The Letter of Marque - Patrick O'Brian

One of the highpoints of a brilliant series

This is the 12th book out of a 20 (or 21) book series, and it is one of my favourites in the series - a series which I believe to be incomparable. O'Brian manages to turn a tale of derring-do on the high seas and some politicking and love-troubles on land, into a story that touches the soul.

It starts deep in the doldrums. Captain Aubrey has been dismissed the service: thrown out of the Royal Navy, his life. But his particular friend, the surgeon Dr Stephen Maturin, has bought the frigate *Surprise*, and they - and a prime crew of old Surprise hands and shady Shelmerstonian privateers and smugglers - are off on a private mission, as a Letter of Marque. Essentially, as a privateer. For aficionadoes this is all they could wish for: we meet all our old friends, Pullings, Killick, Bonden, Plaice, even Babbington and Mowett make an appearance: and, of course, the lovely *Surprise* itself, no longer H.M.S. but still her old self, and a real personality. There is heartache; there is extreme tension; there are ruses; and there is the interplay between old friends Jack and Stephen, between them and their music, and between the ship and the elements. This is old ground, lovingly rediscovered and described with the Master's hand. There is no-one to touch O'Brian, and he is in full flow here - little touches of humour, painful personal moments, and descriptions of life at sea to touch your soul. Even if, like me, you are a landsman. On land we meet again Sir Joseph Blaine, Mrs Broad of the Grapes, and even the butcher's dog. There are enchanting scenes at Ashgrove Cottage, and some good life at Shelmerston, that freelancing Devon port.
And there is long-drawn-out tension, something O'Brian is particularly good at - on and on it goes, and it keeps your nerves as taut as the rigging in a full-blown gale. Tension during two very important cutting-out expeditions: one for the Diane in France, one for Diana in Sweden. This is O'Brian at the peak of his form, and this is a wonderful book.

Another masterpiece from Patrick O'Brian

Having read the entire series of Richard Bolitho books by Alexander Kent, and having an interest in the period, I looked around for a substitute, and to my great joy stumbled upon Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series of novels. What priceless gems they are!

Having just completed the twelth book in the series "The Letter of Marque", I can say it gently dove-tails into the end of the previous novel (as all books in the series do), providing a continuous insight into the lives of the main characters. The story begins with a despondent Jack Aubrey having been dismissed from the Navy for a stock-market fraud he didn't comit. It unwinds into a series of mini adventures arranged by his close friend and secret agent; Stephen Maturin and his Naval Intelligent colleagues, designed to get Aubrey reinstated to the Naval List. All the usual twists and turns of an O'Brien novel follow.

What Fascinates me about this and the other eleven books I have already read in the series is their realism. Patrick O'Brian has the ability to transfer you back to the period. His descriptive powers, the richness of language used by the characters, and the general storyline prove compelling reading. A must read. My suggestion is to start at the very beginning by reading "Master and Commander", then work your way through the entire series as I am doing. That way you'll really appreciate the variations each new book brings.

Sea tales without peer

The Letter of Marque (the entire series for that matter) goes so far beyond the swashbuckling cliche as to make the comparison irrelevant. O'Brian's ability to evoke a place, an era, an age is to my mind unprecedented. The series is actually so many chapters of one great work that will hook you completey, and leave you in awe of the mind that contained them.