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Title: Desolation Island by Tim Pigott-Smith, Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0-375-40836-3 Publisher: Bantam Books-Audio Pub. Date: 16 November, 1999 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 3 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.72 (32 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A solid installment in the series
Comment: After the disjointed Mauritius Command, I found Desolation Island a refreshing change to the plot devices that maked this series worthwhile. Instead of loosely commanding a squadron of ships as in the prior novel, Captain Jack Aubrey is again commanding a single ship here, the Leopard, accompanied by his good friend (and fascinating character), Stephen Maturin. Stephen really takes center stage in the novel, since his on-again off-again relationship with Diana is explored early, and Stephen (with his intelligence background) is intricately involved in the action of the novel as American agents are aboard the Leopard, on the verge of the outbreak of the War of 1812.
Since the entire novel takes place, more or less, on board the Leopard we see more of the interaction among the characters, especially Aubrey-Maturin, an odd American stowaway, and a pretty female prisoner with ties to both Diana and the American stowaway. There is a tremendous naval battle involving a much larger Dutch ship, and a desperate detour towards the Antarctic as Aubrey fights to save his ship among calamity and possible mutiny as the Leopard races to rescue the infamous Captain Bligh. For fans of the series, there is a great deal here to like, and I thought the book was as good as anything I have read thus far by O'Brian.
Rating: 5
Summary: Aubrey's and Maturin's Desperate South Seas Voyage
Comment: Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin return in "Desolation Island", Patrick O'Brian's fifth installment in his critically acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series of novels, on a mission to rescue Admiral William Bligh from yet another mutiny in New South Wales, Australia. It is a mission fraught with much excitement and peril, since Aubrey's ship, the elderly fourth rate H.M.S. Leopard, is chased by the Dutch warship Waakzaamheid through frigid, uncharted waters between Africa and Australia. Without a doubt, this is one of the most suspenseful chapters in the Aubrey/Maturin saga; it is also my personal favorite. I concur with a previous reviewer who sees a strong resemblance between this novel and those of British espionage novelist John LeCarre.
Rating: 5
Summary: Series humming along
Comment: I started the Aubrey/Maturin series with an audiobook version of Master and Commander and switched to print with Post Captain. At first I was a little intimidated with nautical terms and the prose, but by Desolation Island, I was firmly hooked. I looked up and I was halfway through Desolation Island and already looking forward to the following novels. Needless to say, do not start with this book, start at the beginning, for the whole series is a narrative that never really comes to a close at the end of one book. That said, looking back I think Desolation Island is the best of what I have read so far (no reflection on the later books, which are outstanding). It combines everything I love about the series, it has naval battles, interesting character development between the two protagonists, Maturin's love of natural science as well as political intrigue and other developments in the overall story.
Fantastic book and maybe the highlight of the series. The chase with the Dutch 74 gun is a fine example of why I love the series.
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Title: The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393308200 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: January, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393308219 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: January, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393308634 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393307069 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: November, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O'Brian ISBN: 0393309606 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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