Aubrey Maturin - greatest Englishmen that ever lived?

[Magic_Sailor]

How many re-readings of the series would be considered obsessive?

Magic

 

[beancounter]

Re: Err - no

Sorry to all O'Brien fans, but Hornblower is still yer main man...

 

[Talbot]

Maturin - Englishman - suggest that you need several more re-reads /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Magic_Sailor]

No - I've considered that and in my mind I've given him "honourary" English status along with the likes of Al Pacino, John McEnroe and Paul Simon.

Magic

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Re: Err - no

He is good but not the same depth. Plus he has a really questionable name.

Magic

 

[beancounter]

By Gad!

Damn your impertinence Sir!

If M'lords of the admiralty did not frown upon duels, I would insist upon satisfaction.

(Sorry - got a bit carried away there...)

 

[alant]

Re: Aubrey Maturin - greatest Englishmen that ever lived?

How about Cockrane, the guy 'Master & Commander' & most of these yarns are based on!

Not an Englishman but Scots & his life story reads like Boys Own fiction. Greatest unsung hero of that or maybe any period of RN.

 

[alant]

Cochrane

See http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/nav.00500400i007

 

[bbg]

Hate to burst your bubble but they never lived. I have read the entire series twice and will probably start a third reading this year, but I was slightly disappointed when I read Cochrane's biography and found that O'Brien lifted so much directly from Cochrane.

 

[absit_omen]

I think that O'Brien was of questionable virtue both in his professional and private lives.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"I think that O'Brien was of questionable virtue both in his professional and private lives"

Precisely - goody-goody, yes sir, no sir, lick your boots sir, jobsworths don't write good books. Or at least, not readable ones.

 

[Chris_Rayner]

Re: Questionable virtue

Oh, which of us is not? I agree that he did some apparently fairly dodgy things, but then so did Admiral Lord Nelson. As those frenchies say, ' Comprendre tout, c'est pardonner tout. '

Chris Rayner
Ancient Mariner in training.

 

[michael_w]

O'Brien is a complete palgeirising POS.

C S Forester's your man.

 

[Rabbie]

Thats easy to say - now he is dead!.

 

[absit_omen]

I would have said it to his face if I'd had the opportunity! just because you think he writes good books does not absolve him of abandoning his family and telling Archeresque barefaced lies about his background!!

 

[samwise]

It seems that we have some rather polarised views here. For myself I was a confirmed Forester fan, Horny was my top man. Then someone bought me Master and Commander, but it was no sudden conversion and I dropped out after three chapters. About a year later I picked it up again and subsequently devoured the first six books one after the other. What will I do when I get to the end? Start again I suppose. My 15-year-old is also hooked on Maturin /Aubrey. My favourite chapter first line from Maturin? Good morning Sir, how is your *****? (The word may not slip past the YBW site decency check) O'Brien's technical detail is light years ahead of Forester, as is the seemingly authentic dialogue.

 

[billcowan]

Whatever O'Brian was, he wrote exceedingly good and entertaining books, much deeper and more interesting than Forster, the characters much more complicated and fully developed. His research was practically faultless, he really captured the feel and language of the day.
I have read 3 times now and still chortle when I pick up someone elses copy.

 

[Metabarca]

Re: Aubrey Maturin - greatest Englishmen that ever lived?

Aubrey's adventures were also based on William Hoste, who did some pretty Aubreyesque things harrying the enemy throughout the Adriatic. Engaged by the French off Lissa (Vis), he flagged 'Remember Nelson'. The French admiral did: he tried to emulate Nelson by breaking Hoste's line. He did, but there was the island immediately behind... and his crew were not quick enough in going about. Exeunt.

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Yes they did!

I refuse to believe they're not real.

I'll tell you what it is bbg. Jack started to materialise about 4 or 5 years ago standind right next to me and I've gradually been morphing into him. There's more than is written in your book bbg.

I'm just about to finish my 4th run through and now seriously considering a 5th!

Magic

 

[Mirelle]

Schoolboy howlers in O\'Brien

These are quite numerous. Just a couple to illustrate:

At one point, Aubrey and Maturin refer to a vessel's "Thames Tonnage".

Maturin's watch is described, regularly, as a Breguet, but no Breguet would have withstood the treatment it gets and "sweet oil" certainly would not have sorted a Breguet out.

etc.

For accuracy in technical matters, try Richard Woodman.