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'''Master and Commander''' is a historical naval novel by Patrick O'Brian. First published in 1970 it is first in the Aubrey-Maturin series of stories of Captain Jack Aubrey and the naval surgeon Stephen Maturin.

Contents

Plot summary

Characters in "Master and Commander"

Ships in "Master and Commander"

British

Spanish

Major themes

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

Literary significance & criticism

Reviews

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Release details

Sources, references, external links, quotations

Footnotes

Plot summary

It is April 18, 1800, in Port Mahon, Minorca, at that time a base of the Royal Navy. Jack Aubrey, a lieutenant languishing in port without a ship, and Stephen Maturin, a penniless half-Irish, half-Catalan physician and natural philosopher, meet for the first time at the Governor's Ball. Maturin nudges Aubrey while they are listening to the quartet and almost provokes a challenge to a duel.
On his return to his lodgings, Aubrey finds that he has been given a command and promoted to the rank of commander. His joy overcomes his animosity towards Maturin and after coffee at 'Joselito's Coffee House' they become fast friends. As 'Master and Commander', and in charge of the tiny sloop-of-war HMS ''Sophie'', Aubrey has to fill out his crew, including the post of ship's surgeon. He persuades Maturin to serve, at least on a temporary basis, although as a physician, he is overqualified for the job.
Also introduced are Master's Mates Thomas Pullings and William Mowett and midshipman William Babbington, who become long-term fixtures in the series, and James Dillon, ''Sophie's'' first lieutenant, whose secret background as a member of the United Irishmen intersects Stephen's own.
Aubrey improves ''Sophie's sailing qualities by adding a larger spar to her mainmast, enabling him to spread a larger mainsail. He makes her ready to sail in convoy with twelve merchant vessels. During their journey east, the new captain takes the opportunity to get to know his sailors and to weld them into a fighting unit. As he does, he and the crew explain many naval matters to Maturin, (and thus to the reader) since the doctor is a novice sailor.
''En route'', they meet an Algerian quarter-galley who attacks their rearmost vessel, the Norwegian ''Dorthe Engelbrechtsdatter''. The ''Sophie'' chases her off. Eventually, having retrieved the Norwegian ship, the convoy makes its destination off Cagliari. After a second convoy duty to Leghorn, Aubrey reports to Lord Keith in the Genoa roads.

Characters in "Master and Commander"

''See also Recurring characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series''

★ Jack Aubrey – Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and appointed Commander at the start. Captain of HMS ''Sophie''.

★ Stephen Maturin – ship's surgeon, friend to Jack and intelligence officer.

★ Harte – Captain and station Commandant

★ Molly Harte – Wife to the station Commandant

★ Lord Keith (Thos Walker) – Admiral in the Mediterranean

★ Samuel Allen – erstwhile Captain in ''Sophie'', succeeded by Aubrey

★ Mr. Baldick – Lieutenant in ''Sophie'', ill and replaced

★ Mr. Williams – administrator in Mahon for Aubrey's prize-agent

★ David Richards – Mr. Williams relative who ships as Midshipman in ''Sophie''

★ William Marshall – master in ''Sophie''

★ Tom Pullings – master's mate in ''Sophie''

★ William Mowett – master's mate in ''Sophie''

★ Isaac Wilson – ordinary seaman in ''Sophie''

★ Watt – bosun in ''Sophie''

★ Lamb – carpenter

★ Ricketts – purser

★ George Day – the gunner

★ Charles Stephen Ricketts – son to the purser, rated midshipman

★ William Babbington – midshipman in ''Sophie''

★ James Dillon – first lieutenant in ''Sophie''

★ Alfred King – Black crew member, also a mute

★ Quinn – sergeant of marines

Ships in "Master and Commander"

British

★ HMS ''Audacious'' - Ship of the line and flagship

★ HMS ''Niobe'' - frigate

★ HMS ''Pallas'' - frigate

★ HMS ''Sophie'' - sloop

★ ''Burford'' -

★ ''Généreux'' -

★ ''Tartarus'' - bomb-ketch

Spanish

★ ''Cacafuego'' - xebec-type frigate (though named after a ship from the 16th century)

Major themes

Many incidents and events in the book are directly copied from the real cruises of Lord Cochrane in his sloop HMS ''Speedy''. Cochrane described them in detail in his ''Autobiography of a Seaman''.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

The capture of the Spanish xebec-frigate ''Cacafuego'' by the greatly inferior ''Sophie'' brings Aubrey and his crew great glory (although no great wealth). This episode is based on the capture of the Spanish frigate ''El Gamo'' by Thomas Cochrane commanding the sloop HMS ''Speedy''.^[1]
The exploit of setting up a decoy of a large ship at night by attaching lights to a small boat was executed by Cochrane and described in his ''Autobiography of a Seaman'', which was used by O'Brian as source material for this novel. It was also used by the French privateer Robert Surcouf to successfully escape the British frigate HMS ''Sybille''.
The book ends with Aubrey and Maturin witnessing the Battle of Algeciras, firstly from the deck of the French Desiax, then from the Rock of Gibraltar.

Literary significance & criticism

"Nothing is glamourised. The press gangings, the squalor are all here....The battle scenes are tremendous...This is not secondhand Forester, but a really fine piece of writing."—Sunday Mirror.^[2]

Reviews

★ Master and Commander, Martin Levin, , , New York Times Book Review, 1969

★ Master and Commander, ?, , , Kirkus Review, 1969

★ Master and Commander, David C. Taylor, , , Literary Journal, 1969

★ Master and Commander, ?, , , Sunday Mirror, 1970

★ Master and Commander, Benedict Nightingale, , , Observer, 1970

★ Master and Commander, Tom Pocock, , , Evening Standard, 1970

★ Master and Commander, H.J. Poole, , , Irish Press, 1970

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The film takes part of its title from this novel and some themes along with several puns, but very little of its plot. In fact, no one book provides the total plot line for the movie. A significant portion comes from The Far Side of the World, with somewhat less from H.M.S. Surprise and other books.

Release details

★ 1970, UK, Collins Publishers (ISBN ?), Pub Date ? ? 1970, Hardback

★ 1970, USA, Books on Tape (ISBN 5-557-10141-1), Pub date ? January 1970, Audio cassette (unabridged) not sure if the date can be correct

★ 1972, UK, Fontana (ISBN 0-00-612913-7), Pub Date 1 May 1972, Paperback

★ 1989, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-616626-1), Pub date 9 February 1989, Paperback

★ 1990, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-30705-0), Pub date ? November 1990, Paperback

★ 1992, UK, ISIS Audio Books (ISBN 1-85089-877-4), Pub date ? October 1992, Audio cassette (unabridged)

★ 1994, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-03701-0), Pub date ? November 1994, Paperback

★ 1995, UK, Bespoke Audio (ISBN 1-86051-003-5), Pub date ? June 1995, Audio cassette (abridged Robert Hardy Narrator)

★ 1996, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-649915-5), Pub date 7 October 1996, Paperback

★ 1998, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-221526-8), Pub date 27 January 1998, Hardback

★ 1999, USA, Thorndike Press (ISBN 0-7862-1932-7), Pub date ? November 1999, Large print paperback

★ 1999, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & Co (ISBN 0-7540-1334-0), Pub date 1 November 1999, Board book ?

★ 2000, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & Co (ISBN 0-7540-2248-X), Pub date 1 August 2000, Large print paperback

★ 2002, UK, Soundings (ISBN 1-84283-310-3), Pub date ? June 2002, Audio Cassette (abridged Christopher Kay Narrator)

★ 2003, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-32517-2), Pub date ? October 2003, Paperback (Movie Tie-In)

★ 2003, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-716608-7), Pub date 6 October 2003, Hardback (Movie Tie-In)

★ 2003, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-715786-X), Pub date 6 October 2003, Paperback (Movie Tie-In)

★ 2003, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-105329-9), Pub date 6 October 2003, Audio Cassette (abridged Robert Hardy Narrator)

★ 2003, UK, Harper Collins (ISBN 0-00-716085-2), Pub date 6 October 2003, Audio CD (abridged Robert Hardy Narrator)

★ 2004, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 0-393-32476-1), Pub date 21 January 2004, Paperback (Movie Tie-In)

★ 2004, UK, Blackstone Audiobooks (ISBN 0-7861-8713-1), Pub date ? January 2004, MP3 CD (abridged Robert Whitfield (Narrator)

★ 2005, UK, Soundings (ISBN 1-84283-260-3), Pub date ? January 2005, Audio Cassette (abridged Christopher Kay? Narrator)

★ ?, USA, Firebird Distributing (ISBN 0-00-105329-9), Pub date ? ? ?, Paperback ?

★ ?, USA, Recorded Books, LLC (ISBN 1-4025-8272-2), Pub date ? ? ?, Audio cassette (unabridged by

Sources, references, external links, quotations

★ Patrick O'Brian's Navy: The Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey's World, Richard O'Neill, , , Running Press, 2003, ISBN 0-7624-1540-1

★ A Sea of Words: Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales, Dean King, , , Henry Holt, 2001, ISBN 0-8050-6615-2

★ Harbors and High Seas: Map Book and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian, Dean King, , , Henry Holt, 2001, ISBN 0-8050-6614-4

★ Jack Aubrey Commands: An Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O'Brian, Brian Lavery, , , Conway Maritime, 2003, ISBN 0-85177-946-8

★ Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which Is a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels, Anne Chotzinoff Grossman, Lisa Grossman Thomas, , , W W Norton & Co Ltd, 2000, ISBN 0-393-32094-4

★ The World of Jack Aubrey: Twelve-Pounders, Frigates, Cutlasses, and Insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy, David Miller, , , Running Press Book Publishers, 2003, ISBN 0-7624-1652-1

★ Patrick O'Brian: A Bibliography and Critical Appreciation, A.E. Cunningham (Editor), , , British Library Publishing Division, 1994, ISBN 0-7123-1071-1

Footnotes

1. Thomas Cochrane's original capture of "El Gamo"
2. Sunday Mirror review - quoted in "Cunningham"