"I do not remember the sublime ever having been mentioned in the gunroom."
When I read lines like this, I smile and sometimes laugh aloud. Then I wonder at the number of philistines who say they do not like Patrick O'Brian.
At the risk of letting a new thing arise, has anyone tried getting one of the LLM ai to finish 21 and write the next installment? Personally, the thought of it both intrigues and revolts me...
I've started to feel the anxiety of finishing this wonderful series. Then I found your great sub-reddit. Joy! I can continue for a little bit more. Ha-ZAAAY!
I'm not Navy. So, I fell into the series from a plan I hatched last year to visit Boston for the 250th. During last year's 4th I realized the significance of the anniversary and decided my 250th must have actual cannons. I found this video on Youtube, "2025 USS Constitution", and could think of nothing better. The Age of Sail theme got into my head and one thing lead to another and I discovered the Aubrey Maturin Series. Well met.
Here's my own viddy (OC) of the USS Constitution 2026. I shot this with Insta360 5x (8k and 30 fps). Note, I'm not sure what's going on with the image quality--does it have to load first? For what it's worth, the original quality of the export is perfect. Any artifacts are post-upload to Youtube. I apologize in advance.
It was after The Far Side of the World (#10) that I decided to rewatch the film with Russell Crowe. Good timing. Without exposure to the the book series I didn't like the movie the first time. After 10 books (audio versions narrated by Patrick Tull and later Simon Vance), I found the film a lovely visual representation. As you might know US's 250th celebration is being celebrated with the Tall Ships in the Sail250. Here are some of my favorite IG viddies (Other People's Content) of the Sail250: sunrise and squall. If you're like me, then you may find these visuals very moving.
Of course, the "algorithm" see's I'm into ships and gave me this gem, and some instructional animations.
Readers of the series might enjoy the news coverage happening of OP Sail 2026 in New York today. Some beautiful ships.
Hello Shipmates. As some of you may know, my grandfather passed away recently. We were completing a circumnavigation together, and I wanted to share my thoughts on Desolation Island that I won’t be able to share with him now:
What a wild one this book was. Jack doesn’t get to be so lucky with a ship full of prisoners, a plague on board, an overpowered Dutch ship stalking him, a near mutiny, and a shipwreck. This one definitely has the main characters up against the ropes early and often. His naval woes notwithstanding, Jack is also a complete mess on land, being scammed by Mr Kimber (I’m curious to see how he shows back up and whether Jack realizes what’s happening to him), gambling away his money, and just generally being restless. Of course Stephen doesn’t fare much better, holding the bag financially and emotionally upon finding Diana gone.
And yet along with the long suffering misery of everyone on board the Leopard, Desolation Island offers the reader some of the most clever character development so far. Jack recounts the story of Captain Bligh, and seems to recall the lesson of leadership skills from it when he is set in similar circumstances. His wisdom remains a constant, but it’s refreshing to see it tested against more trying situations. Stephen must contend with Wogan, something of a shadow of Diana, keeping her at arms length and playing the long game with Herapath. And how brilliantly he manipulates the situation, at least most of the time. It did strain credulity for me a bit that Herapath would be so trusting of him to divulge all that he knows, and that Herapath wouldn’t suspect Maturin has anything less than pure naïveté when offering Herapath the final medical check of the La Fayette.
I wonder what my grandfather would have to say about this book. Being a generally cheerful man, I suspect he would laugh and say something to the effect of “oh they sure got put through their paces, but they came out pretty good didn’t they?” He would chuckle recalling some of Jack’s puns, he would probably know a lot more about Captain Bligh, and we would wonder together about the fate of Maturin and Aubrey after the final line. Of course, being a seasoned circumnavigation expert himself, I’m sure he would hint at what happens in the next book.
This was my first book of the series without my grandfather to circumnavigate with. It was a crushing, engaging, interesting, and heartbreaking read. I look forward to the next one, and hope that you shipmates might listen to the thoughts I would have shared with him. Your support is much appreciated.
Hi all, my father is coming to visit me and he's a big fan of naval history. I like it well enough, but I've never intentionally looked for museums or places to visit. Any must-see recommendations for the south of England? 🐛 <- weevil
In “ Reverse of the Medal“ ch 1, a Mr. Waters had somewhat hesitantly asked Stephen to give his opinion about a mass in his side. Stephen diagnosed a “splanchnic teratoma“ on Mr. Waters on physical exam alone.
Of course, I realize this is fiction, wonderful fiction, but to me it stretches things to make this diagnosis. For one it is an extremely rare condition. Secondly, it is rarely found today without at least an x-ray, never mind other diagnostics.
Is this just another brilliant way that POB displays his knowledge of arcana? Or is he once again intending Stephen to be nearly an omniscient polymath? Just wondering if any others have thoughts on this. With my medical background, I would be completely flabbergasted if someone made this diagnosis today using these means.
Time to revisit now that some manner of reboot is in the offing.
Threads from 9-10 years ago liked Chris Hemsworth for Aubrey, Cillian Murphy for Maturin, and Alicia Vikander as Diana Villiers.
I think those are all spot-on, 9-10 years ago. But now I’d say all three actors are too old, possibly too famous - especially if you allow yourself the fantasy that the reboot would be a hit and they’d continue. I think the book series hits a theatrical epic peak in HMS Surprise.
Anyways - I humbly submit for the Redditverse’s consideration
JACK REYNOR - Capt Jack Aubrey
ROBERT SHEEHAN - Stephen Maturin
ELLA BLUE TRAVOLTA - looks-wise, closest thing to Diana Villiers in my mind
FIONN O’SHEA - Lt James Dillon
And Dr Maturin and Mr Martin taught me too much about seamanship and I keep thinking "That's not how cannons/rudders/sails *work!*"
I've read many times that Maturin is a composite of many different characters, but never heard Archibald Menzies mentioned. Reading his biography, I think fans of the series will see why I've made this post.
A little about Archibald:
Pretty surprising that I've never heard of Menzies and perhaps someone has made this connection before, but definitely find the parallels compelling. One wonders whether, while writing Sir Joseph Banks biography, POB ran across Menzies and decided to include some of his traits in Maturin.
A while back I shared a few illustrations I drew of the quails landing on HMS Worcester to the FB group "Patrick O'Brian Appreciation Society", where they promptly blocked me for doing so (I see no other reason), even though the pictures werent made with AI, there were only like 4, and nothing lewd about them (unless you find quails to be exceptionally lewd animals).. Could it be, that the superstitious admins of the site believed Martin, that quails are Jonas? Could you all handle and appreciate my quails?
From Richard Henry Dana's memoir relating his 1834 voyage as a common merchant seaman, Two Years Before the Mast. His description of a botanist/ornithologist on board, and how the crew tries to make sense of him, really brings to mind Maturin.
>This passenger—the first and only one we had had, except to go from port to port, on the coast, was no one else than a gentleman whom I had known in my better days; and the last person I should have expected to have seen on the coast of California—Professor N——, of Cambridge. I had left him quietly seated in the chair of Botany and Ornithology, in Harvard University; and the next I saw of him, was strolling about San Diego beach, in a sailor's pea-jacket, with a wide straw hat, and barefooted, with his trowsers roiled up to his knees, picking up stones and shells. He had travelled overland to the North-west Coast, and come down in a small vessel to Monterey. There he learned that there was a ship at the leeward, about to sail for Boston; and, taking passage in the Pilgrim, which was then at Monterey, he came slowly down, visiting the intermediate ports, and examining the trees, plants, earths, birds, etc., and joined us at San Diego shortly before we sailed. The second mate of the Pilgrim told me that they had an old gentleman on board who knew me, and came from the college that I had been in.
>He could not recollect his name, but said he was a "sort of an oldish man," with white hair, and spent all his time in the bush, and along the beach, picking up flowers and shells, and such truck, and had a dozen boxes and barrels, full of them. I thought over everybody who would be likely to be there, but could fix upon no one; when, the next day, just as we were about to shove off from the beach, he came down to the boat, in the rig I have described, with his shoes in his hand, and his pockets full of specimens. I knew him at once, though I should not have been more surprised to have seen the Old South steeple shoot up from the hide-house. He probably had no less difficulty in recognizing me. As we left home about the same time, we had nothing to tell one another; and, owing to our different situations on board, I saw but little of him on the passage home. Sometimes, when I was at the wheel of a calm night, and the steering required no attention, and the officer of the watch was forward, he would come aft and hold a short yarn with me; but this was against the rules of the ship, as is, in fact, all intercourse between passengers and the crew. I was often amused to see the sailors puzzled to know what to make of him, and to hear their conjectures about him and his business. They were as much puzzled as our old sailmaker was with the captain's instruments in the cabin.
>He said there were three:—the chro-nometer, the chre-nometer, and the the-nometer. (Chronometer, barometer, and thermometer.) The Pilgrim's crew christened Mr. N. "Old Curious," from his zeal for curiosities, and some of them said that he was crazy, and that his friends let him go about and amuse himself in this way. Why else a rich man (sailors call every man rich who does not work with his hands, and wears a long coat and cravat) should leave a Christian country, and come to such a place as California, to pick up shells and stones, they could not understand. One of them, however, an old salt, who had seen something more of the world ashore, set all to rights, as he thought,—"Oh, 'vast there!—You don't know anything about them craft. I've seen them colleges, and know the ropes. They keep all such things for cur'osities, and study 'em, and have men a' purpose to go and get 'em. This old chap knows what he's about. He a'n't the child you take him for. He'll carry all these things to the college, and if they are better than any that they have had before, he'll be head of the college. Then, by-and-by, somebody else will go after some more, and if they beat him, he'll have to go again, or else give up his berth. That's the way they do it. This old covey knows the ropes. He has worked a traverse over 'em, and come 'way out here, where nobody's ever been afore, and where they'll never think of coming." This explanation satisfied Jack; and as it raised Mr. N.'s credit for capacity, and was near enough to the truth for common purposes, I did not disturb it.
And later upon sighting an unexplored island:
>This gave us a new start, and we were soon through our work, and on deck; and there lay the land, fair upon the larboard beam, and slowly edging away upon the quarter. All hands were busy looking at it—the captain and mates from the quarter-deck, the cook from his galley, and the sailors from the forecastle; and even Mr. N., the passenger, who had kept in his shell for nearly a month, and hardly been seen by anybody, and who we had almost forgotten was on board, came out like a butterfly, and was hopping round as bright as a bird.
>The land was the island of Staten Land, and, just to the eastward of Cape Horn; and a more desolate-looking spot I never wish to set eyes upon;—bare, broken, and girt with rocks and ice, with here and there, between the rocks and broken hillocks, a little stunted vegetation of shrubs. It was a place well suited to stand at the junction of the two oceans, beyond the reach of human cultivation, and encounter the blasts and snows of a perpetual winter. Yet, dismal as it was, it was a pleasant sight to us; not only as being the first land we had seen, but because it told us that we had passed the Cape,—were in the Atlantic,—and that, with twenty-four hours of this breeze, might bid defiance to the Southern Ocean. It told us, too, our latitude and longitude better than any observation; and the captain now knew where we were, as well as if we were off the end of Long wharf.
>In the general joy, Mr. N. said he should like to go ashore upon the island and examine a spot which probably no human being had ever set foot upon; but the captain intimated that he would see the island—specimens and all,—in—another place, before he would get out a boat or delay the ship one moment for him.
>We left the land gradually astern; and at sundown had the Atlantic Ocean clear before us.
I very recently completed my second circumnavigation under the eminent master, Patrick Tull.
I’ve returned to port to find that my singularly lovely wife has acquired our own print copies of this wonderful series.
So I’m back out to sea for my first solo circumnavigation. Wish me luck, shipmates!
Ladies and Sirs of the wardroom!
May I suggest that you all go read Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen? It is most capital reading, and follows the discovery of, and indeed existence of, the eminent Dr Stellers sea cow! Beware that this latter included scripture might contain, as to say, spoilers for the travels of Dr Steller, should you wish to experience them from his own lense, as it were.
As you are all aware, Dr Maturin held Dr Steller in high esteem, and has several times spoken of his discovery and travels. Beasts of the Sea is about that very voyage by Captain Bering and Dr Steller.
It is most capital reading, I do assure you, and while it does not focus on the eehh.. Naval side of things as much, It is very much in the vein of Dr Maturins exploits as a natural philosopher.
Now, I wont hold you from your dinners any longer, but do enjoy this excellent text under an umbrella, by a stream or why not in bed! Just do take care, my dear friends, in this infernal heat we are facing?
Capital, capital. I must away! God bless.
I’m on my umpteenth circumnavigation, listening (Patrick Tull) to the Surgeon’s Mate, specifically the action in Ch 9 where Jack’s Ariel encounters HMS Jason pursuing the French ship Méduse, 74. The whole scene is very exciting and I tried to find more about it online, assuming that (like many of the battles) Jack was simply inserted into a real life encounter.
Well, here’s the thing of it. I couldn’t find any mention of the encounter. Indeed, going further in, I couldn’t find any record for a French ship Méduse being a 74 (the only record of a Méduse being that famous frigate of the great wreck and subsequent painting). Furthermore, the only HMS Jason of the time that I found was a 32-gun frigate, which wouldn’t make sense, because then why would a 74 be running from her.
On top of all this, it is later mentioned that HMS Ajax, 74 finally gets her… yet I find no encounter between Ajax and Méduse, or between Ajax and any 74 in single-ship action around that time.
And to round things off, I can’t seem to find record of a Captain Joseph (Joe) Middleton being a relatively junior ranking Post-Captain at the time of Surgeon’s Mate (roughly 1812-1815).
So I come to this: has O’Brian simply invented two ships, a Captain, and two battles/chases? Or has my late-night surface-level research simply missed the mark? I typically held the belief that most actions in these books were based on historical account… but perhaps this is an exception?
I would be most grateful of any enlightenment any of you could bestow upon me.
EDIT: I only just realised that the post made before mine, by u/stanley604, happens to also be about the Surgeon’s Mate, regarding an nth circumnavigation, this time in audiobook form. What a wonderful coincidence, and a glass of wine with you sir.
I'm in my nth circumnavigation, commissioned for the first time via audio. I'm on "The Surgeon's Mate" right now, and I can't help noticing that Stephen has become quite the amphibian, lecturing Jagiello on lee shores, how to wear ship, and even -- for all love -- what club-hauling entails.
Either he was faking ignorance before, or he has finally decided to pay attention in his last few voyages. Either way, I find it a little curious. He still seems incapable of getting aboard a ship thick and dry, so at least that remains constant.
Confirmed! (Probably.)
>In the still waters of Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, the long-lost bones of a ship lie buried in silt. For centuries, the wreck had no name. Now, after more than 25 years of international detective work above and below the waves, Australian maritime archaeologists are confident they’ve found one of the most storied vessels in history: HM Bark Endeavour, the ship that carried James Cook to the Pacific, New Zealand, and the eastern coast of Australia.
Full story at link above.
Link to the outstanding Australian National Maritime Museum's report HERE
I love these little back-and-forths between Jack and Stephen:
>"There you are, Stephen," he cried. "How happy I am to see you. What have you there?"
>"An unborn porcupine."
>"Well, there's glory for you."
We've all weighed in on our dream casting, I think there is one possible avenue of adaptation that has been sadly overlooked.
The Muppets.
Dream casting for a Muppets and Commander adaptation.
So im on book 14 (no spoilers) and it just occurred to me that when jack is at his happiest, at sea at battle, is the opposite of when Stephen is at his happiest, marooned on a desolate island. The dichotomy is amazing.
