The Commodore (Soundings)

Rating:
Summary: A most excellent adventure!
Review: After reading this delightful volume , I wonder why I ever stopped the series in the first place. The recent film release caused me to return to the series after a brief hiatus , and I am now enjoying it more than ever!

A brief synopsis of the tale--Captain Aubrey is given a task of suppression of the West African slave trade , with a hidden secondary mission: prevention of Napoleon's invasion of Ireland. To this end , Jack is given a small squadron of warships and is rated as the Commodore in command of the mission , with the clever and covert assistance of Doctor Maturin. Maturin's lovely wife Diana appears to have run away leaving a deeply troubled child in the care of others . In Freetown , the Doctor makes the acquaintance of the wife of the local governer , a beautiful young naturalist , and sets the stage for a future relationship in "Blue at the Mizzen".

Along the way ,in the course of the tale , we gain a further glimpse of 19th century life of an English gentleman at Captain Aubrey's home. I particularly delighted in the description of the astronomical observatory and Caroline Herschel's help. As an amateur astronomer myself , I couldn't help but smile at this inclusion.

Stephen Maturin's interaction with his young daughter is lovely and heartwarming , bringing yet another dimension to this already complex character. Padeen , the Doctor's manservant , manages to establish a relationship with the young girl and bring her out from apparent autism.

Commodore Aubrey fairly well crushes the slave trade and manages to make his rendevous with the French fleet on the coast of Ireland , as usual winning a striking victory.

All said , this is one of the best volumes in an excellent series. I enjoyed it tremendously and recommend it highly. Unfortunately the abbreviated battle scene only took a couple of pages ; otherwise it would have been 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Commodore Aubrey takes on the slave trade
Review: After returning from years at sea, in the East Indies, Botany Bay, the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands, the Peruvian coast and Cape Horn--during which Aubrey freed an old servant of Dr. Maturin from imprisonment and unwittingly took on a stowaway from Botany Bay, frustrated an attempt by a prototypical communist to set up an "ideal" government which would have been inimical to British interests in the Sandwich Islands, and a failed attempt by Dr. Maturin (a British intelligence agent) to free Peru from the Spanish influence--as well as encountering terminal storms, volcanic eruptions, encounters with icebergs, pirates and other enemy ships, in the last book (The Wine Dark Sea); our heroes, Dr, Stephen Maturin and Captain Jack Aubrey finally arrive back in England in this, the 17th book of the 20 book Aubrey/Maturin series.

However, all is not well. Aubrey's wife, Sophie, suspects him of having an affair with the stowaway, Mrs. Oakes, although he is innocent. He, in turn, suspects her of having an affair with the local parson, who pursued her before their marriage. Stephen finds his wife, Diana, gone to parts unknown, and his girl child whom he has never seen, is suspected of being an idiot.

Jack is given a new command, promoted to Commodore, and embarks on an effort to stop the slave trade out of Africa, as well as to frustrate a French squadron from interfering in Ireland.

No one knows square-rigged ships as well as the late Patrick O'Brian, the author. His 19th century sea battles are often taken directly from British Admiralty records, but more than that his dialogues are replete with period expressions and turns of phrase that add greatly to his stories. What magnificent stories!

The newcomer to the series should start with the first book, Master and Commander, and take them in order. I envy you the hours of pleasure that await you.

Joseph H. Pierre
Author of The Road to Damascus: Our Journey Through Eternity

Rating:
Summary: No. 17 in a classic series about the Royal Navy
Review: Patrick O'Brian is a master at his craft: creating a vibrant, living world within the bounds of literature. The Commodore is the 17th book in O'Brian's series about two seafaring men. Jack Aubrey is a captain in the Royal Navy. Jack's best friend is Stephen Maturin, a surgeon in the Royal Navy as well as an intelligence agent working against the forces of Napoleon in the early 19th century. Even if you are not immediately attracted to tales of seagoing adventurers, the warmth, spirit and wealth of detail in O'Brian's prose is more than enough to delight even the most cynical reader. The Commodore is not the very best book in the series, but O'Brian is always, consistently excellent. I recommend this series most highly, and if you haven't begun the first book (Master and Commander), I envy you and your voyage ahead. Read it.