The Mauritius Command (Aubrey/Maturin ) by Patrick O'Brian by Patrick O'BrianMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow!
‘Mauritius Command’ is not so much a novel about Jack Aubrey’s personal life as it is about his drive to be a successful commander of the squadron of vessels to defeat the French enemy. Once again it is set against the background of the Napoleonic Wars and proves to be just as exciting as the previous novels. He does express how much he misses his wife, Sophie, and their children from time to time. Indeed Jack also reveals to Doctor Maturin how difficult it is to bring up a family when compared to the much easier task of commanding a ship full of sailors and soldiers! However, there are times when Aubrey’s attempts at using the necessary tact and diplomacy to deal with fellow and senior officers frustrate and annoy him caused me to smile. His inner admission as to how alien it feels to him evoked some sympathy from this reader.
Stephen Maturin’s additional role as a secret military agent is also written about much more in this book, and provides an interesting side issue from time to time. A lot of this novel includes Stephen Maturin’s thoughts and his writing in a diary and in journals. It allows him to reflect on his disapproval and criticism of the military and naval system, and which pervaded the British imperial approach throughout that century. This contrasted dramatically with the views of his close friend and ‘brother’ – Jack Aubrey. It made very interesting reading. However, the author does not allow you to forget who and what the world in general was fighting against, and in particular the British Navy.
Some of the battle scenes are very exciting, while the occasional touches of romance and family love are delightful. I enjoyed this book tremendously and cannot wait to start on the next book in Patrick O’Brian’s series!
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