Please see my comments on Vol. 1, Master and Commander. ( )

great series of books: If you are interested in sailing, British naval history, or the high seas... then this is a great historical fiction series. The single movie doesn't really do justice to this excellent series of novels.

This is so much more eventful than The Thirteen Gun Salute, much more action-filled and much more dramatic. To some extent, that's a disappointment because there's so much less time for the kind of small moments of character interplay that O' Brian does so well. On the other hand, it made for an incredibly engaging and satisfying novel which I finished very, very quickly, building smoothly to a great cliffhanger of an ending.

I was delighted to see Padeen return, especially after a novel which was scattered throughout with some less than complimentary remarks about Ireland from a couple of the minor characters. I'm always delighted, too, with just how well O' Brian manages to take the rhythms and speech-patterns of Irish and translate them into English for those parts where Padeen is speaking to Stephen; especially since, as far as I know, O' Brian didn't have any Irish himself.

As ever, I'm looking forward to the next volume; especially if it finally lets us meet Baby Maturin. I am so full of glee at the idea of Stephen being a dad ( )

Aubrey/Maturin #14 - stranded, ... Indian Ocean, and aboard a trading junk to Batavia where a sweet little Dutch built (sloop? - the Nutmeg) is brought up out of the mud to wisk the gang to the appointed rendevous with Pullings and the Surprise. Just in time as it turns out to reverse the chase and bear down, in force on a pesky French frigate. ( )