Jack Aubrey Commands: An Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O'Brian

Greenwich Times, December 4, 2003
"...close to a 'perfect' gift for the O'Brien/Aubrey fan."

Sailing, March 2004
"Every page is a broadside, with illustrations in full color, contemporary plans, drawings, engravings, maps and charts."

Book Description
No fiction writer of modern times has captured the world of wooden walls, broadsides, and the press gang as successfully as Patrick O’Brian. The twenty books in the O’Brian canon featuring the lives and adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey and his confidant, naval surgeon Stephen Maturin, have been lauded across the world for their blend of classic storytelling, historical accuracy, and inspired characterizations. In this new work respected naval historian Brian Lavery explores the historical framework of the O’Brian novels by examining the facts behind the grand narrative and putting the key episodes in context while detailing naval life in the era of Nelson and Napoleon. With well over a hundred illustrations, the book presents contemporary plans, drawings, engravings, maps, and photographs of museum artifacts that have inspired age-of-sail novelists and moviemakers. Introducing the book is a foreword by Peter Weir, director of the upcoming film of O’Brian’s novel Master and Commander. Avid age-of-sail fans will not want to miss this colorfully detailed complement to the O’Brian series.

About the Author
Brian Lavery, the curator of ship technology at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, is the author of several books, including Nelson’s Navy (see below), Nelson and the Nile, and The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War, 1600–1815.


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Lavery is the curator of ship technology at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. In this text, he explores the links between naval facts and naval fiction—particularly the works of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester—showing how the life of real naval heroes compares to that portrayed in novels and films. The text is fully illustrated throughout in b&w and color, and includes a foreword by Peter Weir, director of the 2003 film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, starring Russell Crowe in the role of Jack Aubrey. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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