The Mauritius Command

OBrian is a remarkable guide into another time and place whose writerly talents are awesome to behold. His ability to capture a bygone era both puzzle and bemuse, as the reader has no idea whether the rich idioms he employs in his dialogue and descriptions are the product of meticulous research or are (oh so skillfully) made up in whole cloth.

I know enough of the Napoleonic era age of fighting sail to know that the nautical descriptions are impeccably accurate, so one wants to believe the dialogues are equally true. This reader wonders nonetheless, but having said that, in truth it hardly matters. As my high school a English teacher would say, it works.

Why only four stars then?

Only on a comparative basis basis with the authors other works and evident aspirations. The central plot element of the book is poor, doomed, Captain Clonfort, a lieutenant contemporary of Jack Aubrey in his early years who Aubrey later eclipses. The initial incident which presumably sets up Clonferts inferiority complex is a bit muddy in presentation, leaving the reader wondering what the take away is supposed to be. Was Clonfert actually cowardly? Its not clear. If he wasnt, whats the significance of that scene?

Also of note, OBrian is apparently portraying an actual Indian Ocean campaign, superimposing Jack Aubreys persona on the exploits of a real captain(s). Thats quite interesting, but constraining. Perhaps the story line could have been more effective had it not been more constrained. Certainly OBrians result would be more laudatory if his result had been transcendent rather than simply workmanlike.

In sum: a very worthwhile and readable book. But an author with so much talent sets himself a bar that a five star rating is comparatively much harder to attain.

Awesome!! One of the more action packed novels of this series. Im a fan of the whole “life on a sail ship” subject so thats why I read this series. Most people like myself started reading these after seeing the film “Master & Commander”. Well we found out well into reading the first 200 pages of Master & Commander that action wasn’t right around the corner as well as it would be in the books to follow. However, this one is action packed as Captain Aubrey heads to the waters of Mauritius as he and a fleet combat a French fleet off the very coast. Its great, action packed and wonderfully captures the imagination!

I must admit, after reading the first 4 books, I am in love with this author and his characters. I cannot read them one after the other, but I intersperse them with other more modern tales of intrigue, spy vs spy, or other action thrillers. I was first introduced to book 2 Post Captain as it was required reading for my son’s AP English & Comp class. Having seen the Master and Commander movie years ago helped me put a face on the main characters, especially Aubrey. After reading No 2 I went back and began them in order. Aubrey is little more than a sailer and a leader of men, preferably in war, while Dr. Maturin is a complete study, almost the conscience of the fleet. His motives for helping the English are not quite plausible, Catalan independence and all, but he seems to hate Napolean B and what he has done to the French Revolution, more than he dislikes the British, so operates as an intelligence agent for Whitehall, while at the same time making sure the reader understands his complete hatred for slavery and capital punishment, but cannot seem to get that across to the thick head of Lucky Jack Aubrey. Even with Maturin’s feelings toward slavery, he nevertheless tried to purchase a young girl of 10 or so, who was his guide around Bombay, in order to protect her from a certain future of prostitution. These things were beyond his control though, and he eventually ended up paying for her funeral. You might think these books are simply naval war stories, but they are much more and draw the reader into surprising situations around virtually every corner.

Hes an exceptionally fine storyteller, and excels at both interior and exterior dialogue. His yarns are full of human characters youll (over the series) come to love and admire, warts and all. This series embodies the idea(l) that books are time machines.

But its all about the language for OBrian. Whether nautical, medical, zoological, or gastronomic, youll be referencing texts (or websites) to better understand the myriad archaic words and phrases his characters employ. Context allows a rough parsing, but a finite grasp requires a deeper dive.

The same advisory applies to the concepts of sail-powered naval combat OBrian gives the reader a rudimentary primer, but a fuller comprehension (& appreciation) can be had with a modicum of research. (The Internet is, after all, at your fingertips!) His books entertain but will also make you think, and work a little, too. If youll find this is an annoyance or imposition, then these arent the books for you only inquiring minds need apply.

Once I got past instilling the pronunciation of Mauritius, in my head, I enjoyed this fourth installment of the series very much. This book differs somewhat from his past experiences in that Aubrey has command of a small squadron, which he must weld into a fighting unit, despite their many differences in style and some difficult personal relationships, which compound his difficulties.

As always O’Brian writes from history, as much as possible, and this book is based on a little known action against the French in the India Ocean bringing both action and suspense to the story. As always a welcome addition in our ongoing love of all things navel as illustrated by Commodore Aubrey and Dr. Maturin.

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