[BWF] Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian (4 stars)

[KateNZ]

Visiting Minorca.

Jack Aubrey is headstrong, amorous and - on land - often none too bright. But he is a canny and excellent sailor and, most importantly for his crew, he’s lucky. So when he lands his first command position on board the unassuming brig Sophie, it’s not surprising that he schools her and her crew to greater success than they might have expected. He is also fortunate in his friends, particularly in the ship’s surgeon, the polyglot scientist Stephen Maturin, who shares his love of music and who can steady him when he most needs a guiding hand.

I have generally avoided re-reading during this challenge but I had already decided I wanted to revisit this series this year (about 20 years since I first picked them up), so this was a fabulous opportunity. The emergent friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is the anchor point and main delight of course. But there’s a lot more going on - superbly authentic descriptions of ships, life and battles at sea at that time, a backdrop of politics both local and at home, petty power plays, and the scenery and history of the Balearic Islands and various other points in the Mediterranean. Jack is both lovable and deeply frustrating. Maturin is the more compelling of the two for me, though.

Team: Sassy Sisters. Extra for O. Tagged x 26.

[Robin P]

KateNZ wrote: "Visiting Minorca.

Jack Aubrey is headstrong, amorous and - on land - often none too bright. But he is a canny and excellent sailor and, most importantly for his crew, he’s lucky. So when he lands..."

I loved this series on audio, also about 20 years ago. I wouldn't have thought I would enjoy sea stories but it has so much more.