forgotten, this is a historical fiction series set during the Napoleonic Wars after all. The career of our hero Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy inte...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aubrey-maturin, historical, faves, the-best

Post Captain makes me wonder if Patrick O'Brian originally intended Master and Commander as a one off (and if you know the answer please don't tell me. I like not knowing).

Master and Commander is a great book, and our introduction to Captain Jack Aubrey and Doctor Stephen Maturin is a great hook, but it can stand alone as a simple Naval adventure without any need for additional information about the men and women confined by its pages. This could, of course, simply be a result of its place as th...more

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Oct 07, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brit-lit, fiction, regency, romantical, owned

Patrick O'Brian, you have exposed yourself.

Exposed yourself as a Jane Austen wannabe, that is. One who is a bit sniffily about the fact that Jane (quite unfairly, I'm sure!) did not give us the thoughts of the male half of the regency romance equation.

The first 200 pages of this novel do really read like a historical romance. Albeit one with a very masculine touch- there's just as much swearing and angst and tinkering with the natural world in odd ways as ever there was before, but now its all i...more Patrick O'Brian, you have exposed yourself.

Exposed yourself as a Jane Austen wannabe, that is. One who is a bit sniffily about the fact that Jane (quite unfairly, I'm sure!) did not give us the thoughts of the male half of the regency romance equation.

The first 200 pages of this novel do really read like a historical romance. Albeit one with a very masculine touch- there's just as much swearing and angst and tinkering with the natural world in odd ways as ever there was before, but now its all in the presence of Ladies. The male half of the romance ncludes a number of entirely un-romantic things, most of which are questions of money and position, in much greater detail than one would get in a normal romance- things that a man very legitimately could not propose to a woman without. Also, Stephen's analysis of his own romantic torment is truly not to be missed- we get to see the Enlightenment trying to do a lab analysis of love. Wonderful. O'Brian also deals with the fact that these are men. Men who like sex. He's much more open about the slightly more adult sections of Polite Society who deal with this kind of thing. For example, Diana Villiers, the Whore of the Madonna/Whore pair that are the main females of this novel (there are others, but they're mostly easily dismissed cariactures), embodies a certain type of woman who took advantage of the strict proprieties to advance her own very slender chances of finding financial security and someone to look after her. As you can see, for all of his generally masculine world, he shows a surprising sensitivity to the delicacy of the feminine world as well. There's several very good depictions of the nuances of the social heirarchy in provincial England, and the various things that could immediately put one up or down that ladder- money and rank, of course, but also family associations, number of suitors, age, the material of one's dress, etc.

The most interesting status depiction, of course, is that of the service of the Navy as a whole. Jane herself dealt with the interesting mobility of a service of men who could rise instantly to the top and sink back down again within weeks (Persuasion)- this rapid status change was something new and unusual, something that rarely happened in the closed ranks of the Upper Ten Thousand. The book as a whole really focuses on a bunch of uncouth Navy men try to mend their ways to fit in on land, and the various levels of difficulty they find adjusting to the ways that people are judged and what matters here as opposed to Out There on the ocean waters, as well as the fact that even off land, you can never quite get away from all your problems there. Also, O'Brian brings up again and again throughout his books the fact that war really did change many people's lives for the better (if you're cool with probably losing a limb, at least, to get what you want). He doesn't let us forget that. Jack Aubrey is of course the most extreme example of this, but there are plenty of other ones brought up on every page of the book. Its one of the more interesting ins and outs of his work, and it is the forefront of the entire book.

... But never fear, O'Brian fans who are in it for the swashbuckling action and adventure! There's plenty of that to come as soon as our fellows get off land (come on, that's not really a spoiler). There's also some espionage, some fights, some excellently stupid bromantical angst between Jack and Stephen (they almost break up, oh noes!), and lots of running away from, beating up on, and dodging debt collectors (one of those scenes was my fav).

I think the quality of the book remained the same- the only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that I already know how good these books are, so I didn't get quite the same jolt of expectations surpassed x1000 that I did last time.(less)

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Jun 15, 2010 Edward Waverley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Among John Fowles’ many goals in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969) was his intention to pay homage to Jane Austen’s Persuasion. But Post Captain, published just three years after Fowles’s book, is a far happier tribute to Jane, enriching my enjoyment of Austen, while succeeding on many other accounts as well. While Fowles rambles all over Lyme and Bath trying both to epitomize and to outdo the entire body of Victorian literature, O’Brian, as always, entertains and educates with matchless grac...more Among John Fowles’ many goals in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969) was his intention to pay homage to Jane Austen’s Persuasion. But Post Captain, published just three years after Fowles’s book, is a far happier tribute to Jane, enriching my enjoyment of Austen, while succeeding on many other accounts as well. While Fowles rambles all over Lyme and Bath trying both to epitomize and to outdo the entire body of Victorian literature, O’Brian, as always, entertains and educates with matchless grace and wit. Austen’s impact upon O’Brian’s thought and style is unmistakable, not least in his ability to embed within the action of the novel a nuanced philosophy of love and marriage in His Majesty’s Royal Navy. It would be easy, and tempting, to ignore the moral plumbing of the book, but that would be fatal to a true appreciation of what O’Brian has achieved.

Obviously the Aubrey/Maturin books are much more than an echo of the old English gentry, as are Austen’s books. You will find in Post Captain all the action and espionage of Ian Fleming, all of the good clean fun of the Holmes-Watson friendship in Jack and Stephen, and enough inroads into 19th-century English culture to occupy a lifetime of derivative reading. But the main point of Post Captain is the time that our heroes spend ashore, and particularly in the establishment of the love between Jack and his eventual wife Sophie.

The action moves rapidly between land and sea and, as the telltale compression of pages draws us home, the reader suffers the same bittersweet emotions that will wash over one toward the end of a Jane Austen story. In spite of the absorbing philosophical dialogue in her books, in spite of the fun portraits of social climbing, in spite even of the inevitable tragic illnesses that Austen would use to distract us briefly from the main love story, the question of the heroine’s romantic fate is always uppermost in Austen’s books. Now it is a very sensitive and subtle male novelist who is able to emulate this particular magic of Austen’s. Her assault upon what was then passing as virtue and romance is motivated perfectly by her wish to elevate the reader’s view of both. It is difficult to choose what in Austen is more pleasant: her expertise in puncturing hypocrites or her irresistible celebration of well-earned matrimonial felicity.

Post Captain is shot through with these same qualities. Dialogue is perhaps our best guide in appreciating how Austen has influenced this part of the Aubriad. In chapter ten, we find Stephen Maturin talking with Captain Jack Aubrey’s would-be fiancée Sophie Williams in her home. As they discuss how best to settle a social misunderstanding between Jack and Sophie which is preventing their relationship from proceeding (a perfectly typical piece of Austen fastidiousness), Stephen is attempting to persuade Sophie to throw all aristocratic caution to the wind and to tell Jack in no uncertain terms that she does love him. See if you don’t agree that O’Brian is a worthy successor to Austen in the distressing fight to preserve chivalry.

“There is much to be said for directness.”
“Oh, yes, yes! There is. Everything would be so much simpler if only one said what one thought, or felt. Tell me,” she said shyly, after a pause, “may I say something to you, perhaps quite improper and wrong?”
“I should take it very friendly in you my dear.”

This exchange is an appropriate bow to the 20th-century reader who, generally impatient with the conventions of propriety governing relations between the sexes in Austen’s time, wonders while reading her books (or actually, while watching Austen movies) when in the world the heroine is going to attempt her own seduction of the Darcy figure, or at least propose marriage herself. With such pagans, O’Brian is not entirely unsympathetic. As usual, he has written a novel that is packed to the top with naval action, and he can thrill anyone with his descriptions of battle. But it is in conversations like the one quoted above in which he reveals what he is really all about. Like his idol Jane, O’Brian hankers for an older age when friendship was a work of art shaped by a plethora of considerations, including loyalty, emotional affinity, appeals to reason, and even (Gasp!) a mutual acknowledgement of a transcendent moral structure. That is why it is even intelligible for Stephen to declare, “There is much to be said for directness.” Funnily enough, this is a slogan that will appeal to many in the year 2010 who would never bother to read O’Brian, let alone read Austen. When such people praise directness, what they are actually endorsing is something like a desire to cut to the chase. It is only Sophie’s perfect rejoinder to Stephen’s advice which reminds us that this novel is set in 1803: “Everything would be so much simpler if only one said what one thought, or felt.” Here, Sophie is not referring to the foolish simplicity of internet forums, where everyone is encouraged to blather incoherently regardless of anything. Here thought and feeling are values as important as life and love, and the directness Sophie longs for is assumed to be desirable only among those who have undertaken to fasten their thoughts and feelings to eternal realities.
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Oct 07, 2008 Felicity rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Felicity by: Ryan Grove

Shelves: historical-fiction, reread, fiction, novel

The second installment of the Aubrey-Maturin chronicles is long, and has the unpredictable, organic rhythm one comes to expect of the books: the small and large concerns chasing each other, defeat crowding upon victory, action on small, daily joys.

This volume brings us deeper into the landed life of the two protagonists, and explores new highs and lows in their friendship. It also brings us new ships to love and hate, blazing action, and the difference between the wizened heads of male and femal...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Much more engaging that the first novel in the series, and I am finally starting to like Captain Aubrey. The action scenes were very exciting, real page-turners. Even the Jane Austen-esque beginning didn't bother me, as it allowed some further development of Jack and Stephen's characters. Both of them are roped in by the unsavoury Diana Villiers, a seductive widow who has no problem carrying on an affair with Jack even as she toys with Stephen's affections. This almost leads to a duel between th...more Much more engaging that the first novel in the series, and I am finally starting to like Captain Aubrey. The action scenes were very exciting, real page-turners. Even the Jane Austen-esque beginning didn't bother me, as it allowed some further development of Jack and Stephen's characters. Both of them are roped in by the unsavoury Diana Villiers, a seductive widow who has no problem carrying on an affair with Jack even as she toys with Stephen's affections. This almost leads to a duel between the friends, but the conflict is forgotten when they endure a heated naval battle, one of many in the book.

Jack's money problems are an ongoing theme, as his prize has been deemed illegal and his prize-agent ran off with all the money he had accumulated. Forced to flee to avoid debtor's prison, and then flee again from France on the brink of war, Jack spends a long and painful journey disguised as a bear, in an uncomfortable costume. Thwarted love is another theme, as Jack wants to marry sweet, pretty Sophie but her mother will not allow a match to a penniless naval captain. Stephen pines for Diana Villiers who, after dallying with Jack, then runs off with a rich merchant.

Of course, there are naval battles, prizes seized, Jack and Stephen taken prisoner, and the usual adventures you expect from this genre. One particularly exciting battle scene, Jack's ship is run aground and he decides to take a boat and attempt to board the enemy vessel, a daring move. I finally begin to see Jack's prowess as a captain, which was not particularly obvious in the first book, at least as compared to the Hornblower novels, which describe in great detail Hornblower's mathematical proficiency, genius as a navigator, and cool daring in the heat of battle. Of course O'Brian can't compare to C.S. Forester, but hardly anyone can match the literary talent of the latter. O'Brian does have an excellent grasp of 18th and early 19th century speech and dialogue, and the social conditions of daily life - what they ate, how they lodged and travelled, etc., which makes the books very enjoyable for scholars of those eras. The one issue I have with him as a writer is that his pacing is quite arbitrary. He'll spend pages describing a few minutes of Stephen thinking, then omit a journey of months or some other considerable passage of time. So in one sentence, Stephen will be sitting by the fire thinking of going on a journey, then in the next sentence he is knocking on the door of his destination. There are many abrupt transitions that are somewhat startling and I wish O'Brian had included a bit more of how the characters get from Point A to B.

I'm enjoying the series but don't know why these books in particularly are so highly lauded while naval fiction that is equally good, if not better, such as the Bolitho or Ramage series, are not given equal due. Perhaps because O'Brian generally writes through the perspective of Stephen, who is a physician not a sailor, rather than through Jack, the books have broader appeal to people who aren't really interested in naval battles or seamanship. Certainly they are very readable but I do question the New York Times blurb on the cover, which states they are the best historical fiction ever written. Nope, not by a long shot. I would reserve that accolade for C.S. Forester. (less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love historical fiction, especially that written by C.S. Forester and Alexander Kent (aka Douglas Reeman). I have an affinity for a good yarn when it revolves around the Royal Navy around the time of the American Revolution as the writings of all these authors do.
I bought “Master and Commander” by O’Brien a few years back and I sort-of remember reading it. One thing I do know for sure is that I DID love the movie better than the book, something I don’t say often.
That said, I did not like this...more I love historical fiction, especially that written by C.S. Forester and Alexander Kent (aka Douglas Reeman). I have an affinity for a good yarn when it revolves around the Royal Navy around the time of the American Revolution as the writings of all these authors do.
I bought “Master and Commander” by O’Brien a few years back and I sort-of remember reading it. One thing I do know for sure is that I DID love the movie better than the book, something I don’t say often.
That said, I did not like this book. O’Brien’s over-use of early 19th century patois and vernacular is disconcerting to the serious reader, let alone a casual one. While I’m not sure if it is the writer, the publisher or the editors fault, there is a jumpiness about the books plot that threw me at least a dozen times. I can actually say that in several parts, my eyes glazed over from reading a lot of unnecessary, petty detail while major events were glossed over and I felt frustration at the fact that there were no obvious “timeline” breaks. I had whiplash of the brain reading this book.
In addition to this, O’Brien built up several plot complications and then either just dismissed them without resolution, ignored them or seemingly forgot to resolve them. The main one being the point where Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin “exchange words” and call each other out for a duel. Aubrey is given orders to go to sea before the duel can be fought and the next thing we know, he and Maturin are buddy-buddy again.
O'Brien took great pains to show how Maturin and Aubrey escape the hands of Napoleons minions by dressing Aubrey in a "Dancing Bear's" costume. They WALK almost 300 miles to get to Maturin's castle and then they are suddenly in Gibraltar. It is only later that we learn that Aubrey came down with a serious illness while recuperating. Plot dismissals like this, combined with page-after-page of tedious, minor details caused me to want to throw the book across the room in disgust.
O’Brien also rendered several passages in French, Spanish and Latin without a hint of explanation and, while I am one to look things up here and there, having to do so every few pages in a 528 page book is not enjoyable reading. In fact, the book was a wordy, obtuse and a painful read. I won’t pick up another.
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Aug 08, 2010 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the second installment of the Aubrey/Maturin series we see O'Brian really flesh out his characters giving them great depth and believability. In Post-Captain we see the more social sides of Jack and Stephen as they peruse their future wives.

We see the main characters outside the setting of Ships and gun smoke during the Peace of Amiens. We learn that Stephen Maturin is more than he seems as he is a Naval Surgeon and a British Intelligence agent. The book is really well paced and juxtaposed b...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Felicity Teasdale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first came across these books about ten years ago when a friend gave me Master and Commander - the first book in the Aubrey-Maturin series - as a gift. I was largely discouraged by the naval language and the style of writing. Older and wiser, I gave it another try last year and found a new affection for the characters.

Post Captain - the second book in the series - has confirmed me as a devotee and I'm looking forward to reading more of these.

The story picks up where Master and Commander left...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Ellie Sorota rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-fiction

The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian has become my go-to vacation must-have. With 15 books in the series, I am officially committed to at least 13 more pleasant summer trips to an ocean, where for a week I may plant myself in front of the shoreline and read about life at sea. I must honestly say that I don't understand the half of what's in these books, and from what I've noticed, neither do most fans of this series. The books are laden with nautical terminology, naval slang and histori...more The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian has become my go-to vacation must-have. With 15 books in the series, I am officially committed to at least 13 more pleasant summer trips to an ocean, where for a week I may plant myself in front of the shoreline and read about life at sea. I must honestly say that I don't understand the half of what's in these books, and from what I've noticed, neither do most fans of this series. The books are laden with nautical terminology, naval slang and historical innuendos that I miss right and left. (Though there are several handbooks available for this series, none of them are resoundingly recommended by O'Brian's fanbase. All contain spoilers, and many are filled with more cover-art type photos than sketches of rigging and useful maps.) Despite my ignorance, O'Brian's writing is so enjoyable that I happily spend pages trailing some type of mast to some sort of place in some kind of fashion, etc.

Several features of these stories make them so enjoyable. First and foremost is the male perspective. The historical novel world is so full of 19th century and pioneer women falling over one another that it is quite refreshing to find some men among the bunch. Added to that is the obvious male environment of a ship at sea, which means internal monologues last only a page at a time, if that (and usually in the form of a letter, for why else would a man sit and sort out his feelings?). This book begins with the Peace of Amiens between the British and French, leaving Aubrey and Maturin stranded on land, with not a single ship to capture. The women of the town giggle at a house full of men and wonder at how they will feed themselves without a woman in the house, let alone mend their stockings. These, however, are seamen, and the women are quite astonished to find Aubrey's house whitewashed, scrubbed from top to bottom, necessary rigging constructed for hauling things to the second floor (no stairs required), socks and pants always mended, fresh laundry hanging to dry and mutton on the stove within their first few days in town.

The pleasure of the male perspective continues as the main characters meet women while stranded on land, and while the women pine away at the possibilities, the men seem to be quite content feeling passionately committed whilst doing absolutely nothing to secure marriage. True, there are extenuating circumstances that prevent actual marriages from taking place, but it is almost to the men's preferences that these barriers exist. The possibility of marriage seems to them much more fulfilling that it's actual contract, for anything on land is secondary to securing a life at sea. Luckily for the men, Napoleon makes short work of the peace treaty, and the men are soon at sea again (even the women are seen in nautical terms, Jack describing his love interest as "a 32 lber" p.461).

One of the other pleasurable aspects of this series is the play between Aubrey, a true man's man, and Maturin, a surgeon and naturalist. While one lauds a great seaman for his many conquests in South America, the other insults him for paying so "slight attention to the nature of the world round which he sailed so thoughtlessly. Apart from some very superficial remarks about the sea-elephant, there is barely a curious observation in his book" (485). They irritate one another while enjoying friendship in the deepest sense of the word.

The battles, of course, provide some of the greatest entertainment of the series. O'Brian is a master at the details of action, pairing just enough specifics with generalities that the crew come to life alongside their guns. With gun powder silting the air, Maturin mending some type of hemorrage, Aubrey pacing the ship with a slight bullet wound to his chest calling orders, a portion of the crew rowing out for a surprise boarding of the enemy ship by nightfall. It is enough to make one actually thirst for grog, just to share in the excitement.

This book in particular was full of many laugh aloud moments: Jack Aubrey's father, a politician whose platform is simply "Death to the Whigs"; Aubrey re-decorating the captain's quarters in an attempt to accommodate some respectable female passengers, revealing that his idea of "women's quarters" exactly resembles a brothel; Aubrey's quick decision to end mutiny on board by immediately taking the ship into battle; and Aubrey's escape from France dressed in a bearskin with Maturin dressed as his gypsy owner.

All in all - a pleasurable read. (less)

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Apr 23, 2008 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fans of Jane Austen ought to be more than won over by the second in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, as Jack and Stephen leave the comfortable unpredictability of the sea for the more mannered and perilous milieu of drawingroom courtship. Interspersed between the dewey-eyed maids and their avaricious mothers lie some of O'Brian's most vivid action sequences, including a land escape from France into Spain, and a shallow-water battle that must be read to be believed.

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Sep 07, 2008 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I find these books very hard to put down. I'm not exactly sure why. It is very interesting reading, but it is a historical fiction and so not as flashy as some books. Still, they do contain a lot of action and I always want to know what will happen next. They also have intriguing characters and a thoroughly interesting setting. I just love the window into the world of life in the British Royal Navy. It is amazing how they lived and what they could do.

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Jul 28, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Patrick O'Brian proved he was not a one-hit wonder after he followed his first critically-acclaimed novel "Master and Commander" with this book; he would continue to prove his point eighteen more times in later years. As with the first book, "Post Captain" provides the reader with details concerning character developments, historical context and seafaring terminology that will provide the basis for understanding the whole canon of Aubrey-Maturin-related literature. This is not to say you have to...more Patrick O'Brian proved he was not a one-hit wonder after he followed his first critically-acclaimed novel "Master and Commander" with this book; he would continue to prove his point eighteen more times in later years. As with the first book, "Post Captain" provides the reader with details concerning character developments, historical context and seafaring terminology that will provide the basis for understanding the whole canon of Aubrey-Maturin-related literature. This is not to say you have to face boredom by being schooled through these books; O'Brian's unfolding descriptions of the main characters' personalities draws the reader into wanting to always know more and to follow their travels to their destinies.

The first book ended with the capture of Commander Jack Aubrey and his crew after being defeated against overwhelming odds while sailing their brig, the "Sophie" against the French in the Battle of Algeceras (this battle, like most in the O'Brian novels, is described by interjecting the book's fictional characters into actual historical events, and sometimes interacting the novel's character's with real-life people). "Post Captain" starts with Aubrey's release from custody during the Peace of Amiens and his return to England. Reviewer's note: Great Britain and co-belligerant nations fought the French Revolutionary armies commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte in two wars, starting in 1792. The Second Coalition saw Britain allied with Russia, Austria, Portugal, the Ottoman Empire and Naples against France. Notable during this war was Napoleon's attempted conquest of Egypt and the Middle East. By March 1802 (coinciding with the start of "Post Captain"), Britain was the only remaining member of the coalition fighting France. The Peace of Amiens ended fighting until May, 1803, when the series of wars known as the Napoleonic Wars would occur between Britain and France, and their frequently shifting allies, off and on until 1815).

What makes "Post Captain" interesting is the amount of plot occurring on land. This book has been called an homage to Jane Austin, because Jack's life becomes involved in complicated romantic entanglements in early 1800's England. O'Brian has Jack Aubrey settled into the life of a country squire, living in a household in the countryside near the Williams family home. Social climbing Mrs. Williams has several daughters; Sophia Williams becomes Jack's sweetheart. Their courtship leads to his desire to marry Sophia, but he must wait until a British prize court determines how much he will be paid for his share in the capture of enemy shipping (some British sea captains became wealthy in this era based on the prevailing practice of awarding a naval ship's crew, from captain on down, a proportional share of the value of the prize they delivered after capturing an enemy vessel). Complicating matters is the presence in the Williams home of Diana Villiers, the ravashing, worldly, high-maintenance cousin of Sophia. Jack can't resist Diana's charms, and he starts an affair with her.

Severe problems occur for Jack when the prize court rules against him, and his prize-agent absconds with the rest of his money. Losing money during this time could easily lead a penniless veteran to being thrown into debtors' prison, regardless of his heroic reputation as a war hero. Accordingly, Jack flees the country ahead of the sheriff. While living in France in 1803, war broke out again and Jack is faced with being captured by the French authorities. One of the most bizarre episodes of the whole O'Brian book series occurs when Stephen Maturin smuggles Jack out of the country in a bear costume.

Jack just barely escapes debtors' prison again by obtaining command of a British ship, the "Polychrest"; being on the high seas takes him out of the reach of the long arm of the law. Jack's mastery of sailing is demonstrated in his skillful handling of this odd-looking, poor-sailing experiment in shipbuilding. His friend Stephen is back with him as ships' surgeon, but Jack had no time to vet the rest of the already-existing crew. He finds he is on a ship whose crew has suffered under harsh discipline. His troubles are compounded by his inability to find new prizes to capture, and his self-destructive habit of lingering in port when he should be sailing, in order to carouse with Diana. Stephen finds out Diana is also courting another man, but his concern for his friend Jack's reputation becomes misinterpreted as meddling and the two main characters become embroiled in a promise to a duel when they are back on land.

Many serious problems need to be solved by Jack, or others on his behalf, before this book becomes relegated to be the last installment in the series. He has to be rid of his responsibility to the unstable "Polychrest", by promotion to another class of ship or destruction of the ship in battle; in the meantime he must forceably put down a mutiny of the crew, who finally rebel in reaction to maltreatment they received from Lt. Parker prior to Jack's tenure; he must realize the rashness of his decision to lash out against his new best friend, Stephen, by way of the earlier challenge to a duel; he must take stock of his personal priorities to convince Sophia that he wants to be her husband, starting with renouncement of his wenching habits; he must advance in rank from Commander to Post Captain, the most important event in a naval officer's career (the granting of status to an officer by changing the wearing a single epaulette, on the left shoulder to a single epaulette, on the right shoulder, much more than a fashion statement; it signifies the officer's name has been "posted" and thus eligible to his first command of a rated fighting ship); and he must obtain command of a ship that he can take into battle with the enemy, both to advance his career and to win personal fortune which will win his betrothed mother's permission for marriage.

Without giving away too much, this last need will be met through the intervention of Stephen, who turns out to have some high-ranking allies at the Admiralty, revealing his up-to-now hidden identity as a spy for Britain, to Jack. This additional facet of Stephen's persona will provide many exciting
adventures in later novels. (less)

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Dec 24, 2009 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is part 2 of 22 in the Aubrey/Maturin series and Patrick O'Brian, despite his eloquent, colorful timepiece language, could do so much more for the series if he wrote more lengthy passages about naval maneuvers and fighting action in Post Captain. Instead he spent well over 450 pages maturing the relationship between our two protagonists. Hands down, though, the best part is the language. "Ahoy, lubber, sheet the mains'ls and run-out the 24 pounders."

O'Brian gives us only two teasing passage...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Edward Truitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cannons-and-muskets

I picked up a used copy of Post Captain for ten shekels from a bargain bin in Jerusalem. It was my first Patrick O'Brian book (now have 23 and counting...) and it somehow woke up my inner sailor and history buff. Even though it spends more time ashore than most of the rest, I think I've read this one 4-5 times just for the pleasure. Kind of like turning on a BBC classic in your head - only better.

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Dec 06, 2012 Kenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-historical

Though the prose is archaic, a dictionary is necessary (especially a nautical one), and the plot creaks along slowly, I am enamored of these books! A true reader thrills at being taken on a journey, led by a competent guide, and O'Brian is certainly such a guide. And on that journey, the reader longs to be immersed in a new and fascinating world, and that happens in spades. After reading just the first two books, I'm beginning to get an inkling of the call of the sea, and was astonished to disco...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The second book in the Aubrey-Maturin series picks up soon after the first book left off, and continues to develop the relationship between the naval captain Jack Aubrey and his trusty friend and surgeon Stephen Maturin, and also gives the reader a better understanding of its main characters in new settings.

While this book continues to show off Patrick O'Brian's skill at creating an authentic-sounding 19th century world and generally proceeds at a nice clip, it is less full of unadulterated joy...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Marcus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm having a serious problem with this book - on one hand, I really want to like it. After all it is part of one of the greatest series in this genre, or at least I am told so. On the other hand I have exactly same difficulties with it as I had with "Master and Commander" - jumpy plot, main protagonists that are very hard to grasp and to care for, a rather difficult language (although I assume it is very true to the period). In addition, in this second part of the series, a lot of room is dedic...more

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Oct 14, 2010 D-day rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The second book in Patrick O' Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, 'Post Captain' is a worthy follow up to 'Master & Commander'. This novel has the usual naval action, but much of it takes place on land giving the reader a broader overview of English society in the early years of the 1800's.
I have some quibbles, the difficulty in understanding nautical terms and 19th century slang made following the plot difficult at times, which was compounded by O'Brian's writing style, where scenes change witho...more

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May 07, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Steve

Shelves: 2013, own, faves

"There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."

Nope, me neither. But you know what? This book is such ruddy good fun that it really doesn't matter - I spent most of my reading time with a huge grin on my face when I wasn't laughing. Life's been a bit rocky lately, and this did a fantastic job of cheering me up and keeping my mind occupied, which was just what I needed.

Spending the first third of the book on land, the 'Jane Austen for b...more "There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."

Nope, me neither. But you know what? This book is such ruddy good fun that it really doesn't matter - I spent most of my reading time with a huge grin on my face when I wasn't laughing. Life's been a bit rocky lately, and this did a fantastic job of cheering me up and keeping my mind occupied, which was just what I needed.

Spending the first third of the book on land, the 'Jane Austen for blokes' tag has never fit more as Jack and Stephen become entangled in a love triangle (or rather, quadrangle) by the grasping Mrs Williams attempts to find husbands for her girls. Personally, I think the only people they should be considering settling down with are each other - and if Stephen wants me to stop imagining smutty happenings between them then he really needs to stop calling Jack 'my dear'. With Jack not doing nearly so well on land as he does on sea, I loved Stephen's theories of tars on land and the psychological problems of day to day life (Maybe I should have been a sailor? Apart from being terrified of the sea, sharks and authority)

Needing to escape his debtors (which he does, rather awesomely, by (view spoiler)) Jack needs a ship, any ship, and is grudgingly given the Polychrest, a dog of a boat with the strange habit of going backwards when her sailors want her going forwards, as well as having a constantly shitfaced ape on board, amongst other problems. Other highlights include Jack saving a sailor from a shark, which he's rather blase about - does it all the time apparently, Stephen hitting the laudanum when his friendship with Jack is tested (that bloody Diana Villiers. She doesn't deserve someone as awesome as Stephen. Only Jack is good enough) as well as his bringing thousands of bees on board.

By the time we reached Plymouth (which I always take as a personal shout-out) I didn't think my smile could have been any broader, but having just cheered a mate on in the marathon taking place on "that sparse barren dismal grass-plat they call the Hoe", when Stephen "looked out of the cabin at the water of the Sound, oily, with the nameless filth of Plymouth floating on it" I was tickled pink by his assessment of my hometown:

"So much wretchedness, misery and squalor I do not believe I have ever seen collected together in one place, as in this town of Plymouth. All the naval ports I have visited have been cold smelly blackguardly places, but for pox-upon-pox this Plymouth bears the bell. Yet the suburb or parasite they call Dock goes even beyond Plymouth, as Sodom outran Gomorrah."

I've never been so proud...(less)

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Jun 16, 2013 Gary Foss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read some reviewers of these books describe them as "Jane Austen for guys." After reading the first in the series, Master and Commander, I was more than a little confused by that description as there seemed to be so little basis for comparison other than the period in which they were written. The writing styles are only alike in that the dialogue has the tone of the period, though I would hazard that for Austen that tone is authentic while O'Brian's version is affected. (That's a bit unfair...more I've read some reviewers of these books describe them as "Jane Austen for guys." After reading the first in the series, Master and Commander, I was more than a little confused by that description as there seemed to be so little basis for comparison other than the period in which they were written. The writing styles are only alike in that the dialogue has the tone of the period, though I would hazard that for Austen that tone is authentic while O'Brian's version is affected. (That's a bit unfair, really, as his dialogue is rich with character.) But other than that? Theme? Plot? Characters? The comparison seems rather implausible.

This book gives more validity to the "Austen for guys" assessment. There's an awful lot of romancing going on in this one, and more than a little angst. In fact, a good portion of the book is dedicated to the relationships of the main characters with their potential wives, and O'Brian gives us this interaction from both sides, though mostly through the eyes of his main characters.

That amount of romancing might put off some readers looking for a more straightforward naval conflict adventure, but it really shouldn't. It's handled deftly by O'Brian and I was both pleased and surprised to see him write a "romance" with such believability. The peccadilloes of British society appear in full force, and several characters that Austen's readers might recognize make an appearance. Greedy mothers scheming to match up their daughters with husbands of means. Girls looking for love in defiance of their family background. Social climbers on their way to moral turpitude. Such dynamics and characters appear throughout the book.

And then there are sea battles. It does take a while for this to get going as the beginning of the book is mostly on land. However, it does take over eventually and we get an engaging set of combat stories filled with the kind of action that one would expect from such a book.

Overall, I can recommend this one to those forewarned about the angst of naval officers (and doctors) looking for love. It was impressive to read O'Brian weave these different storylines together in a way that was seemingly effortless. I'll definitely continue reading his work.(less)

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Dec 13, 2007 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the best of the Aubrey/Maturin series and one of my favorites. O'Brian paints a captivating, interesting, fun and adventurous picture of the royal navy and life during the nineteenth century. I think I read through book twelve and really need to finish the series one of these days.

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Dec 30, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 2: Exit Sophie the ship, enter, Sophie, the girl ...
Grounded, Commander Jack and his mates take a brief respite in ... 'Pride and Prejudice.' Seriously, they've rented a cottage in pastoral southern England during that Jane-Austenesque superearly-19th century time that's more like the 18th century. Enter, the neighbors: A family of landed gentry consisting almost entirely of marriageable young ladies, including -- I truly am not making this up -- the aforementioned "namesake" of Jack's s...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Ensiform rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The second in the Aubrey-Maturin series. In this 400-page tome, so much happens it’s impossible to encapsulate a plot. Aubrey is promoted to the titular rank but is hounded by debtors, the two men escape while Aubrey is disguised as a bear (!), Stephen works as a spy for the Admiralty, the two men both dote on the same two girls (whose mother is an obvious homage to Mrs. Bennet in Pride And Prejudice), they nearly fight a duel, and of course there is tremendous naval action. I now look back with...more

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Sep 29, 2009 Francoise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you liked Master & Commander, as I did, you will definitely love this book also. The descriptions by Mr. O'Brian are so amazinly detailed and thorough, that the reader definitely has the feeling of being a "fly on the wall" in seeing all that is happening. Jack
Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are people that we actually get to know and I keep wondering how Mr O'Brian became so well versed in not only the history of the time but in the small details of life such as the use of "was" by educated...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is something terribly apt about the ship Aubrey gets to command in the opening two thirds of this novel: the Polychrest, a strange, double-beaked ship supposedly capable of sailing forward or backward. The prows pointing in opposite directions, push-me-pull-you style is an apt metaphor because, for much of the novel, Aubrey and his friend Maturin are at odds over an unmarried woman, an adventuress holding out for the best match possible before her looks fade. Her intelligence and cynicism...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Boots rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century-nautical

this second book is a stronger effort in my estimation. there appears to be a more cohesive plot (or set of plots, really). so generally i enjoyed it much more than Master and Commander, though it still had its detractions and plenty of aimless boat boat boat blah blah blah kind of stuff that i occasionally skimmed.

Stephen was kind of weird in this one (and getting on my nerves as a result). he comes off very Mary Sue in this novel with O'Brian attempting to temper his awesomeness by constantly...more

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Jul 28, 2010 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the second book of the Aubrey/Maturin series of British naval novels (heh), Patrick O'Brian was clearly trying to unleash his more sensitive, Jane Austen-flavored side. The book is just as well written as the first and the battle scenes are equally vivid and engaging, but the story dragged for me every time it jumped back into the Pride and Prejudice-like battle of wills between the main characters and a few of the story's female foils. I realize that all of the books can't exclusively be ban...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

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

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Aug 17, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, adventure, military, espionage

Personally I prefer C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series and Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho series. I dislike Captain Jack Aubrey's antics, mostly with women, when in port. The love triangle, or quadrangle, created by Aubrey-Maturin-Diana-Sophia is particularly distasteful to me. The women are somewhat stereotypical Madonna-whore in attitudes and actions, or at least in the way the men perceive their actions..

However, the espionage thread added by Dr. Stephen Maturin's actions is interes...more

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title link	preview: Post Captain
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Post Captain (Aubrey & Maturin #2)

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