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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 823.914 EAN: 9780393307054 ISBN: 0393307050 Label: W. W. Norton & Company Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 411 Publication Date: 1990-11 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Studio: W. W. Norton & Company Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamber-music recital. Fortunately for millions of readers, the two quickly make up. Then they commence one of the great literary voyages of our century, set against an immaculately-detailed backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This is the place to start--and in all likelihood, you won't be able to stop. Product Description: Tie-in edition to the major film coming next Spring from Fox. Starring Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey and Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) as Stephen Maturin. Directed by Peter Weir. Master and Commander is the first of Patrick O'Brian's now famous Aubrey/Maturin novels, regarded by many as the greatest series of historical novels ever written. It establishes the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey RN and Stephen Maturin, who becomes his secretive ship's surgeon and an intelligence agent. It contains all the action and excitement which could possibly be hoped for in a historical novel, but it also displays the qualities which have put O'Brian far ahead of any of his competitors: his depiction of the detail of life aboard a Nelsonic man-of-war, of weapons, food, conversation and ambience, of the landscape and of the sea. O'Brian's portrayal of each of these is faultless and the sense of period throughout is acute. His power of characterisation is above all masterly. This brilliant historical novel marked the debut of a writer who grew into one of our greatest novelists ever. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - The entry-level Aubrey-Maturin book (it has little to do with the film)It is curious that this novel should come with a "movie tie-in" cover, since the plots of the book and the film have virtually nothing to do with each other! On the other hand, the movie and this book are perfectly complimentary - Patrick O'Brien's world of the British Navy in the Napoleonic era is amply described in this book, and I'm sure the makers of the movie were amply inspired to provide an equally realistic depiction on screen. Another curiousity of this entry into O'Brien's ... Read More Rating:  - Experiencing the Sea, History, Culture and the World on dry landPatrick O'Brian is one of my favorite authors. I am in a seagoing service and was serving aboard my third ship when my Captain, who knew I was an avid reader, handed me a copy of Master and Commander to read. I was hooked. I saved a little of my liberty money to buy each successive book in the series every time we pulled into port and I made it to a book store. These books are amazing and have a place of honor on my book shelf. Master and Commander is book one of Patrick O'Brian's ... Read More Rating: - Exciting sea adventuresI was expecting an exciting adventure on the high seas. This book delivers that, as well as well-drawn, nuanced characters, sly wit, and tremendously detailed and thoroughly researched descriptions of life at sea in the Napoleonic Wars. Rarely do I return to a book once I've read it, but I've revisited these novels again and again, and they never fail to entertain me. Rating: - Captain Jack Aubrey is a warts-and-all heroSurprisingly adult sea story--at least based on my expectation that it was going to be geared to young boys--that is the first of a long series and was the basis for a major Hollywood production in 2003. Captain Jack Aubrey is a warts-and-all hero who is heroic not in spite of but because of his quirks. Ship's Surgeon Stephen Maturin is his land-hugging friend and confidante who goes to sea to eat (he's unemployed and broke) and proves a fun foil for Aubrey and crew with his incredible naivete about ... Read More Rating: - Master and CommanderPatrick O'Brian's series of seafaring novels is simply the best body of fictional work of the late 20th Century. Great clattering naval battles alternate with reflective passages. The humor which runs throughout the series is infectious. Highly recommended. |
