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booktimewithelvis's review
5.0
5 stars of course!! Wow this series just gets better and better. For over a decade my dad has been saying how wonderful it is and he is not wrong just a shame I took so long to give it a try but I'm oh so glad I've started now. Roll on book 5!
bogxcross's review
4.0
My favorite thing about this series is the interaction between Aubrey and Maturin, since they were often split up it took more discipline to finish. Otherwise a victorious episode with some tragedy.
rpmiller's review
4.0
As the story begins, I became a little wary of interest, almost in boredom. But, the with the temporary title of commodore Aubrey, Jack begins to shape the ensuing battle. Gradually the odds against the French shift in Aubrey's favor, both on land, with colonel Keating partnering with his meager land forces, and at sea, with the trading of prize ships between the two forces and the return of marauding French frigates along with captured Indiamen. When finally Aubrey has trapped the French in harbor being repaired and Jack increasing his remaining fleet of one with prizes, comes news, orders and reinforcements, whose commanders will supersede him, Aubrey is most concerned with Sophie's birth to a son, rather than the slight of losing prize or recognition for his efforts due to last minute and unnecessary forces. A humorous mistake by a general in his speech at the after victory dinner, as he skipped a page and noted his success was due to a young lady in Madras! In the end, Aubrey is ordered back home to deliver the news of victory, be the center of attention as messenger of his own deserved success and be celebrated as admiral lucky Jack Aubrey. An excellent story after all.
helen's review
2.5
My least favourite of the series so far. A bit too downbeat as Jack struggles with leading other captains, and those captains make fatal mistakes.
I found the action hard to follow and didn't bother trying after a while. However, the character work was as compelling as usual.
I found the action hard to follow and didn't bother trying after a while. However, the character work was as compelling as usual.
hteph's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
adrianasturalvarez's review
5.0
Like a favorite show of television, which just keeps getting better season after season, Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels are something I look forward to reading every year. Fortunately, there are 20 books in the series, which means I can read and re-read them forever, which I intend to do. That is how great this series is.
The Mauritius Command shifts a little from the first 3 books. This one spends far less time focusing on the love relationships of the two major protagonists and centers on the action of one difficult mission but the difficulty comes, of course, in Aubrey's challenges as a temporary commander of captains with challenging personalities. Much of the book's insight into character is described through Maturin's observations and one of the best aspects of O'Brian's writing is his ability to balance significant insight into a character with suspense and action on a larger (foreign for me) stage.
Oh, and he is FUNNY. I don't know if these novels get enough credit for how hilarious they are. O'Brian has a dry wit and the ability to make observations about little paroxysms of social behavior made ridiculous by wider perspective that are just priceless.
Anyway, an easy 5 stars. I can't wait until the next one and I urge you to start these books if you haven't already.
The Mauritius Command shifts a little from the first 3 books. This one spends far less time focusing on the love relationships of the two major protagonists and centers on the action of one difficult mission but the difficulty comes, of course, in Aubrey's challenges as a temporary commander of captains with challenging personalities. Much of the book's insight into character is described through Maturin's observations and one of the best aspects of O'Brian's writing is his ability to balance significant insight into a character with suspense and action on a larger (foreign for me) stage.
Oh, and he is FUNNY. I don't know if these novels get enough credit for how hilarious they are. O'Brian has a dry wit and the ability to make observations about little paroxysms of social behavior made ridiculous by wider perspective that are just priceless.
Anyway, an easy 5 stars. I can't wait until the next one and I urge you to start these books if you haven't already.
gbjt's review against another edition
4.0
Another great story in this series. This one is probably my favorite thus far. I particularly like the fact that this story is closely tied to actual historical events.
datrnq's review
5.0
In my second (or fourth?) time through this series, I find myself appreciating Dr Maturin more and more as a character. And this book, while full of the same excellent treatment of naval combat as the first three volumes of the series, is really an exceptional exploration of the main characters. This time through I find myself truly appreciative of the third-person view of Captain Aubrey, through the eyes and expressions of Lord Clonfert. Clonfert, a dismissible and pitiable character by himself, becomes an interesting lens through which we view Aubrey. Maturin’s interactions with MacAdam also serve (in retrospect) as grim foreshadowing of his own (Maturin’s) descent later in the series. I liked the book the first time through. Loved it this time.
edgeworth's review
3.0
[b:H.M.S. Surprise|77427|H.M.S. Surprise (Aubrey/Maturin, #3)|Patrick O'Brian|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1453820127s/77427.jpg|1200332] was the third book in the Aubrey-Maturin series and the first one that I felt really gave a hint as to why the series is so well-regarded. It was a solid novel, beautiful in many ways, greater than the sum of its parts; a novel which went beyond the naval adventure genre and could really be considered literature.
The Mauritius Command, then, is a bit of a step back. Jack Aubrey is now living in a cottage in Hampshire, happily married and the father of twin girls, but itching for service again. He is soon lucky enough to be given the temporary posting of Commodore, sent to Cape Town and given a small squadron of ships to command and orders to capture Reunion and Mauritius from the French. This is based on a real naval campaign, and from what I understand most of the action follows history quite closely: individual battles, landings, scuttlings, wrecks, etc.
You’ll forgive me if I say that I can imagine O’Brian having great fun with a detailed map, pushing little labelled ships around, like Reverend Lovejoy playing with his trains. As always, I concede that I have no right to complain about this, but these protracted naval battles are the thing I find least interesting about the Aubrey-Maturin series, and The Mauritius Command is the least interesting instalment since [b:Master and Commander|77430|Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin, #1)|Patrick O'Brian|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1467992540s/77430.jpg|722040]. It has its moments: Stephen’s zoological expeditions on the islands, discussions amongst the two protagonists about capital punishment, a particularly gruesome end to an unlikeable but ultimately sympathetic captain. But The Mauritus Command is mostly tacking and yawing and breeching and squadrons, etc ad infinitum. I didn’t dislike it, but I was ready for it to be over by the last fifty pages or so.
The Mauritius Command, then, is a bit of a step back. Jack Aubrey is now living in a cottage in Hampshire, happily married and the father of twin girls, but itching for service again. He is soon lucky enough to be given the temporary posting of Commodore, sent to Cape Town and given a small squadron of ships to command and orders to capture Reunion and Mauritius from the French. This is based on a real naval campaign, and from what I understand most of the action follows history quite closely: individual battles, landings, scuttlings, wrecks, etc.
You’ll forgive me if I say that I can imagine O’Brian having great fun with a detailed map, pushing little labelled ships around, like Reverend Lovejoy playing with his trains. As always, I concede that I have no right to complain about this, but these protracted naval battles are the thing I find least interesting about the Aubrey-Maturin series, and The Mauritius Command is the least interesting instalment since [b:Master and Commander|77430|Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin, #1)|Patrick O'Brian|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1467992540s/77430.jpg|722040]. It has its moments: Stephen’s zoological expeditions on the islands, discussions amongst the two protagonists about capital punishment, a particularly gruesome end to an unlikeable but ultimately sympathetic captain. But The Mauritus Command is mostly tacking and yawing and breeching and squadrons, etc ad infinitum. I didn’t dislike it, but I was ready for it to be over by the last fifty pages or so.