Aubrey-Maturin Series: Master and Commander

For this entry, I am not going to talk about a book I have read. Instead, I want to share a book series I am interested in trying out: Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series.

The Aubrey-Maturin series is a historical fiction series set during the Napoleonic Wars which follows Captain Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin, the ship’s doctor, as they serve on various warships. The Aubrey-Maturin series took its inspiration from C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower books which also follows the titular character’s growth in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

The first book of the Aubrey-Maturin series, Master and Commander, was made into a film in 2003 starring Russell Crowe as Aubrey and Paul Bettany as Maturin. While the movie features a cat-and-mouse game between Aubrey’s ship and a French warship that fired upon them at the beginning of the story, the friendship between Aubrey and Maturin takes center stage. Aubrey is a typical British naval officer, duty bound and mission driven, while Maturin is more intellectual and introspective about the world around him.

Despite these opposite personalities, the characters gravitate toward each other. The relationship between the main characters and the ship as the primary setting reminded me of Star Trek, especially the original series, which also explored relationships among the three diverse characters – Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Leonard McCoy, and Lieutenant Commander Spock – as they serve on the Starship Enterprise.

I am looking forward to trying the Aubrey-Maturin series out. If the books are as good as the movie, I think I will be in for a treat.

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

Call Number: PR6029.B55 M37 1990b

ISBN: 0393325172

Publication Date: 2003-10-17

It is the dawn of the nineteenth century; Britain is at war with Napoleon's France. Jack Aubrey, a young lieutenant in Nelson's navy, is promoted to command of H.M.S. Sophie?, an old, slow brig unlikely to make his fortune. But Captain Aubrey is a brave and gifted seaman, his thirst for adventure and victory immense. With the aid of his friend Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and secret intelligence agent, Aubrey and his crew engage in one thrilling battle after another, their journey culminating in a stunning clash with a mighty Spanish frigate against whose guns and manpower the tinynbsp;?Sophie? is hopelessly outmatched.

 

Master and commander

Call Number: PN1997 Master C66 2014 DVD

ISBN: B0001HLVS2

Publication Date: 2014

During the Napoleonic Wars, a British frigate, the HMS Surprise, and the larger French warship, Acheron, stalk each other off of the coast of South America. Lucky Jack, as he is referred to by his crew, is well regarded by his men, who trust him implicitly, even after the first devastating battle and an apparent personal vendetta against the French captain. The ship’s surgeon balances the violence of his chosen life with the quiet demeanor of the scientist. He is the captain’s friend and confidant, the two frequently playing violin and cello duets together.