This is the second time I've noticed you posting stuff relating to Patrick O'Brian. Just wondering if you have read many other authors who wrote age of sail stuff. My favorite has always been Captain Frederick Marryat but I've enjoyed many other authors. I actually dislike O'Brian as he basically just rewrites episodes that happens to Nelson and Lord Black and passes them off as his stories.
Hi there cgod. Yes, this IS the second time and there will be many more as I use the 'events' in O'Brian's books as hooks to discuss the reality of the era. For instance: music as mentioned in the books and what that actually meant for real people of the time - in this instance Royal Naval personnel.
As to his authenticity, I think he himself admitted that the character of Aubrey was based on Lord Cochrane.
I have read Alexander Kent and some Forester. After O'Brian I prefer Kent but I must admit I admire O'Brian for his style.
These episodes are only meant as a diversion and addition to the episodes we post to our main website - for me it is the French Revolution. They allow small digressions on topics the main narrative would normally miss. In no way are they meant to publicise O'Brian or even state that he is the best writer, although I personally believe he is.
I do not know much about Marryat...do you highly recommend him?
Regards
Mark
First off I got to say you should read Richard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" if you haven't. I reviewed it on Hubski a while back. http://hubski.com/pub?id=90145 O'Brian spoke of it highly and I really can't say enough nice things about how informative it is regarding the life of the common sailor, the coast of California in the late age of sail, and the extraordinary elegance of Dana's observations. About two decades ago I went on a crazy tear through age of sail literature. Sadly my library became a nursery and all my age of sail book got packed up and deposited in the basement (At least fifty volumes of biography, history and biography on the age of sail, along with a ton of other fantastic books). After reading a few biographies of Nelson and Chochrane (wtf I said Black but it's been about twenty years) O'Brian's plots seem a bit hollow. I think I like Lambdin, Kent and Forester better. Frederick Marryat served as a midshipman to Lord Chochrane and later became a captain himself. He was also one of the most popular authors of his time, Dickens said that Marrayat was his favorite author. That being said his books are mostly Victorian romances that read a bit like young adult fiction. The are rip roaring sea adventures that thrill and morally educate but not serious literature. I love them, if you want to try one you should probably read "Peter Simple." Maybe better than all other age of sail fiction but coming a bit later than the Napoleonic War stuff is Nardhoff and Hall's "Bounty Trilogy." They are master works. The first and third book both gave me horrible nightmares (I am not a man prone to nightmares). The tale they tell is a horrible one and the prominence of the first book is a sad thing, the third book tells the most terrible tale of the trilogy. Every thing these guys wrote is worth a read but the trilogy is their best work. Lord Cochrane: Seaman, Radical, Liberator is a good read. All the books in the "Heart of Oak" series which I have read were worth the time and money. I wish my library wasn't tucked away in the basement because I'm sure there are a few gems that I can no longer recollect. I would be curious to get any recommendations about French Revolution literature that you think is excellent. I've read a few books that chew at the edges of the conflict in recent years and few biographies of prominent players (Napoleon and Lafayette) in recent years but get the feeling I'm only scratching the surface. I did read David Chandlers "Campaigns of Napoleon" twice but it's probably been at least fifteen years since I last read it and it really didn't get into anything about the revolution. I find now that I'm older I'm much more interested in how France came to revolution much more than I am in the Emperors battles.
Hi Thanks for the heads' up with the books.
I too read the Bounty books...great stuff there! Real ripping yarns. Bligh fascinates me: brilliant seaman and navigator who got his men across the Pacific by boat, yet a terrible administrator (New South Wales revolt and all).
I will keep a weather eye open for Marryat.
Yes, I might do an episode on Cochrane for White Ensign.
As to the French Revolution literature don't overlook the books of the era, as they are free on Google Books.
Thomas Carlyle is HIGHLY recommended, but you certainly have to work at him, he is so florid and left field at times, but worth a go. Probably need to read the following first though.
Archibald Alison's 'History of Europe' for context.
George Long's 'Revolutions: a pictorial history', which commences from the States General in 1789
The excellent Maclean Rowan's 'History of the French Revolution' for her backstory chapters.
JSC Abbott for Napoleon (for his early days especially) although very Victorian in style.
Hazlitt for Napoleon (brilliant book but he does go off on tangents occasionally)
For some reason these stellar authors are overlooked and forgotten nowadays.
As to Napoleon vs Revolution I am the same. I still love the battles and such, but the road to Revolution IS interesting, albeit with some not so sexy topics to cover...like finances.
Keep in touch!
Regards
Mark