This book catalogs every person, animal, ship and cannon mentioned by name in Patrick O'Brian's 19-volume series on the maritime adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. The novels, renowned for their "far-ranging web of wit and allusion," teem with thousands of characters and ships, both imaginary and historical. From Master and Commander to The Hundred Days, this dictionary distinguishes the fictional from the factual, making a useful series companion for both the casual reader and the most ardent O'Brian fans. Each of the more than 4,500 alphabetized entries provides a reference to the novels and chapters in which the topic appears. Additionally, biographical notes on the historical figures are included, with sources provided in an annotated bibliography.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Staking out the literary territory between John Jakes and James Joyce, Patrick O'Brian has produced a penetratingly intelligent series of historical novels based on the early-19th-century exploits of a pair of naval officers. This series has developed a strong and loyal following; but many readers will need a little help matching the author's erudition. Scholar, writer, and fan Anthony Gary Brown has stepped up to lend others a hand with Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels of Patrick O'Brian. Over 4,500 entries in 342 pages explain the identities and meanings behind the names of all the characters (human and otherwise) in the 19 books published as of 1998. Invaluable as much for its reference use as its wit, Brown's book deserves a place on the shelf along with O'Brian's corpus.
The entries for Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin compose two different distillations of the series, each from one of the character's points of view; each of the rest of the entries--from Abbas Effendi to Zwingerius--details the character or institution's nature, relation to the stories, and place within the books, as well as the derivation of the name and other bits of background not found in the series. Even the lowliest seaman gets a place in this comprehensive tome, so purists and completists will find little to complain about. Before setting sail, it's important to chart your course, and Dr. Brown has made that task immensely simpler and more pleasurable with Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels of Patrick O'Brian. --Rob Lightner
About the Author
A native of England raised in a Royal Navy family, Anthony Gary Brown earned his Ph.D. at Oxford. He is a writer and business consultant living in Los Angeles.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I recommend it without reservation to every O'Brian fan!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels of Patrick Obrian (Paperback)
I've been sampling this book for a couple of weeks and I can't tell you how much I've been enjoying it! For a fan of the Aubrey/Maturin books its almost as good as having a new POB come out! I think of someone I want to look up, then by the time I've read that entry I've been led to another, and then another and I keep stumbling on the most amazing facts and interesting historical stories.While just keeping track of all the names in the books is useful enough, the "enhanced" information - all the details about "real" people and ships and historical events - is the most exciting treasure for me.I can not begin to imagine the hours and hours invested in this masterpiece, though the careful attention to details and proofreading suggest it was a labor of love. All I can say is that I'm very grateful to the author for having written it. It will make reading and re-reading the Aubrey/Maturin books an even greater delight, and for me at least, it will lead deeper into the historical literature behind the series.Every bookstore in the country should stock this on the shelves next to the Aubrey/Maturin books so new converts will have it in hand right from the start.
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary reference books about extraordinary novels.,
By Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels of Patrick Obrian (Paperback)
Anthony Gary Brown's "Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels" is a wonderful resource for anyone who loves the nautical fiction of Patrick O'Brian. The depth and breadth of research evident in this companion volume to the Aubrey-Maturin series is truly awe-inspiring. Every "proper name" reference -- no matter how slight or obscure -- has been diligently tracked and, where ever possible the historical reality behind the fictional is revealed. Characters I had assumed to be merely creations of Patrick O'Brian's imagination are shown by Gary Brown to be based in actual persons. Whenever Stephen Maturin speaks of an obscure botanist or philosopher, Brown has explained who he or she was and what was the significance of their work. There are many, many hours of delightful browsing in this volume for any Patrick O'Brian fan.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An astonishing book, always delightful,
By
This review is from: Persons, Animals, Ships and Cannon in the Aubrey-Maturin Sea Novels of Patrick Obrian (Paperback)
This book is an astonishing piece of research, a listing and historical analysis of thousands of items--well, characters, animals, ships, and cannons--from Patrick O'Brian's series of novels. I cannot imagine how he did it, but what a delightful treat for the rest of us. This book is not just an indispensible companion to the Aubrey-Maturin novels; it's also a great pleasure just to leaf through and read. If you like the O'Brian's books you need to have this one too.
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