Patrick O'Brian (1914–2000)
Author of Master and Commander
About the Author
Patrick O'Brian is the author of twenty volumes in the highly respected Aubrey/Maturin series of novels. (Publisher Provided) Patrick O'Brien was born in Ireland in 1914. His education included the Sorbonne. O'Brian has produced a variety of works, including biographies of Picasso and Sir Joseph show more Banks and translations of the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, but he is best known for the creation of an unlikely pair of Napoleonic War-era heroes in the Aubrey-Maturin Series. British naval officer Jack Aubrey and Irish scholar and physician Stephen Maturin have been featured in more than a novels published in Great Britain (five of which have also appeared in America). He died on January 2, 2000. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
The principal author here is Patrick O'Brian famous for the Aubrey-Maturin novels. The birth name of this author was Richard Patrick Russ. He changed his name by deed poll in August 1945 to Patrick O'Brian, under which name his books were published.
Series
Works by Patrick O'Brian
LEGO Ninjago: Ready, Steady, Stick!: Sticker Activity Book (2014-11-06)" to "A Book of Voyages" 4 copies
[Master and Commander (Vol. Book 1) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels)] [By: O'Brian, Patrick] [November, 1994] 3 copies
The last pool and other stories 3 copies
Les aventures de Jack Aubrey : Coffret en 5 volumes : Tomes 1 à 5 : Avec Les navires de Jack Aubrey (2006) 2 copies
19 Book Set: The Aubrey Maturin Series - Master and Commander, Post Captain, HMS Surprise, The Mauritius Command,… (1980) 2 copies
Patrick O'Brian Collection: "HMS "Surprise"", "The Commodore", "The Far Side of the World" v. 1 (2002) 2 copies
THE SURGEON'S MATE 2 copies
The Commodoor 1 copy
Post Captain ( Book 2 in series) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels) by O'Brian, Patrick (1990) Paperback 1 copy
A Book of Voyages 1 copy
Post Captain ( Book 2 in series) (Aubrey/Maturin Novels) by O'Brian, Patrick (1990) Paperback 1 copy
The Thirtteen Gun Salute 1 copy
Die Inseln der Paschas 1 copy
Misin en Jonia 1 copy
El Puerto De La Traicin 1 copy
La Costa Ms Lejana Del Mundo 1 copy
Los Cien DAs 1 copy
Ai confini del mare 1 copy
THE ILIAD SIDE OF THE WORLD 1 copy
The Letter of the marque 1 copy
The Unknow Shore 1 copy
The Thirteen-Gun Salute (Aubrey-Maturin, Book 13) (Aubrey & Maturin series) (English Edition) 1 copy
No Pirates Nowadays 1 copy
The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian Unabridged CD Audiobook (Aubrey / Maturin Series, Book 11) (2004) 1 copy
Set of 4 Aubrey/Maturin Novels: Blue at the Mizzen, The Hundred Days, The Yellow Admiral, and the Commodore (1999) 1 copy
Whispers 1 copy
Sophie 1 copy
O butim da guerra 1 copy
Fortune of war, The 1 copy
Testimonies 1 copy
Three Bear Witness 1 copy
The Walker & Other Stories 1 copy
Associated Works
Banco: The Further Adventures of Papillion (1972) — Translator, some editions — 661 copies, 5 reviews
The Mammoth Book of Men O'War: Stories from the Glory Days of Sail (1999) — Contributor — 93 copies, 1 review
Deep Blue: Stories of Shipwreck, Sunken Treasure, and Survival (Adrenaline) (2001) — Contributor — 30 copies
Van Der Valk, Series 1-5 [1972-1992] — Screenwriter — 7 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- O'Brian, Patrick
- Legal name
- Russ, Richard Patrick (birth)
O'Brian, Patrick (changed 1945) - Other names
- Russ, Patrick
Russ, R. P. - Birthdate
- 1914-12-12
- Date of death
- 2000-01-02
- Burial location
- Nouveau Cimetière de Collioure, Collioure, Departement des Pyrénées-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Country (for map)
- England, UK
- Birthplace
- Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
- Place of death
- Dublin, Ireland
- Cause of death
- heart attack
- Places of residence
- Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Collioure, France
Cwm Croesor, Wales, UK - Occupations
- translator
novelist - Relationships
- Jones, Elizabeth (first wife)
Tolstoy, Mary (second wife)
Tolstoy, Nikolai (stepson) - Awards and honors
- The Heywood Hill Literary Prize (1995)
Commander, Order of the British Empire (1997)
Honorary Doctorate of Letters, Trinity College Dublin (1997) - Short biography
- Patrick O'Brian was known for being a prolific English novelist, biographer, and translator. He was best known for his Aubrey-Maturin novels set in the period of the Napoleonic Wars. The novels centered on the characters of Jack Aubrey, an officer in the Royal Navy, and his friend the physician, natural philosopher and intelligence agent Stephen Maturin. Meticulously researched, this twenty-volume series garnered enthusiastic critical reviews and a wide and fervent readership. The 21st unfinished novel of this series was published posthumously. After having an American publisher, he received notoriety, selling millions of books. Born Richard Patrick Russ, he published two books and several short stories under his birthname before changing his name after World War II. In 1949 he and his second wife moved to France. In addition, O'Brian authored biographies of Pablo Picasso and Sir Joseph Banks. His translations from French into English included Henri Charrière's "Papillion," Jean LaCouture's biography "Charles De Gaulle," and works of Simone de Beauvoir. In 1995 at age 80, he received his first award, the Heywood Hill Literary Prize for his lifetime literary contributions. In 1997 he received the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and an honorary doctorate degree from Trinity College.
- Disambiguation notice
- The principal author here is Patrick O'Brian famous for the Aubrey-Maturin novels. The birth name of this author was Richard Patrick Russ. He changed his name by deed poll in August 1945 to Patrick O'Brian, under which name his books were published.
Members
Discussions
Ampersand Studio - Master and Commander in Fine Press Forum (November 27)
Purchased the first nine volumes of Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander. However... in Folio Society Devotees (September 2022)
Phantom duplicate ISBN in Bug Collectors (June 2021)
New pair of Aubrey - Maturin due in Folio Society Devotees (August 2011)
***Group Read: H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian in 75 Books Challenge for 2011 (April 2011)
Folio Society Aubrey/Maturin Series in HMS Surprise (July 2010)
Reviews
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Well this is a book that took me a hot minute to work through (almost two months, which is extremely rare for me), not because it wasn't interesting, but rather because its incredible use of jargon was a bit difficult to comprehend. I grew up reading the books of R.M. Ballantyne and G.A. Henty , so I am casually familiar with reading nautical fiction in the general sense. I was not expecting Master and Commander to be more believable and authentic than both Henty and Ballantyne. Not only was Master and Commander more authentic, it was also considerably more nuanced, realistic and invigorating. Hands down this was the best historical fiction I have ever read. In short, Master and Commander was an enjoyable slog.
As a kid, all of the nautical jargon in the books I read went way over my head and I didn't want to replicate that with *Master and Commander*. Alas, I read fiction for pleasure, so I gave up trying to understand what everything meant. The nice thing is that, if you can let it go, you only need to understand the general gist of a the movements to appreciate the plotline. While the jargon must be immensely pleasing to the enthusiast, the casual reader can appreciate this book with just a basic understanding and keep reading. Yes, this means that portions of the text will make little sense, but I found these to be generally of non-pivotal importance. There was (is?) a fandom surrounding the Aubrey-Maturin series that has thankfully compiled guides and dictionaries to help you understand more if you're interested. I ended up reading this on my Kindle because having the dictionary on tap was just too convenient. The book contains a lot of foreign words and phrases not to be found in the dictionary, and if you're curious as to what they mean, you can look them up in this fantastic document
The highlight of the story is, surprisingly, not the Navy or the battles that take place. Rather, the relationships between Captain Aubrey, his superiors, crew and paramours is what drives the plot. I cannot help but enjoy this quote regarding Aubrey's dalliances which get him into trouble
What makes Master and Commander stand out is twofold. Firstly, O'Brian's mastery of nautical knowledge, especially for a person living in the 20th century. Secondly, the surprising liberality that O'Brian gives in handling subjects such as race, homosexuality, imperialism, nationalism, and religious melodrama. The authors I mentioned above, Ballantyne and Henty are renowned for their racism (which was remarkable even for the time in which they wrote), jingoism and delight in extolling imperialistic evangelical-protestant Christianity. Aubrey harbors none of that at face value, but handles those same subjects in a delicate yet not unrealistic fashion that maintains a veneer of authenticity for the time period in which the book is set.
Dry humor abounds in the book. For example:
All in all, this book was good, in fact it was too good for a person like me who was in search of casual entertainment. This is hands down the best historical fiction that I have ever read. If you want to read it, gather some nautical jargon manuals, break out your charts and set sail.
You can find additional resources for comprehension's sake here … (more)
Well this is a book that took me a hot minute to work through (almost two months, which is extremely rare for me), not because it wasn't interesting, but rather because its incredible use of jargon was a bit difficult to comprehend. I grew up reading the books of R.M. Ballantyne and G.A. Henty , so I am casually familiar with reading nautical fiction in the general sense. I was not expecting Master and Commander to be more believable and authentic than both Henty and Ballantyne. Not only was Master and Commander more authentic, it was also considerably more nuanced, realistic and invigorating. Hands down this was the best historical fiction I have ever read. In short, Master and Commander was an enjoyable slog.
As a kid, all of the nautical jargon in the books I read went way over my head and I didn't want to replicate that with *Master and Commander*. Alas, I read fiction for pleasure, so I gave up trying to understand what everything meant. The nice thing is that, if you can let it go, you only need to understand the general gist of a the movements to appreciate the plotline. While the jargon must be immensely pleasing to the enthusiast, the casual reader can appreciate this book with just a basic understanding and keep reading. Yes, this means that portions of the text will make little sense, but I found these to be generally of non-pivotal importance. There was (is?) a fandom surrounding the Aubrey-Maturin series that has thankfully compiled guides and dictionaries to help you understand more if you're interested. I ended up reading this on my Kindle because having the dictionary on tap was just too convenient. The book contains a lot of foreign words and phrases not to be found in the dictionary, and if you're curious as to what they mean, you can look them up in this fantastic document
The highlight of the story is, surprisingly, not the Navy or the battles that take place. Rather, the relationships between Captain Aubrey, his superiors, crew and paramours is what drives the plot. I cannot help but enjoy this quote regarding Aubrey's dalliances which get him into trouble
"there are times when it seems to me that nothing short of a radical ablation of the membrum virile would answer, in this case." (Yes I have the humor of a teenager).
What makes Master and Commander stand out is twofold. Firstly, O'Brian's mastery of nautical knowledge, especially for a person living in the 20th century. Secondly, the surprising liberality that O'Brian gives in handling subjects such as race, homosexuality, imperialism, nationalism, and religious melodrama. The authors I mentioned above, Ballantyne and Henty are renowned for their racism (which was remarkable even for the time in which they wrote), jingoism and delight in extolling imperialistic evangelical-protestant Christianity. Aubrey harbors none of that at face value, but handles those same subjects in a delicate yet not unrealistic fashion that maintains a veneer of authenticity for the time period in which the book is set.
Dry humor abounds in the book. For example:
Ever since Stephen Maturin had grown rich with their first prize he had constantly laid in great quantities of asafetida, castoreum and other substances, to make his medicines more revolting in taste, smell and texture than any others in the fleet; and he found it answered – his hardy patients knew with their entire beings that they were being physicked.
All in all, this book was good, in fact it was too good for a person like me who was in search of casual entertainment. This is hands down the best historical fiction that I have ever read. If you want to read it, gather some nautical jargon manuals, break out your charts and set sail.
You can find additional resources for comprehension's sake here … (more)
1 
nvblue | 222 other reviews | Nov 26, 2024 |
nvblue | 222 other reviews | Nov 26, 2024 | 
Interesting background to the Patrick O'Brian novels, which I will get back to eventually.
The Surgeon’s Mate is the seventh novel in Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series. This novel opens with Aubrey, Maturin and Diana Villiers (Maturin's on off love) arriving in Halifax, Canada, following the Royal Navy’s victory over the American ship USS Chesapeake (a real event in the War of 1812). From Canada, they make their way home across the Atlantic to await further instructions and it isn't long before they are given their next mission. This time they are to travel to Grimsholm, a heavily fortified island in the Baltic, to persuade the Catalan army there to side with Britain and her allies against Napoleon.
Aubrey is initially grateful to have an excuse to escape from his various entanglements in England. Not only is he being cheated financially by a man he thought he could trust, he has also received a letter containing some unpleasant news from a woman he had met in Halifax. The Baltic mission provides a welcome distraction for them both and that part of the mission is completed successfully. However, after a series of mishaps soon afterwards they find themselves taken prisoner yet again.
Every time I review one of these books I say to myself that I’m not going to leave such a long gap before picking up the next one, however, other books get in the way and before I know a year or two have passed by yet again. Thankfully, as soon as I started to read, the events of previous book usually came back to me.
In this book Maturin’s work, both as a doctor, natural philosopher and as a spy, take centre stage and are always interesting. But I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as I had the previous one. In fact, I felt that a lot of time was spent simply tying up loose ends from previous books and this one was merely a stop-gap before the next big adventure began. But that being said there is still a lot to admire and it was still an enjoyable piece of escapism. I just need to move on to book eight much more quickly!… (more)
Aubrey is initially grateful to have an excuse to escape from his various entanglements in England. Not only is he being cheated financially by a man he thought he could trust, he has also received a letter containing some unpleasant news from a woman he had met in Halifax. The Baltic mission provides a welcome distraction for them both and that part of the mission is completed successfully. However, after a series of mishaps soon afterwards they find themselves taken prisoner yet again.
Every time I review one of these books I say to myself that I’m not going to leave such a long gap before picking up the next one, however, other books get in the way and before I know a year or two have passed by yet again. Thankfully, as soon as I started to read, the events of previous book usually came back to me.
In this book Maturin’s work, both as a doctor, natural philosopher and as a spy, take centre stage and are always interesting. But I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as I had the previous one. In fact, I felt that a lot of time was spent simply tying up loose ends from previous books and this one was merely a stop-gap before the next big adventure began. But that being said there is still a lot to admire and it was still an enjoyable piece of escapism. I just need to move on to book eight much more quickly!… (more)
1 PilgrimJess | 44 other reviews | Sep 15, 2024 |
PilgrimJess | 44 other reviews | Sep 15, 2024 | Lists
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 145
- Also by
- 22
- Members
- 71,692
- Popularity
- #177
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 992
- ISBNs
- 1,563
- Languages
- 20
- Favorited
- 368
I think this is one of my favorites of the series. It does perhaps lack for laugh-out-loud funny moments, even if it is occasionally, amusing, but it's got everything else, and it's just entirely engaging, start to finish, with none of those moments where things get so thoroughly nautical that my eyes start to glaze a bit. I'm very pleased to still be enjoying this series, so many books in.… (more)