Rating: 
Summary: Comment on High Cotton Review
Review: The joy of Patrick O'Brian's books is the accuracy of his language among the characters as they speak ("Give you joy!") and the accuracy of the depictions of naval events. This includes accuracy of naval terminology. I have listened to all of these books as Books-On-Tape and often find myself replaying sections to hear the language spoke again. This approach may assist persons like High Cotton "could not get into these books". One of the greatest things about these books is their unparalleled historical accuracy. When you hear a naval battle described, you can be assured it happened just as described. How does the author place a fictional character and fictional ship into real events? Cleverly! Such as by having the hero captured by the enemy and observe the battle from the deck of the enemy's vessel. Or by having the hero's vessel arrive a few minutes behind the actual combatants and not actually taking a role in the action, but seeing and describing it. In one of the books, Capt. Aubrey was called on the carpet at the Admiralty Offices in London for his provisioning of his ship. Indignantly, he recites from memory what "vittels" and other supplies he provisioned his last voyage with. In fact, the author, Patrick O'Brien, was given access to real Admiralty records. What his character Aubrey was reciting was from an actual invoice of provisions for a naval warship during the Napoleanic War. Very interesting stuff if you like history and if you like ships at sea. Highly recommended, especially if you hear the novels read (spoken) rather than reading them. Star Trek fans will love these books!
Rating:
Summary: Comment on High Cotton Review
Review: The joy of Patrick O'Brian's books is the accuracy of his language among the characters as they speak ("Give you joy!") and the accuracy of the depictions of naval events. This includes accuracy of naval terminology. I have listened to all of these books as Books-On-Tape and often find myself replaying sections to hear the language spoke again. This approach may assist persons like High Cotton "could not get into these books". One of the greatest things about these books is their unparalleled historical accuracy. When you hear a naval battle described, you can be assured it happened just as described. How does the author place a fictional character and fictional ship into real events? Cleverly! Such as by having the hero captured by the enemy and observe the battle from the deck of the enemy's vessel. Or by having the hero's vessel arrive a few minutes behind the actual combatants and not actually taking a role in the action, but seeing and describing it. In one of the books, Capt. Aubrey was called on the carpet at the Admiralty Offices in London for his provisioning of his ship. Indignantly, he recites from memory what "vittels" and other supplies he provisioned his last voyage with. In fact, the author, Patrick O'Brien, was given access to real Admiralty records. What his character Aubrey was reciting was from an actual invoice of provisions for a naval warship during the Napoleanic War. Very interesting stuff if you like history and if you like ships at sea. Highly recommended, especially if you hear the novels read (spoken) rather than reading them. Star Trek fans will love these books!
Rating:
Summary: Prose as luscious as the South Seas.
Review: The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'BrianThere are few prose stylists writing today who can compare with Patrick O'Brian for the smooth, evocative and fluid stories which come from his pen. This book, a particularly fine example of O'Brian's craft, is part of his Aubrey/Maturin series of sea-faring novels. Sailor Jack Aubrey, while a typically crusty man of the blue briny, is also a well-read and witty contrast and companion to Doctor Stephen Maturin, an erudite physician with a huge love of the sea. Together, the two have had many adventures, but in The Wine-Dark Sea, they face some of their greatest challenges ever with remarkable spirit and aplomb. The story here is great entertainment with lots of page-turning action, but the lush writing is simply seductive and so easy to become lost and quite "at sea" within. While these are often consider "men's books," I strongly suspect that many women would be attracted to the strong plots, grand characterization, and fine writing; there is never the least hint of the crude or the coarse in these highly literate, but so readable novels. I have often suggested the works of Patrick O'Brian to writing students as a model for crisp, fresh, lively prose and most highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Prose as luscious as the South Seas.
Review: The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brian There are few prose stylists writing today who can compare with Patrick O'Brian for the smooth, evocative and fluid stories which come from his pen. This book, a particularly fine example of O'Brian's craft, is part of his Aubrey/Maturin series of sea-faring novels. Sailor Jack Aubrey, while a typically crusty man of the blue briny, is also a well-read and witty contrast and companion to Doctor Stephen Maturin, an erudite physician with a huge love of the sea. Together, the two have had many adventures, but in The Wine-Dark Sea, they face some of their greatest challenges ever with remarkable spirit and aplomb. The story here is great entertainment with lots of page-turning action, but the lush writing is simply seductive and so easy to become lost and quite "at sea" within. While these are often consider "men's books," I strongly suspect that many women would be attracted to the strong plots, grand characterization, and fine writing; there is never the least hint of the crude or the coarse in these highly literate, but so readable novels. I have often suggested the works of Patrick O'Brian to writing students as a model for crisp, fresh, lively prose and most highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Heavy on Naval Termonology
Review: This is the second Aubrey/Maturin book that I have read. I did not enjoy the first one. I figured, however, that I had to give the series another try because Patrick O'Brian has so many fans. I fared no better with this one.
I just cannot get into these books. O'Brian's repeated use of archaic nautical words and phrases is more than distracting. It is overwhelming and it buries the stories. I would suggest staying clear of this stuff unless you are well-versed in 18th century naval termonology.
Rating:
Summary: As with all O'Brian work - brilliant!
Review: This was my introduction to Patrick O'Brian's work. While it begins a bit slowly, the pace quickens soon after as it thrusts Stephen Maturin into some death-defying intrigue and danger amidst the grandeur of the Andes Mountains. I tend to prefer O'Brian when he ventures onto land most of the time anyway, so this was a real treat. Some day (probably after he has left us) Patrick will achieve massive critical acclaim, the media rushing to heap credit on itself for having "discovered" a great writer. Until then, why not beat them to it and acquire the O'Brian taste now! Be sure to pick up A Sea of Words for reference, especially if you are (like me) in the dark when it comes to the nitty-gritty details of nautical adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Please do not read this book - YET
Review: Why would I recommend not reading this book? The answer is simple; I urge you to start at the beginning and buy Master and Commander, the first book. I say this because the odds are you have not read O'Brian before, if you had, you would scarcely need a recommendation for a book in the middle of the series. No, if you had read O'Brian before you would have either decided not to read more or as so many have before you, would have read the series, devouring one book after another in the order they were intended to be read. The Wine-Dark Sea is a section of one of the greatest examples of nautical fiction ever written, don't deny yourself the joy of watching these characters grow and develop over the course of the opus.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, As Usual
Review: Wine-Dark Sea is the sixteenth in Patrick O'Brian's wonderful 20-part nautical series. It is also the final in a four-part mini-series, as volumes thirteen through sixteen are an ongoing circumnavigation of the world. In this installment, Aubrey and Maturin and the HMS Surprise finish their adventures in the Pacific, land in Peru and then round the Cape into the Atlantic on their way home to England. For fans of the naval wars, there are some good 'ol rip-roaring chase and battle scenes. The Maturin crowd will find their hero high in the Andes examining wildlife and carrying on his intelligence activities. A wonderful worthy addition to O'Brian's series.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, As Usual
Review: Wine-Dark Sea is the sixteenth in Patrick O'Brian's wonderful 20-part nautical series. It is also the final in a four-part mini-series, as volumes thirteen through sixteen are an ongoing circumnavigation of the world. In this installment, Aubrey and Maturin and the HMS Surprise finish their adventures in the Pacific, land in Peru and then round the Cape into the Atlantic on their way home to England. For fans of the naval wars, there are some good 'ol rip-roaring chase and battle scenes. The Maturin crowd will find their hero high in the Andes examining wildlife and carrying on his intelligence activities. A wonderful worthy addition to O'Brian's series.
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