Showing posts with label Sea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sea. Show all posts

The Mauritius Command Summary

The Mauritius Command Summary

The Mauritius Command

Published: 1977

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 4 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Saga, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel


Check out the review of this book here:



Summary

Jack Aubrey and Sophia Williams are married and have twin daughters. They reside in Ashgrove Cottage on his half-pay, which is insufficient to support the household's other navy men. Sophia's mother has lost all of her money, including Sophia's share, and is now living with them. Cecelia, Sophia's little niece, lives with them as well.

Aubrey, as much as he adores Sophia, is eager to return to the sea. Stephen Maturin comes to call, and Aubrey's instructions are brought from the port Admiral soon after. He is assigned command of the HMS Boadicea, a 38-gun frigate.

He picks up orders and Mr. R T Farquhar, a political gentleman, in Plymouth. He's supposed to cruise to Cape Town, where a convoy of ships will gather. They encounter the French ship Hébé, which is escorting a seized merchant ship, not far from home. Both ships are captured by the Boadicea. Aubrey arranges for the rewards to be sent to Gibraltar.

The timely capture enables the ship to send messages home, get a French chef, and obtain the Hébé's English captives, all of whom are capable seamen. The extended cruise across the Atlantic allows Aubrey to train the crew of the Boadicea to his gunnery standards, as well as Maturin and Farquhar to formulate plans.

Aubrey meets Admiral Bertie upon his arrival, who confirms his title as Commodore and authorizes him to raise his broad pendant ('broad pennant' in certain versions). He is given official orders to disrupt French interests in the region, with the goal of capturing Mauritius and La Réunion in the end. Captain Corbett of Néréide, Lord Clonfert of the Otter, an Englishman with an Irish title, and Captain Pym of the Sirius are among the convoy's leaders.

With some of Aubrey's followers onboard, Corbett sailed from the West Indies post. After Aubrey switches men into Corbett's ship, Bonden, Killick, and others get aboard. Corbett is a good captain, but he's a flogger. Bertie informs Aubrey that Clonfert and Corbett are feuding.

Aubrey changes his pendant to the ancient 64-gun line ship HMS Raisonnable for the first 2,000 miles of the trip to the islands. The Caroline is captured; Corbett christens her HMS Bourbonnaise and sends her to Cape Town and England with messages. The remainder of the convoy makes its way back to Cape Town.

Aubrey returns aboard HMS Boadicea and sets sail after hearing that the French had captured several merchant ships. The convoy is trapped in a big cyclone and must return to Cape Town for repairs, where it receives its first letter in months. Due to the water damage to Sophia's letters, Aubrey is unable to comprehend her entire message.

After a landing by Army forces supported by sepoys under the British East India Company, all under the energetic and decisive Lieutenant Colonel Harry Keating, with ships of the convoy on both sides of the island, La Réunion capitulates nearly without loss. Maturin's propaganda and political gatherings help them along the way by explaining why the people should welcome the British with Farquhar as interim Governor. Mauritius proved to be more difficult.

Maturin is killed while boarding the HMS Néréide, which is part of the force dispatched to the Île de la Passe. He's badly hurt, so he keeps an eye on Clonfert while he recovers aboard. The action has been completed successfully. Maturin is assigned to Mauritius in order to continue his work. Captain Pym commands a small group of ships to land men on Mauritius to staff the fort.

Three French ships, Bellone, Minerve, and Victor, as well as two Indiamen, Ceylon and Windham, appear. They attack the fort and then sail into the harbor, catching the British off guard and deciding to attack. The battle lasts for days, with high fatalities, and two British ships eventually go aground.

Iphigenia and the fort at Île de la Passe are abandoned to be retaken by the French, while Sirius and Magicienne are burned to avoid their capture. Clonfert is gravely injured in the neck and head by a splinter, and Néréide is taken. Maturin is onboard a message ship that arrives at La Réunion to notify Aubrey of the losses and the unsuccessful attack on Port Southeast.

Boadicea sails through the night to inspect Île de la Passe for French control, and then pursues Manche and Vénus in a futile attempt to separate them. Aubrey feels his circumstances have altered after contacting Pullings, who has the guns of Windham onboard Emma. Captain Corbett then rejoins HMS Africaine at St Denis. Africaine battles with the Astrée and the French Iphigenie while chasing the French during the night.

The conflict goes horribly, and Corbett is slain in the middle of it after being wounded by his own downtrodden soldiers. When the Boadicea closes in on them, the French take the Africaine but dismast it; Astrée refuses to engage. The fleet arrives in La Réunion, joined by the Otter and Staunch, where the Commodore prioritizes the refurbishment of the Africaine.

Maturin and Bonden come from Mauritius with news that the HMS Bombay is near, engaged in combat with the French Vénus and Victor. The Boadicea has engaged the French ships. With the assistance of volunteers from the refitting HMS Africaine, Aubrey boards and takes Bombay and Vénus. During the combat, French Commodore Hamelin is killed. Once the surviving French ships have departed, Aubrey devises a strategy to end the battle, and his ships are ready to fight again when they return to Mauritius. Keating is also ready.

With numerous other British sails in view, the Emma approaches the Boadicea. Tom Pullings arrives with the Gazette, which announces Sophia's pregnancy. Aubrey is overjoyed by the news. He then reads Admiral Bertie's letter, in which he is instructed to accompany the fleet at Rodriguez, where he would be aboard the HMS Illustrious alongside General Abercrombie's forces. Based on Aubrey and Keating's initial strategy, the final assault is practically bloodless. After being offered honorable conditions, the French submit.

Clonfert has committed himself at the military hospital at Port Louis since the conflict, unable to face Jack Aubrey, whom he deems a competition. At Government House, a formal meal is held. Maturin, through Mr. Peters, spreads rumors about Aubrey's father gaining influence in London, which Bertie believes. The Admiral assigns Aubrey the task of transporting the dispatches of this victory to England aboard the Boadicea.


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Aubrey And Maturin, Billy Boyd, British Navy, Character Development, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Indian Ocean, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Paul Bettany, Peter Weir, Post Captain, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Stephen Maturin, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 95/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


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H.M.S. Surprise Summary

H.M.S. Surprise Summary

H.M.S. Surprise

Published: 1973

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 3 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel


Check out the review of this book here:



Summary

A convoy led by Aubrey seizes the ships carrying the gold that Spain requires in order to consent to enter the war on France's side. The new First Lord of the Admiralty thinks the large sum is adroit of the Crown and hence not split out with the captives, despite the fact that Spain had not yet entered the war. Smaller sums will be handed to the captains, contrary to the successful convoy's expectations. During the hearings, the First Lord makes a mistake and mentions the identity of intelligence operative Stephen Maturin, placing Maturin in danger.

Maturin is sent to Spain on a mission and will be met in Port Mahon by Aubrey, who is now on blockade duty near Toulon aboard HMS Lively. Aubrey hears from a Catalan rebel at the rendezvous place that his companion has been kidnapped and tortured by French intelligence in Port Mahon, the island having been handed to Spain in the Amiens Peace. Except for Captain Dutourd, Aubrey organizes a rescue expedition, rescuing a devastated Maturin and killing all of the French interrogators.

Aubrey is abducted by bailiffs and imprisoned in a sponging house, a debtors' jail, in England. Sir Joseph is informed of Maturin's capture and Aubrey's dilemma. Aubrey's wedding to Sophia Williams has been postponed because her mother demands that he be debt-free. Aubrey is released when Maturin receives an advance on his donation of money. Sophia meets Aubrey in the middle of the night in a carriage before he assumes charge of his new ship, the HMS Surprise, and they vow to marry no one else.

Aubrey and Maturin board the Surprise on their way to the Sultan of Kampong in the Malay Peninsula to deliver an envoy. Aubrey plans to track down the French squadron led by Admiral Linois, who previously kidnapped him. The crew shows indications of scurvy after being stuck in the doldrums north of the equator. Maturin makes a brief break atop St Paul's Rock on a scorching Sunday. Two major storms hit; the officer who rowed him out drowns, and Surprise is wrecked and forced away. Maturin maintains that the scorching sun has restored his health after the torture and that he survives on bird-fouling water and booby blood. They make a pit break near the Brazilian coast for new food and supplies, as well as to see a sloth; this is Maturin's first trip to the New World. They registered for mail at Rio.

Surprise has been refitted and repainted and now sails around the Cape of Good Hope, which is held by the Dutch, who are Napoleon's allies. They get caught in a violent storm in the seas of the Antarctic Ocean. The ambassador develops a serious illness. They arrived at Bombay, India, to refuel and rest the ambassador after the storms. Maturin encounters a streetwise local girl named Dil, who excitedly takes him on a tour of the city. When Maturin and Dil are watching a parade, they notice Diana Villiers, who has arrived in Bombay ahead of her companion, Richard Canning. They agree to go on a date and spend several days together, after which Maturin proposes to her. She does not respond right away but pledges to do so when Surprise arrives in Calcutta. Maturin discovers Dil dead and robbed of the silver bracelets he had given her, and he arranges for her cremation on the beach.

The ambassador dies on the way to the Sunda Strait, so the Surprise sets sail for the United Kingdom. They meet the China Fleet of the East India Company and return to England unaccompanied. The Surprise sees Linois' squadron in the Indian Ocean a day after departing the China Fleet. Surprise confronts the corvette Berceau, destroying her rigging, before speeding back to the China Fleet to alert them and organize a defense. Aubrey outfits the China Fleet's greatest ships as men-of-war and sends some of his commanders to battle alongside them. The Surprise and the huge Indiamen are being pursued by the French squadron. The Surprise attacks the Marengo, the greatest French cruiser; she is outgunned and in danger when one of the Indiamen engages the French ship from the opposite side, causing the Marengo to retreat. The French squadron is forced to quit the chase due to damage and must refit.

Aubrey is greeted enthusiastically ashore in Calcutta by merchants, including Canning, who are eager to refit the Surprise. They enable him to take gems as freight as a personal incentive, which will win him a substantial award when he arrives in England. During the repair, Canning discovers Maturin with Villiers. Canning smacks Maturin in a jealous rage and Maturin dares him to a battle. Canning attempts to assassinate Maturin but inadvertently injures him. Maturin murders Canning instead of wounding him. Rather than tending to Villiers while he heals on board the Surprise, Maturin persuades him to sail to England on a commercial ship that would leave immediately. Maturin stoically works on himself with the aid of Aubrey and M'Allister, extracting the bullet lodged near his heart. Aubrey looks after his friend through a particularly bad bout of fever, during which the secretive man spills all of his secrets.

Aubrey writes Sophia a message, asking her to meet him in Madeira so he may pay off his obligations. Villiers has returned the ring he gave her, and she has departed with Mr. Johnstone from America, who visited her in Calcutta, Maturin learns in port. Sophia isn't present. Aubrey overtakes the frigate HMS Ethalion, commanded by Heneage Dundas, within a day's sailing and discovers Sophia on board. When they return to England, she swears to marry him.


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Aubrey And Maturin, Billy Boyd, British Navy, Character Development, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Master And Commander, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Paul Bettany, Peter Weir, Post Captain, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Stephen Maturin, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 95/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


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Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
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Post Captain Summary

Post Captain

Published: 1972

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 2 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Sea, Suspense, Thriller


Check out the review of this book here:



Summary

With the Amiens Peace, Jack Aubrey returns to England and leases a house with Stephen Maturin, with shipmates running the household while he spends time hunting. He is introduced to the Williams family. Sophia Williams, the eldest of three daughters, is courted by Aubrey, while Diana Villiers, Sophia's cousin, is pursued by Maturin. Aubrey wants to marry Sophia, but they aren't ready to commit yet. His riches vanish when his prize agent departs with his money, and the prize court discovers that two commercial ships he took were owned by neutral countries.

The court orders him to refund the worth of the ships (rather than the prize money he expected), which is a figure he cannot afford. On hearing this, Mrs. Williams whisks her girls away to Bath. Aubrey dallys with Diana, putting his friendship with Maturin to the test and demonstrating his indecisiveness on land, in contrast to his resolute methods at sea. To escape Aubrey being kidnapped for debt, Aubrey and Maturin depart England.

They find that war is impending when visiting Christy Pallière, the French captain who had seized Aubrey's first command of Sophie before the ceasefire. All English subjects are being rounded up by the French authorities. Maturin dressed as an itinerant bear trainer and Aubrey as Flora, the bear, Aubrey, and Maturin flee over the Pyrenees to Maturin's farm. They go to Gibraltar, where Aubrey and Maturin join a ship owned by the British East India Company. The ship is taken by the privateer Bellone, but Aubrey, Maturin, and the other passengers are rescued by a British squadron.

Mr. Canning, a wealthy Jewish businessman in England, offers Aubrey a letter of marque. Mrs. Williams and Cecilia are among the guests at the same party at Queeney's. Sophia stayed at home with Frances, unaware that he would be there. Mrs. Williams hears about Maturin's Spanish castle and his medical expertise, elevating his importance in her eyes. As Aubrey walks outside, an inept thief approaches him; Mr. Scriven reveals himself to be a beneficial ally, understanding the law of debt and where Aubrey may be secure from bailiffs. He and Maturin make their way to The Grapes, secure in the Savoy's Liberty.

Aubrey declines Canning's offer to command HMS Polychrest. Polychrest is a strange spacecraft that was designed as an experimental weapon but has since been abandoned. Tom Pullings should be promoted to lieutenant, he requests. Polychrest is structurally weak and sails poorly, and Parker, the first lieutenant, is unpunished. Admiral Harte, who stands to profit financially from any prizes acquired, gives Aubrey a free hand. Aubrey does not win any prizes, much to Harte's dismay. The merchants thank him after he drives the French privateer Bellone aground outside a Spanish port. Aubrey is sent to escort convoys across the English Channel by Harte. Aubrey has a reputation for loitering in port while having an affair with Diana. Maturin is dispatched to Spain on an intelligence collecting operation. Aubrey's buddy Heneage Dundas advises Maturin to warn Aubrey about his reputation with the Admiralty when he returns.

Aubrey becomes enraged when Maturin does so, and the two resolve to fight in a duel. Aubrey contacts Diana, but she is found with Canning, putting a stop to Aubrey's interest in Diana. Aubrey is given orders to attack the French port of Chaulieu in order to sink French troopships and gunboats as well as the Fanciulla. Because of Parker's severe treatment, the crew is planning a rebellion. Maturin hears their scheme and alerts Aubrey. Aubrey puts the instigators and a few loyal crew members in a ship's boat then launches the attack. He regrets his acrimonious comments to Maturin. Polychrest runs aground during the combat in Chaulieu. Three of the ship's boats are led by Aubrey to board and capture Fanciulla. Polychrest, which founders soon after leaving Chaulieu, is refloated by the successful mariners, and the crew is transferred to Fanciulla. Aubrey and Maturin rekindle their relationship after the war.

In Fanciulla, Aubrey returns to England and is appointed to Post-captain. With his debt still looming over him, he requests any instruction. HMS Lively's Captain Hamond has taken leave to sit in Parliament, and he has been designated as the ship's interim captain. When Maturin returns from Spain, he informs Sir Joseph Blaine, the chief of naval intelligence, that the Spanish would declare war as soon as four ships carrying bullion from Montevideo arrive safely in Cadiz. Sophia begs Aubrey to carry her and her sister to the Downs at Maturin's request. Aubrey and Sophia vow not to marry anyone else while onboard; Aubrey is too penniless to provide a marriage settlement acceptable to Mrs. Williams. Maturin is a good friend of Sophia's, yet he refuses to follow her advice and propose to Diana. While at the opera, he notices Diana being held captive by Canning; his anguish is palpable.

Maturin does not get compensation for his intelligence work, but he does request that Lively be included in the squadron dispatched to intercept the Spanish. The Admiralty accepts, and Maturin is tasked with negotiating the surrender of the treasure fleet. Maturin has been involved in espionage operations for Britain, according to Aubrey, because of his temporary position and relationship with the Admiralty. Aubrey recognizes that his friend has a side that he is unaware of. The Spanish convoy refuses to surrender, resulting in a fight. The Mercedes explodes, and the other three Spanish frigates (Fama, Clara, and Medea) surrender. Clara, bearing the prize, salutes Lively with her colors, much to the delight of the captain. Then he goes after Fama. He invites two of the Spanish captains, as well as Dr. Maturin, to supper, and they toast Sophia.


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Aubrey And Maturin, Billy Boyd, British Navy, Character Development, Drama, Early 19th Century, High Seas, Historical Fiction, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Master And Commander, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Paul Bettany, Peter Weir, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Stephen Maturin, Years Ago


Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 95/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
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Master and Commander Summary

Master and Commander Summary

Master and Commander

Published: 1969

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 1 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Medical, Military, Sea, Suspense, Thriller


Check out the review of this book here:



Summary

In April of 1800, the book begins. Jack Aubrey, a shipless lieutenant wasting away in the Royal Navy port of Mahon in Minorca, meets Stephen Maturin, an impoverished Irish-Catalan physician, and natural philosopher, at a play at the Governor's Mansion.

During the performance, Maturin elbows Aubrey, who is "half a beat ahead" on the measure. The guys, who are both at personal low points, handle the situation as a question of honor, exchanging names and preparing for a duel.

Aubrey learns later that evening that he has been promoted to commander and has been assigned command of the 14-gun HM Sloop Sophie. When Aubrey runs into Maturin on the street the next day, his excitement overpowers his hatred, and he asks Maturin to dinner.

Aubrey plays the violin, and Maturin plays the cello, and the two men discover a common love of music. Aubrey invites Maturin to join his ship after learning of his occupation. Maturin agrees, despite the fact that his competence as a physician extends much beyond that of a navy surgeon.

Sophie is dispatched to the Mediterranean to escort a small convoy of cargo ships. With the help of his new first lieutenant, James Dillon, a wealthy and aristocratic Irishman, Aubrey uses the chance to get to know his men and mold them into a fighting unit.

Dillon and Maturin had met as members of the United Irishmen, a club committed to Irish home rule and Catholic emancipation (a fact they kept to themselves). When Dillon is assigned to intercept an American ship suspected of harboring Irish rebels, he has a moral problem and seeks to assist them to evade arrest.

Maturin, who has never been aboard a man-of-war, has trouble understanding nautical etiquette, so O'Brian has the crew explain naval vocabulary and the official process of awarding prize money for captured enemy vessels to him (and the reader). Maturin is regarded like a landsman by the crew, but without offense. He enjoys the opportunity to study uncommon birds and fish as a natural philosopher.

After completing his convoy responsibilities, Admiral Keith allows Aubrey to cruise the Mediterranean on his own, in search of hostile French merchants, which he finds. Sophie confronts and defeats the Cacafuego, a Spanish 32-gun xebec-frigate, despite losing a number of crew members, including Dillon, in the terrible battle.

A triumph against such odds would typically earn Aubrey formal acclaim, promotion, and a large sum of money, but his superior at Mahon is Captain Harte, with whose wife Aubrey has been having an affair. Harte makes sure Aubrey doesn't get any of those things, but he can't stop Aubrey from earning a reputation as one of the Royal Navy's outstanding young combat captains.

Sophie is seized while on escort duty by a fleet of four big French warships. Captain Christy Pallière, a Frenchman, is kind, telling Aubrey about his relations in Bath and feeding him well. After being paroled by the French, Aubrey and his men miss the Algeciras Campaign but are able to view the combat from Gibraltar. Aubrey is acquitted in a court-martial for the loss of his ship.


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Aubrey And Maturin, Billy Boyd, British Navy, Character Development, Drama, Early 19th Century, High Seas, Historical Fiction, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Master And Commander, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Patrick O’Brian, PatrickObrian, Paul Bettany, Peter Weir, Post Captain, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Stephen Maturin, Years Ago



Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 95/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:

Free With Free Audible Trial:

The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):

Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
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