Steeplechase & BWF - Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian - 3.5 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

Master and Commander is the first book in a 20 book series that follows Jack Aubrey, a Royal Navy lieutenant who has just been promoted to the rank of Master and Commander, and Stephen Maturin, a destitute physician and naturalist whom Aubrey appoints as his naval surgeon.

The series is set during the Napoleonic Wars and describe the naval warfare of the tall sailing ships of the era. They include not only naval engagements, but descriptions of the ships of the period, celestial navigation, weather, geography and politics.

O’Brian does a fantastic job of constructing the image of life on board a naval vessel during the Napoleonic wars. The various occupations and duties of the men, the hierarchies, the traditions, the meals, the uniforms, the medical treatments, the naval language and terminology are so clearly documented.

There are various adventures at sea but quite a bit of the book shows nuanced reflection on war, philosophy, social class and human nature. I never expected to read this book and only did because it fit a challenge I was participating in. I found much of the naval jargon and rules to be tedious. But I did enjoy the characters very much and can see why this is so popular with fans of sea adventures.

[Robin P]

This is a series I thought I would never read - war, ships, etc. But it contains much more. It does take a bit to get into it, and characters develop throughout. I loved it and did the whole thing on audio, which I think helped. It makes a great companion with either the His Majesty's Dragon series, as you noted, and the YA series starting with Bloody Jack.