Sometimes one finds references in fictional accounts, as well: Salman Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence, while otherwise an inferior (scintillatingly written as always) product from SR, endeared itself to me early on by mentioning a "famous capture of the Cacafuego", and although I bet SR was thinking of Sir Francis Drake's famous capture of the Cacafuego galleon rather than Jack's exploit, I wonder. I wouldn't be surprised if Rushdie had read POB.

Michelle wrote: "oh yea, this was definately a plot element in one of the books. i've been racking my brain but for the life of me i can't remember which one tho. the movie had it in 'the far side of the world' b..."

i've been trying to remember which book this took place. hadn't read the series in over a year so started the first book again. lo and behold i re-discovered the event in the first book (master and commander) where the sophie is being chased by the huge french frigate in the mediteranean. not the cacafuego...the other one who's name i don't know how to pronounce.

oh yea, this was definately a plot element in one of the books. i've been racking my brain but for the life of me i can't remember which one tho. the movie had it in 'the far side of the world' but i dont think it was. the movie mixed so many plot elements from so many of the books it might as well have summed up the book series in a way. if someone happens to know which book this scene occurs in please post!

Just encountered another of these Jack moments in an unrelated book! In a book from 1910 called "A Youthful Man-O-Warsman" (which I picked up from a sale through the San Diego Maritime Museum), there's an account of a clever ruse used by Capt. Nicholson of the U.S. Navy ship Siren, when attempting to evade a British frigate:

"He had purposefully kept a light in full view of the frigate, as if bent on a suicidal desire to be captured. When his pursuer was nearly within gunshot, however, he rigged out a hogshead, which was sealed up and so weighted that it would float in an upright position; and on top of it he affixed a light, similar to the one he had been carrying. Dropping the hogshead carefully overboard with its decoy signal in full view, he 'doused' the Siren's light. Then, changing his course, he made off in another direction leaving the frigate in her furious pursuit of the hogshead and its deceptive light. By daybreak the frigate was nowhere to be seen."

Now, I don't recall... did Jack ever do that in the books or only in the movie?

I must confess that I rarely take advantage of my proximity to the barky. The ship and the museum next to it are first-rate, if you'll forgive the pun!

If you do come to town and visit, be sure to go around 1430, for the last tour---but call the ship and check---then hang out! Since Constitution is still in commission, they observe naval protocol, including the evening gun, fired from one of the carronades!

Well, he could read "Blue at the Mizzen," as long as he doesn't read "21", which doesn't really end, but... well, you know.

I've also read "Six Frigates" and enjoyed it greatly. Interesting to read those actions recounted in O'Brian's books. Also very fascinating look at the creation of our US Navy. Can't wait to visit the Constitution someday soon.

Oh yes, I must add a thought. Like many guys my age, I indulge in Friday night SciFi, and saw a recent episode of Galactica, where the Admiral said that a certain book was his favorite, but that he did not know how it ended. He said he never read the ending, because he did not want it to end. This little scene struck me, since I have one friend who's read the Canon at least 4 times, except for Blue at the Mizzen. He refuses, for the same reason.

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy was a good read. I met Ian Toll briefly on his tour through the Boston area at Porter Square books.

I really enjoyed the background he gave of the geopolitical forces that shaped the events leading up to the War of 1812, and the foresight (and in some cases the lack thereof) that provided for the initial appropriations for the beginnings of the US Navy.

What I really found refreshing about Mr. Toll's book was that it read like an analysis of a current crisis. No surprise (no pun intended), given his work experiences and education.

I'm about to. I'm reading Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy by Ian W. Toll. I haven't gotten to the section about the War of 1812 yet, but I know I'm going to read about the Leopard, the Constitution, the Chesapeake, and the Shannon.

I remember having been aboard the U. S. Constitution as a child (I grew up just outside of Boston.) Having spent much of my life thinking of her as small, it's wonderful to read O'Brian and realize that in her day, she was considered perfectly enormous--for a frigate.

I'm certain we all know that Patrick O'Brian based many of Jack Aubrey's adventures on true historic actions, but have you ever encountered any of these actions in other books you've read? It's the strangest feeling to come across an historical account and realize that you've been there before, but with different players.

For example, in David Cordingly's wonderful book "Seafaring Women", I came across 2 items that struck me. First was a mention of the daring recapture of the HMS Hermione which was taken by mutineers from her crew, then given over to the Spanish. While the ship lay at anchor in a Venezuelan port, the crew of the HMS Surprise came into the harbor in boats, under cover of night, fought off the crew, cut her cables and towed her out of the harbor.

Later in the book, Cordingly recounts the trevails of Lord Cochrane, who was the successful commander of a brig in th Royal Navy and a member of Parliament, but was falsely accused of stock exchange fraud (sound familiar?). He was forced out of the Navy and Parliament, then offered command of Chile's Navy during their struggle for independence. While fighting for Chile, his wife traveled the interior of the country (for reasons of her son's health) on horseback, until it became too dangerous due to the advance of a royalist army (not too unlike our Maturin's adventures). After a successful run in Chile and Peru, Cochrane returned to Britain, was reinstated to the Royal Navy and promoted to rear Admiral, then full Admiral.

Perhaps I'm the only one particularly intrigued by such accounts, but it facinates me to find the true stories that provided fodder for Jack and Stephen's adventures. Anyone else ever come across moments like this?