Harbors and High Seas: An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian [Hardcover]

Dean King (Author), John B. Hattendorf (Author), William J. Clipson (Author), Adam Merton Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

The creators of A Sea of Words now follow up with Harbors and High Seas, an invaluable tool for navigating the often uncharted terrain of the Aubrey-Maturin novels.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Where did Sophie battle the Cacafuego? Where is Aubrey's beloved Ashgrove cottage? What route did Maturin take with his bear? What's so desolate about Kerguelen Island? What's the best route from Botany Bay to Moahu? Find the answers to these and hundreds of other questions in this indispensable guide to the terrain and cartography of O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

This atlas tracks the routes taken and summarizes the plots of all 17 of O'Brian's Napoleonic sea sagas. Featuring a redoubtable pair of British buddies, the series recounts their nautical adventures in the course of fighting the dastardly French or bumptious Americans. As Aubrey and Maturin direct their good ship Surprise around the globe at the admiralty's beck and call, the authors present original maps that pinpoint the novels' pursuits and battles, and they spice the graphics with contemporary drawings of significant ports and forts (like Gibraltar) that were printed in the Royal Navy's official yearbook of those times. As a novelty spin-off, these maps by fans for fans will be popular if an individual library records steady circulation of O'Brianiana. (If so, don't overlook a previous spin-off, O'Brian's Men-of-War , a description of ships in the series.) Gilbert Taylor

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 219 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080504759X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805047592
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,255,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

157 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, July 2, 2001

By 

geordie191@hotmail. (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harbors and High Seas, 3rd Edition : An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Complete Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian, Third Edition (Paperback)

I am very disappointed with Dean King's efforts here. Where is this great prodigy of maps that the book seems to promise? Much of the book is taken up with summaries of PO'B's novels. If I want to know what happened in the books I will read them, I don't need to pay 21 American dollars for that. And most of the content that is not summary is written descriptions entitled 'Here and There'. Can Mr. King possibly think his accounts will succeed in enabling we hopeless lubbers to comprehend intricate harbors and locations where the great O'Brian's have not? In the Post Captain chapter, do we find a map of Chaulieu where Aubrey fights the Polychrest until she sinks under him? No we do not. This book should be filled cover to cover with detailed charts and maps. It falls far and sadly short of expectations. I urge anyone not having been duped into purchasing it already to refrain from doing so.

81 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendid sidekick to have along with Aubrey & Maturin, April 30, 1999

By 

Doug Briggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harbors and High Seas: An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian (Paperback)

Once in awhile just the right writer comes along for a critical assignment, and this time it is Dean King, accompanied by some other worthy contributors. A globe isn't nearly enough when you're sailing, fighting, surviving and adventuring with Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, and it mattered not to me that King had to wait until there were sufficient chapters in O'Brian's incredible series (one that I look upon as one great, great book with 19 chapters) to form an adequate foundation for Harbors and High Seas, for I read them over and over and King's guide makes the repeat servings even more delightful.

Now as I travel the world in the O'Brian series I know where I am and where I've been -- and often where I'm going. The maps are outstanding (I always thought a map here and there in the novels themselves was called for), and King's narrative takes me ashore in places all over the aquatic world to round out my adventures with my favorite literary characters.

The old pictures from The Naval Chronicle are worthy -- and thoughtful -- additions to the whole fine work.

I guess I'll be reading Aubrey/Maturin books forever, and with Harbors and High Seas right at hand. Too bad the guide had to end with The Commodore but, hey, I'm not complaining. I'm happy for what's here.

Thanks to King, too, for his lexicon, A Sea of Words. That was the finishing touch for the O'Brian addict that I am -- I want to KNOW what a studding sail is, a snow (for I, like Maturin, thought a "snow" must be a white ship), the mainchains (not "chains" at all), the messenger (definitely not a means by which you might get a message to Garcia) . . .

A tip of the hat and a warm thank you to Dean King and his cohorts: John B. Hattendorf, J. Worth Estes, and mapmakers William Clipson and Adam Merton Cooper.

It is truly wonderful that this incredible series of historical novels has inspired these indispensible accompaniments. There is also the volume edited by A.E. Cunningham, "Patrick O'Brian: Critical Essays and a Bibliography" which belongs on the shelf with every O'Brian fan's collection. These books about O'Brian's books are a further testimony to the greatness of them -- they stood tall on their own, it's only that they're even more robust now.

Doug Briggs

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible Companion, February 27, 2000

By 

Greg Tatchell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harbors and High Seas: An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian (Paperback)

I'm now on book 7 of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and have only had my Companion for the last 2...how much it adds to the joy and the education. The best part of the companion is the maps, with clearly marked routes taken by Lucky Jack's vessels. O'Brian's description of Aubrey passing by Elsinore while Jack describes his role in Hamlet as a young midshipman comes alive with both the map and the picture of Elsinore. As well, eliminating the frustration of trying to determine what is fiction (Grimsholm) from what is not (Admiral Suamarez) greatly adds to the historical learnings.

The only downside to having this companion is the irresistable temptation to read ahead...the plot lines of the first 17 books are all given in general outline. As O'Brian readers know, however, much of the joy is as much in the characterization and writing as in the plot line. So, even if you do look ahead, it in all likelihood only will increase your desire to move on to the next book....I personally can hardly wait to get to Treason's Harbour and the mood that O'Brian will create around historic Malta.

If you love maps, though, and have always used them to add a visual learning dimension and reference to the words, you can't possibly read the books without it.

In closing, I guess I should add the warning that as addictive as these books are, they become even more addictive with the companion.

Beware!