Rating: 
Summary: A great story -- O'Brian reaches a first peak . . .
Review: This is the second in the Aubrey-Maturin series and it's a far more broadly painted picture than the first; also, a great deal more of the action takes place ashore. Jack finds himself out of a command due to the peace, but having come into a large sum of prize money, he rents a country place and takes up riding to hounds. He also meets Sophie and her family, and the Doctor meets Sophie's cousin, Diana. Relationships become interestingly complicated, but then Jack's prize agent defaults and two of his prizes are ruled invalid, and he suddenly finds himself deep in debt. The two go abroad to escape a debt judgment and they're visiting Spain when war breaks out again. After a period disguised as a trained bear accompanying its trainer, they reach Gibralter and take ship, only to be captured. And so it goes, with Maturin having taken up his additional avocation by this time as an intelligence agent for the Admiralty. In fact, his connections are about the only thing that keeps Jack in his series of commands against the competition, and after a particularly gallant action, he finally gets made post. All in all, this is a far more interesting book, with a great deal more character development, than the first book. Young Sophia is especially nicely drawn, and Jack himself (as Stephen notes) has begun to mature in important ways. In fact, my only complaint is in respect to the wretched cover illustration in the original hardcover edition!
Rating:
Summary: Even Better than the First
Review: "Post Captain" is the second in Patrick O'Brian's epic 20-volume 19th-century maritime series. Captain Jack Aubrey, who made and lost a fortune in the first book, spends this book on the run. On the run from France as war comes, from debtor's prison throughout, and from the entanglements of romance. His shotgun-approach to courtship leads to a near-disastrous conflict with his best friend, the ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, whose own secret life slowly unfolds behind Aubrey's back. This is a wonderful book, not a typical novel in the sense that it does not open questions in the beginning and then answer them by the end. Instead, it is a linear narrative that ends on a cliff-hanger just begging for a sequel. O'Brian's writing is crisp and spare. The characters are fully-developed human beings, the action is exciting. The book is hard to put down, but the best thing is that there are eighteen more to follow.
Rating:
Summary: Darker than the first, but just as riveting
Review: Another well-written O'Brian novel but this time, in a darker hue. More exposition of the Aubrey / Maturin characters and not all of it flattering. O'Brian doesn't shrink from showing warts and all of his main characters and that's what makes these books complex and enduring. It's hard to predict how Aubrey or Maturin are going to act, because O'Brian feeds you just a teaspoon of information about each at a time. Just when you think you've got them figured out, O'Brian throws you a curve, and one that's believable, not contrived. These books are some of the best I've ever read. I howl at the shenanigans of the sailors, get churned up when they're in battle, and shake my head when Jack Aubrey risks his career, chasing the wrong skirt yet again. And I worry about what the hell I'm going to do when I finish the last novel in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Early, classic Aubrey-Maturin
Review: This second book in the Aubrey-Maturin series is, like all of the others, an absolute delight. O'Brian does his usual astonishing job of transporting us to an imagined early-19th century world, interesting in large part because it is in some basic ways quite unlike ours, yet peopled by richly-drawn characters who experience emotions intensely familiar. For the fanatic O'Brian fan (I am one) this book is especially interesting to re-read, since several of the dimensions of the characters, especially Maturin, are slightly at odds with later versions. For example, in one diary passage, Maturin waxes eloquent (and accurate) about the specific arrangement of sails as a convoy weighs anchor -- something he would never do in the later books, when he has become hopelessly ignorant about all things nautical. These books are in the rare category of those classics that are a page-turning excitement to read when first encountered, and remain similarly exciting if read again and again, constantly revealing new subtleties of character and incident. One of the great things about the books is O'Brian's periodic indirect explanation of certain expressions that have passed into the vernacular, and are used in contexts far removed from their nautical roots -- for example, "the devil to pay" or "we were at loggerheads", or...I've forgotten the rest. I guess I'll have to read the books again, and so should you.
Rating:
Summary: The Best of All Twenty Aubrey Books
Review: Read this book very carefully, especially if you are committed to reading all 20 volumes. IMHO, it is the best book of the series. In book one ("Master and Commander"), I assumed that Maturin was a minor character who would not appear again. I thought he was a gay geek, and that his mysterious, solitary, on-shore expedition was of a carnal nature; little did I realize the true nature of either Maturin or the trip. This second book focuses on developing the Maturin character as a spy; a sophisticated man of wealth, background, and education; a lifelong drug addict; and a nerdy womanizer - sort of an 19th century cross between James Bond and Bill Gates. Chapter 4 is the most bizarre chapter in the entire series. I am still going on the assumption that the escape-across-France-in-a-bear-costume was really just another opium vision of Maturin's. The books that follow this one vary greatly in quality of plot; some are excellent, some seem to be virtually plotless narratives, but all are worth reading. Still, book 2 stands head and shoulders above all the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: The second book of the Aubrey/Maturin partnership. Pacy,
Review: I read Master and Commander recently - prompted by the Movie - and loved it. This, second, book in the series continues the adventures of Jack Aubrey - a bluff, impetuous Naval commander, and the reserved, cerebral Dr. Maturin.
This book opens with Aubrey anxiously waiting for promotion to post-Captain and courting young ladies, when he is made bankrupt overnight. Various adventures ensue, which the usual derring-do. This book marks the first time that Maturin is explicitly identified as a spy. His work aids Aubrey in securing commands, promotion and therefore an understanding with the young lady of his dreams. Maturin's world view and prospects are more sombre and morose.
The book itself contains a huge amount of naval jargon, mainsails, topsails, etc. etc., curiously however it doesn't lose the narrative for me, despite the facts that I have no idea what the terminology means, the pace of the narrative doesn't lessen, and I am quite happy to ' go with the flow'. Overall a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Richer and more complex than the first book
Review: I can easily imagine some readers not enjoying this novel. If one's idea of a great book is one battle scene after another, then this will not be their cup of tea. O'Brian spends much of the novel dealing with affairs of the heart, and his characters discuss a vast number of subjects that have nothing whatsoever to do with warfare. But like in the first novel, the attentive reader will learn a great deal of social history by reading the book. It is hard to imagine a historical recreation much more attentive to historical detail and accuracy than this one. The nautical detail can sometimes be overwhelming, and some of the sailing maneuvers can leave land lubbers like myself a bit confused about what is happening, but all in all his amazing descriptions provide a "you are there" specificity lacking in many similar books. Although this is only my second book in the series, I have quickly come to appreciate the character of Stephen Maturin. The first novel hinted at hidden depths, and this one revealed some of his situation. We learn that he is a man of some property if not comparable wealth. We find that he is far more involved in espionage than we might have suspected in the first novel. And we find him to be a man not content to be a mere sidekick to Aubrey, but a companion only if it suits his own needs and other duties do not call. This novel definitely has a great deal more in the way of plot than the first book. But by and large, it remains true of POST CAPTAIN as it did of MASTER AND COMMANDER that one does not read it for plot so much as one does to get to know and enjoy the very fine central characters, and to learn some history.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic follow-up to 'Master'
Review: Patrick O'Brian's Post Captain is an intoxicating adventure story that includes some genuine twists, an incredibly authentic feel, and truly multifaceted characters. It is also about 180 degrees from Master and Commander in terms of its story. The novel centers, of course, on Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin, friends and naval officers in Napoleonic-era England. Lucky Jack, though, is not quite so lucky in this novel, as the prize money he earned for taking the Cacafuego in the previous novel is stolen by a venal prize-agent, leaving Jack in debt and avoiding his creditors and debtors' prison. He escapes to France, where war soon breaks out again, and Aubrey must escape internment. Finally, he gets back to England to put his affairs in order but has his promotion refused. As a consolation, though, he gets a command: the HMS Polychrest, known (nonaffectionately) as the Carpenter's Mistake, and crewed by a dangerously undisciplined crew. Meanwhile, Maturin tries to woo the Lady Diana Villiers, whose half-sister is infatuated with Jack. This novel is, surprisingly, light on the long descriptions and definitions of sea travel that O'Brian seems so fond of, and centers more on the people. Only about half of the novel takes place on the high seas, and the other half takes place in various locales on England and Europe, the descriptions of nineteenth-century society are vivid and engrossing. The relationships come through here: Jack and Stephen, of course, are the center. Their relationship takes a number of turns in this installment, including a near duel! Fortunately they sort it out. Jack's dealings with his crew, his society friends, and Maturin's treatment of officers in the Portsmouth hospital are revealing indeed. My only complaint is that the book can be difficult to follow. The scenery can change and hours can elapse without warning, an event can happen and only be mentioned in a throwaway comment that might be overlooked. With so much happening it can be difficult to know what exactly is going on. That said, the book is an otherwise fascinating and thrilling narrative, certainly worth a look if you enjoyed 'Master'.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible sea going adventure!
Review: This historical novel set in the early 19th century has the rake Lucky Jack Aubrey down on his luck - in debt and without a ship. The story is a masterfully told. It is of how Jack avoids debtor's prison, gains command, and regains his Lucky Jack moniker by the end of the story. I highly recommend this novel. Although there are times where some greater knowledge of sailing these warships would be of use to more fully understand the tale and the inherent drama. O'Brien does an excellent job of providing enough details that you fully understand the historical backdrop.
Rating:
Summary: Joint Review of All Aubrey-Maturin Books
Review: Some critics have referred to the Aubrey/Maturin books as one long novel united not only by their historical setting but also by the central plot element of the Aubrey/Maturin friendship. Having read these fine books over a period of several years, I decided to evaluate their cumulative integrity by reading them consecutively in order of publication over a period of a few weeks. This turned out to be a rewarding enterprise. For readers unfamiliar with these books, they describe the experiences of a Royal Navy officer and his close friend and traveling companion, a naval surgeon. The experiences cover a broad swath of the Napoleonic Wars and virtually the whole globe.
Rereading all the books confirmed that O'Brian is a superb writer and that his ability to evoke the past is outstanding. O'Brian has numerous gifts as a writer. He is the master of the long, careful description, and the short, telling episode. His ability to construct ingenious but creditable plots is first-rate, probably because he based much of the action of his books on actual events. For example, some of the episodes of Jack Aubrey's career are based on the life of the famous frigate captain, Lord Cochrane. O'Brian excels also in his depiction of characters. His ability to develop psychologically creditable characters through a combination of dialogue, comments by other characters, and description is tremendous. O'Brien's interest in psychology went well beyond normal character development, some books contain excellent case studies of anxiety, depression, and mania.
Reading O'Brien gives vivid view of the early 19th century. The historian Bernard Bailyn, writing of colonial America, stated once that the 18th century world was not only pre-industrial but also pre-humanitarian (paraphrase). This is true as well for the early 19th century depicted by O'Brien. The casual and invariable presence of violence, brutality, and death is a theme running through all the books. The constant threats to life are the product not only of natural forces beyond human control, particularly the weather and disease, but also of relative human indifference to suffering. There is nothing particularly romantic about the world O'Brien describes but it also a certain grim grandeur. O'Brien also shows the somewhat transitional nature of the early 19th century. The British Navy and its vessals were the apogee of what could be achieved by pre-industrial technology. This is true both of the technology itself and the social organization needed to produce and use the massive sailing vessals. Aubrey's navy is an organization reflecting its society; an order based on deference, rigid hierarchy, primitive notions of honor, favoritism, and very, very corrupt. At the same time, it was one of the largest and most effective bureaucracies in human history to that time. The nature of service exacted great penalities for failure in a particularly environment, and great success was rewarded greatly. In some ways, it was a ruthless meritocracy whose structure and success anticipates the great expansion of government power and capacity seen in the rest of the 19th century.
O'Brian is also the great writer about male friendship. There are important female characters in these books but since most of the action takes place at sea, male characters predominate. The friendship between Aubrey and Maturin is the central armature of the books and is a brilliant creation. The position of women in these books is ambiguous. There are sympathetic characters, notably Aubrey's long suffering wife. Other women figures, notably Maturin's wife, leave a less positive impression. On board ship, women tend to have a disruptive, even malign influence.
How did O'Brian manage to sustain his achievement over 20 books? Beyond his technical abilities as a writer and the instrinsic interest of the subject, O'Brien made a series of very intelligent choices. He has not one but two major protagonists. The contrasting but equally interesting figures of Aubrey and Maturin allowed O'Brien to a particularly rich opportunity to expose different facets of character development and to vary plots carefully. This is quite difficult and I'm not aware of any other writer who has been able to accomplish such sustained development of two major protagonists for such a prolonged period. O'Brian's use of his historical setting is very creative. The scenes and events in the books literally span the whole globe as Aubrey and Maturin encounter numerous cultures and societies. The naval setting allowed him also to introduce numerous new and interesting characters. O'Brian was able to make his stories attractive to many audiences. Several of these stories can be enjoyed as psychological novels, as adventure stories, as suspense novels, and even one as a legal thriller. O'Brian was also a very funny writer, successful at both broad, low humor, and sophisticated wit. Finally, O'Brian made efforts to link some of the books together. While a number are complete in themselves, others form components of extended, multi-book narratives. Desolation Island, Fortune of War, and The Surgeon's Mate are one such grouping. Treason's Harbor, The Far Side of the World, and The Reverse of the Medal are another. The Letter of Marque and the ensuing 4 books, centered around a circumnavigation, are another.
Though the average quality of the books is remarkably high, some are better than others. I suspect that different readers will have different favorites. I personally prefer some of the books with greater psychological elements. The first book, Master and Commander, is one of my favorites. The last 2 or 3, while good, are not as strong as earlier books. I suspect O'Brian's stream of invention was beginning to diminish. All can be read profitably as stand alone works though there is definitely something to be gained by reading in consecutive order.
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