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9th out of 158 books
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26 voters
The Thirteen-Gun Salute (Aubrey & Maturin #13)
Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life. Following his dismissal from the Royal Navy (a false accusation), he has earned reinstatement through his daring exploits as a privateer, brilliantly chronicled in The Letter of Marque. Now he is to shepherd Stephen Maturin—his friend, ship's surgeon, and sometimes intelligence agent—on a diplo
...morePaperback, 336 pages
Published
1989
by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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Glad I bought the next two, because this doesn't end at the end. Scads of good fun, as always. Probably the most memorable part of this adventure was Stephen's trip to the Buddhist temple, where men and beasts live together in harmony and Stephen basically gets to have the on-shore naturalizing experience he is repeatedly denied while sailing with Jack. Too good. Also, enemy dissection.
Words & Notes
p. 29 As usual, Stephen is at the cutting edge of medical technology, stocking "plaster of Par...more
Words & Notes
p. 29 As usual, Stephen is at the cutting edge of medical technology, stocking "plaster of Par...more
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The Thirteen-Gun Salute, the thirteenth entry in the Aubrey-Maturin series, is classic Patrick O'Brian. The story takes the main characters to a part of the world they have not visited since Desolation Island. The book has a tight plot and is solidly engaging. If it has one flaw, it is that O'Brian's standard adventure formula is getting a bit tired after nearly thirteen iterations of it (
Spoilers Below
).
The story begins with Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin preparing for an espionage voyage to...more
The story begins with Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin preparing for an espionage voyage to...more
Whenever a dignitary comes aboard one of the King’s ships, there is always a thundering salute from the cannons, the number of discharges determined by the rank of the honored guest. Thirteen guns is the right, proper salute for a royal ambassador, and Captain Aubrey has been commissioned to deliver the King’s representative from London safely around the world to a strategic Pacific post in the early nineteenth century British Empire.
The highlight of the book is the pilgrimage Dr. Steven Maturin...more
The highlight of the book is the pilgrimage Dr. Steven Maturin...more
Since all these books involve the same two men sailing around in navy ships, O'Brian has to vary some of the details to make each one unique. In this book, the details that caught my attention had to do with two characters. One was a new character, a diplomat who, because of some personal insecurity that is never fully explained, does not have an accurate sense of the honor and deference that is his due. He usually expects more than he gets. Ironically, this makes him much less respectable.
The o...more
The o...more
I loved this installment! After a sag of interest in a few of the books, these last several have really moved and held my attention. I love the maturing of the characters, and of the characterization. The plot was thrilling, I learned some new nautical terms and enjoyed my arm chair tour of the south pacific (I only wish that my copy of the book had a map!). I am on track for reading this entire series this year, and it has been a delightful addition to my reading life. In particular, I have rea...more
At some point O'Brian decided this series would go on indefinitely. The structure of some of the books then became odd. There are some that don't end - they just stop. There's an obvious on-going, unresolved plot but - tough luck - you're gonna hafta wait for the next volume to get a resolution. This is one of them. It ends with a cliff-hanger (which some don't) and for some reason it's easier to handle then when a book just stops apparently arbitrarily.
So, thirteen books in and it's getting har...more
So, thirteen books in and it's getting har...more
This is a pretty typical Aubrey/Maturin book, with less seamanship, but good insights into characters and the nature of hubris. Because of the set-up of the book, the set of recurring supporting characters is trimmed down (not through death, but being assigned to a different ship), which is disappointing, and the introduction of a vain envoy doesn't make up for it. However, some important developments to the plot of the series are dealt with, including major developments to some nemeses of Matur...more
Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life. Following his dismissal from the Royal Navy (a false accusation), he has earned reinstatement through his daring exploits as a privateer, brilliantly chronicled in The Letter of Marque. Now he is to shepherd Stephen Maturin—his friend, ship's surgeon, and sometimes intelligence agent—on a diplomatic mission to prevent links between Bonaparte and the Malay princes which would put English merchant shipping at risk.
The...more
The...more
Despite, or maybe because of its pacing and things like O'Brian's choice of recording Maturin's communing with orangutans instead of the action of a palace coup, this is an absolute delight of a historical novel. Not given to military action on the high sea, this story of a diplomatic mission to a Malay Sultan is more concerned with the day-to-day of diplomatic formalities and Maturin's exploration of Asian flora and fauna than the dramatic. Action often takes place off-stage, but we are left wi...more
I usually don’t read series that contain more than 5-7 books. Most authors should really stick to trilogies. You know how it is – predictability sets in, each book follows the same basic template, and the series loses its charm. Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series is the first series I’ve found that defies this rule.
But I’m probably preaching to the choir. If you’ve gotten this far in the series, you know why you should read this book. The deep and ever maturing characters – the exciting nav...more
But I’m probably preaching to the choir. If you’ve gotten this far in the series, you know why you should read this book. The deep and ever maturing characters – the exciting nav...more
So, so wonderful. This is book #13 in the British naval adventure series set during the Napoleonic wars centering on captain Jack Aubrey and his physician/spy friend Stephen Maturin, and it just might be one of my favorites. I especially noticed the language this time around-- evocative, smart, funny, erudite. I (of course) enjoy the shipboard sections of this series or I would not have spent the last 2+ years making my way through it, but I just love the sections set in faraway lands, like Indi...more
I've enjoyed the whole Aubrey-Maturin series very much -- I'm up to book 16 now -- but I've singled this one out as a 'favourite'. Taken as a whole, it isn't the best in the series, as I couldn't muster much interest in the politics of the invented island state our heroes visit. Of course, being a minor entry in the Aubrey-Maturin series still makes it better than most other novels.
What makes it a favourite is the chapter where Stephen, accompanied by an orang-utan, climbs a mountain to visit a...more
What makes it a favourite is the chapter where Stephen, accompanied by an orang-utan, climbs a mountain to visit a...more
Another solid entry in the Aubrey-Maturin saga, The Thirteen-Gun Salute finds our seagoing protagonists heading to the South China Sea on a diplomatic mission.
By this thirteenth book, titles are starting to feel more like arbitrary chunks of the ongoing dual biography than discrete novels. A high degree of familiarity with the series is presumed, but for dedicated readers this is part of the charm.
Highlights include Dr. Maturin's sojourn at a Buddhist temple in an isolated volcanic crater -- a...more
By this thirteenth book, titles are starting to feel more like arbitrary chunks of the ongoing dual biography than discrete novels. A high degree of familiarity with the series is presumed, but for dedicated readers this is part of the charm.
Highlights include Dr. Maturin's sojourn at a Buddhist temple in an isolated volcanic crater -- a...more
ARGH! CLIFFHANGER!
Another wonderful Aubrey and Maturin book. I always get lost in the world of these books, in the intricate diplomacy of shipboard life and the uncertain navigation of that era.
The best part is Stephen in Palo Prabang; he is such a geeky naturalist, and the descriptions of his explorations, his eating of a durian for the first time, meeting the orang-utangs, collecting orchids and so on are lush and evocative. And then the geeky naturalist shows his other face, as an intelligen...more
Another wonderful Aubrey and Maturin book. I always get lost in the world of these books, in the intricate diplomacy of shipboard life and the uncertain navigation of that era.
The best part is Stephen in Palo Prabang; he is such a geeky naturalist, and the descriptions of his explorations, his eating of a durian for the first time, meeting the orang-utangs, collecting orchids and so on are lush and evocative. And then the geeky naturalist shows his other face, as an intelligen...more
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. Which perhaps reflects t...more
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. Which perhaps reflects t...more
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There was slighly less historical detail or sense of place in this installment; Pulo Prabang never really came alive for me as a unique, distinct country. The exception to this was, of course, Stephen's trek to the temple deep in the jungle, and the time he spent with the orang-utans up there: definitely one of the most memorable and evocative moments in the series so far.
Apart from that minor quibble, though, this was as superb as I've come to expect from O'Brian, full of humour and intelligenc...more
Apart from that minor quibble, though, this was as superb as I've come to expect from O'Brian, full of humour and intelligenc...more
It’s good to be at sea again with Jack Aubrey and his friend Stephen Maturin. The book is more of the same in the series, yet I love to root for the characters who have become almost friends.
In this installment Jack is still the captain of his beloved Surprise as a Letter of Marque vessel (a state sponsored, yet privately owned, pirate ship). It chronicles the trials and tribulations of transporting diplomats and working with them to negotiating treaties and a fascinating description of primiti...more
In this installment Jack is still the captain of his beloved Surprise as a Letter of Marque vessel (a state sponsored, yet privately owned, pirate ship). It chronicles the trials and tribulations of transporting diplomats and working with them to negotiating treaties and a fascinating description of primiti...more
Another fine entry in the series, a shade less accomplished than the previous novels. Perhaps it is the sense of repetition starting, at long last, to set in. Much that happens here feels as if it had happened before. There is a mission to the east, with a fractious envoy, a tenuous and complex negotiation in a foreign court, a terrible storm and a wreck. The writing is still very fine. Hopefully the slight slackening here is just a catching of the breath two thirds of the way through. This is s...more
What will I do when I finally finish this series, which I am stretching out as long as possible? Probably start again, this time from the beginning. This brief volume packs an enormous amount of activity, on land, sea and in between. Still the same are the wonderful dialogue, informative details on the sea, medicine, and period politics. You can't go wrong with Patrick O'Brian.
This one, in my opinion, represents something of a lull in the series (really that started with The Letter of Marque, but that one had enough momentum from a few key events to keep it going to the end). There are a couple of very satisfying points, and the closing of a particular loop (having to do with "spies") keeps this one going, but the end almost jumps the shark-- almost.
Audio alert: these books are fantastic listening!! What will car trips be like when I reach the end of the series?
Seriously, I wouldn't consider myself a naval history buff, but that doesn't matter with these. It's the characters, the humor, the unexpected twists, and the realistic descriptions that help you imagine life aboard HMS ____ that keeps me coming back.
Seriously, I wouldn't consider myself a naval history buff, but that doesn't matter with these. It's the characters, the humor, the unexpected twists, and the realistic descriptions that help you imagine life aboard HMS ____ that keeps me coming back.
I really enjoyed this book and I appreciate the narrator, Simon Vance, more than ever since I'm listening to the next book in the series and its narrator isn't as effective (my opinion). In this book Aubrey and Maturin sail in the frigate Diane (one that the Surprise cut out from the French navy) to deliver an envoy Mr. Fox and his party to the Malay island of Palo Prabang to negotiate a treaty with its Sultan. A rival French diplomatic mission includes two renegade Englishmen met in previous bo...more
Aubrey reinstated. Diplomatic mission to Java where stephen's folks get to capture and kill some particularly dangerous french spies -- whose speens become specimens for Stephen. An ultimate triumph for him. The books does not show Stephen exulting loudly, but you can imagine a deep quite exultation. Much time spent on his naturalistic interests.
The first half of the book felt pretty slow. The character story only goes deeper. By this point, I feel that O'brian is as familiar with Aubrey/Maturin as he is with his dearest friends. The new diplomatic dynamic is extraordinarily entertaining and very informative. As always, the action is gripping and immediately felt. Humor is explosive and tragedy is visceral.
Captain Jack Aubrey gets back his heart's desire and once again escorts ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin on important diplomatic missions. Espionage activity is uppermost but Stephen still manages to pursue flora and fauna, and Jack's excelllent seamanship skills once again protect from peril at sea.
Aug 29, 2011
Brackman1066
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical_fiction
My favorite O'Brian books are the ones that read like Napoleonic John LeCarre novels, only funnier and with naval actions. This was one such book. I love it when Stephen gets to shine as an intelligence agent, and there was great satisfaction in seeing some villains getting no happiness or reward for their treachery.
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
After more than a year's hiatus from my favorite maritime series, all I can sigh is: I love these stories. Patrick O'Brian may well be the most brilliant man to ever put pen to page. This installment easily bears up to its predecessors, with its subtle humor, nuanced characters, and balanced pacing. Can't wait for the next one!
My least favorite of the Aubrey-Maturin series so far, especially following the excellent The Letter of Marque, but then it does end in a cliffhanger so can't really be judged until I've read The Nutmeg of Consolation. Here there are no naval battles, no cutting out, no prizes captured. Still, the strength of the novels really lies in the characters and deep, authentic immersion in the language and customs of life aboard a British fighting ship in the time of the Napoleonic Wars. 13 Gun Salute d...more
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Patrick O'Brian, CBE (born as Richard Patrick Russ) was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centered on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen Maturin. The 20-novel series is known for its well-researched and highly detailed portrayal of early...more
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“What I meant was that if he could induce others to believe what he said, then for him the statement acquired some degree of truth, a reflection of their belief that it was true; and this reflected truth might grow stronger with time and repetition until it became conviction, indistinguishable from ordinary factual truth, or very nearly so.”
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“First there was the sky, high, pure and of a darker blue than he had ever seen. And then there was the sea, a lighter, immensely luminous blue that reflected blue into the air, the shadows and the sails; a sea that stretched away immeasurably when the surge raised the frigate high, showing an orderly array of great crests, each three furlongs from its predecessor, and all sweeping eastwards in an even, majestic procession.”
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