Scan barcode
A review by heritage
The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian
4.0
Captain Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy is promoted to Commodore and, along with secret agent Dr. Maturin and a couple other captains, is tasked with capturing two French islands in the Indian Ocean.
Book 4 in the series starts off slowly with Aubrey languishing with domestic life in his English cottage before he gets his commission to head to South Africa. Then we compare that to the enthusiasm and challenges of being in command of a ship, and then a squadron, on the sea. We see more of Dr. Maturin's work as a secret agent this time round, but only through second-hand accounts and reports, never from his own point of view in the narrative. We also get to learn new aspects of naval maneuvers, particularly the use of infantry when attacking land from the sea. The narrative is somewhat cumbersome as it is written in a style consistent with the times. And, while I don't pretend to understand all the movements made by the ships and crew, there is enough information for landlubbers to follow along while the sailors among us rake in the details.
All of this would only make it a 3-star read for me. What makes this novel something special is what it has to say about command, leadership, and decision-making. Aubrey has an admiral above him, captains of other ships under him, and sailors on his own ship to deal with. All of these must be factored into the decisions he makes. There are a multitude of issues at play here. Captains vie for recognition. Egos abound. Communication is difficult. What role should your own agenda play in the greater picture, not only in a larger group of people, but in a larger organization? How much do you allow immediate feelings of retribution to affect your long-term strategy? How do you handle disappointment and loss? Where do you find opportunities?
In almost all of these leadership aspects, Aubrey is a model for people to follow. I can think of only one area regarding communication where Aubrey falls short, with disastrous consequences. The first two novels in the series can be slow and tedious (particularly the second one), but things start to get good with the third book. I highly recommend this novel to anyone as a subtle study of leadership. Even I wasn't prepared for this little gem.
Book 4 in the series starts off slowly with Aubrey languishing with domestic life in his English cottage before he gets his commission to head to South Africa. Then we compare that to the enthusiasm and challenges of being in command of a ship, and then a squadron, on the sea. We see more of Dr. Maturin's work as a secret agent this time round, but only through second-hand accounts and reports, never from his own point of view in the narrative. We also get to learn new aspects of naval maneuvers, particularly the use of infantry when attacking land from the sea. The narrative is somewhat cumbersome as it is written in a style consistent with the times. And, while I don't pretend to understand all the movements made by the ships and crew, there is enough information for landlubbers to follow along while the sailors among us rake in the details.
All of this would only make it a 3-star read for me. What makes this novel something special is what it has to say about command, leadership, and decision-making. Aubrey has an admiral above him, captains of other ships under him, and sailors on his own ship to deal with. All of these must be factored into the decisions he makes. There are a multitude of issues at play here. Captains vie for recognition. Egos abound. Communication is difficult. What role should your own agenda play in the greater picture, not only in a larger group of people, but in a larger organization? How much do you allow immediate feelings of retribution to affect your long-term strategy? How do you handle disappointment and loss? Where do you find opportunities?
In almost all of these leadership aspects, Aubrey is a model for people to follow. I can think of only one area regarding communication where Aubrey falls short, with disastrous consequences. The first two novels in the series can be slow and tedious (particularly the second one), but things start to get good with the third book. I highly recommend this novel to anyone as a subtle study of leadership. Even I wasn't prepared for this little gem.