Big Books of 2026
Patrick O'Brian

Patrick O'Brian’s Followers (2,408)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo

Patrick O'Brian


Born
in Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, England
December 12, 1914

Died
January 02, 2000

Website

Genre
Historical Fiction, Fiction

Influences
Walter Scott ...more


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 nom ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.29 · 377,218 ratings · 21,306 reviews · 207 distinct works • Similar authors
Master and Commander (Aubre...
4.07 avg rating — 63,234 ratings — published 1969 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Post Captain (Aubrey & Matu...
4.26 avg rating — 25,142 ratings — published 1972 — 149 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
H.M.S. Surprise (Aubrey & M...
4.42 avg rating — 21,341 ratings — published 1973 — 148 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Mauritius Command (Aubr...
4.35 avg rating — 18,342 ratings — published 1977 — 127 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Desolation Island (Aubrey &...
4.41 avg rating — 16,312 ratings — published 1978 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Fortune of War (Aubrey ...
4.41 avg rating — 15,113 ratings — published 1979 — 103 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Surgeon's Mate (Aubrey ...
4.40 avg rating — 14,111 ratings — published 1980 — 6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Far Side of the World (...
4.45 avg rating — 13,640 ratings — published 1984 — 114 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Treason's Harbour (Aubrey &...
4.38 avg rating — 12,688 ratings — published 1983 — 17 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Letter of Marque (Aubre...
4.50 avg rating — 11,996 ratings — published 1988 — 87 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
More books by Patrick O'Brian…

Series by Patrick O'Brian

Master and Commander Post Captain H.M.S. Surprise The Mauritius Command Desolation Island The Fortune of War The Surgeon's Mate
(21 books)
by
4.32 avg rating — 316,873 ratings

The Golden Ocean The Unknown Shore
(2 books)
by
4.14 avg rating — 4,085 ratings

Quotes by Patrick O'Brian  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Wit is the unexpected copulation of ideas.”
― Patrick O'Brian, The Hundred Days
tags: dr-maturin, patrick-o-brian
1055 likes
Like

“But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean either my country, right or wrong, which is infamous, or my country is always right, which is imbecile.”
― Patrick O'Brian, Master & Commander
tags: jingoism, maturin, nationalism, nationality, patriotism, stephen-maturin
221 likes
Like

“Jack, you've debauched my sloth.”
― Patrick O'Brian, H.M.S. Surprise
tags: debauched, drunk, sloth
95 likes
Like

Polls

April 2025 New School Poll

1984 by George Orwell (1949) 328 pages
 
  67 votes, 30.5%

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (1951) 186 pages
 
  32 votes, 14.5%

 
  29 votes, 13.2%

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 106 pages,
 
  24 votes, 10.9%

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (1984) 333 pages.
 
  22 votes, 10.0%

 
  21 votes, 9.5%

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk (1951) 537 pages
 
  13 votes, 5.9%

 
  12 votes, 5.5%

220 total votes
More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
UC Berkeley iSchool: What's on the holiday stack? 11 133 Nov 14, 2008 02:19PM  
SciFi and Fantasy...: This topic has been closed to new comments. His Majesty's Dragon - Master and Commander 7 158 Jan 05, 2009 09:54PM  
Goodreads Librari...: Please Update Page Number Information for ISBN 0393325172 2 50 Mar 25, 2009 05:58PM  
SciFi and Fantasy...: What I'm reading in March 82 578 Mar 29, 2009 03:05PM  
Fantasy Book Club: This topic has been closed to new comments. What are you reading in March? 72 378 Mar 29, 2009 05:36PM  
Challenge: 50 Books: Doug's books for 2009 54 269 Jan 01, 2010 08:17AM  
The History Book ...: HISTORICAL FICTION POLLS 6 359 Jan 21, 2010 12:04AM  
Pick-a-Shelf: 2010-02 - Adventure - What will you Read in February? 87 157 Feb 25, 2010 11:05AM