The Yellow Admiral
Published: 1996
Author: Patrick O'Brian
Book 18 of 21: Aubrey/Maturin Novels
Genres: Action, Adventure, British & Irish, Contemporary, Family Life, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Literature, Medical, Military, Navel, Saga, Science Fiction, Sea, Suspense, Thriller, Travel, War
Check the summary of this book here:
The Yellow Admiral Summary
The Review:
In The Yellow Admiral, Patrick O'Brian completely captivates the reader with his writing, both in terms of his characters and the way he writes nautical fiction, but the story itself was mediocre if you are just looking for action and sea battles because this novel is focusing mostly on the enclosure progression and how Aubrey's political enemies to it might affect his future promotion, hence the title, a "Yellow Admiral," a reference to post captains who have been given the rank of admiral but have been passed over for command of a ship, in effect.
To summarize, Aubrey's immediate superior attempted to enclose common property adjacent to his, which would have provided a significant financial gain to the person who claimed the area.
Because enclosure would mean the farmers and herders would become tenants of the lord, Aubrey used his position in Parliament to prevent this from happening, much to the chagrin of the commanding admiral, negatively impacting his chances of progression and giving the admiral an excuse to berate, vilify, and otherwise demean our protagonist.
The majority of the action in this novel takes place on British soil. Patrick O'Brian portrays the fabric of nineteenth-century country life in such a manner that it becomes individualized and entirely relevant to the plot. This time ashore is also what makes Jack and Stephen's adventures at sea so much more interesting.
The characters' complexity in dealing with their accomplishments and failures at home makes the two major characters seem more real. Patrick O'Brian has perfected the art of creating people that appear to be genuine, and it is this skill that has kept me returning to his works again and again.
Stephen is bankrupt upon his return to England, and Jack is once again an impoverished landowner. Jack's money is tethered to litigation stemming from his efforts to stop the slave trade off the coast of West Africa. To make matters worse (or more fascinating), Sophie's mother discovers proof of Jack's previous adultery, which has put his marriage on the rocks. Jack's chances at the Admiralty are harmed by his conduct as a Member of Parliament, particularly his resistance to the enclosure of a commons near his estate.
As an aside, Patrick O'Brian is well-versed in the political and economic ramifications of enclosing a commons and can demonstrate them. He incorporates this into the plot without using technical jargon and in a way that is engaging.
Jack has problems even at sea. He captures a French privateer packed with gold and ivory, but the Admiralty suspects he did it for personal advantage by ignoring signals. As Jack's problems worsen, his dread of being 'Yellowed' appears to be becoming a reality.
When it appears that all hope is gone for Jack, Stephen returns from a mission in France with Sophie's forgiveness and a career respite in the shape of a probable mission to guarantee Chilean independence. This is especially essential now that the conflict has concluded, severely reducing his chances of receiving an Admiral's flag.
Both Jack and Stephen's personal fortunes are partially or totally recovered by the end of the novel. And just as Jack is about to enjoy this professional break, he is dispatched to Gibraltar because Napoleon has escaped from Elba.
In the midst of all of this personal upheaval, we learn a lot about the history of the British commons, which makes for fascinating reading. The local characters and wildlife in this story are as charming as those in Patrick O'Brian's previous works, which take readers on adventures in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, and Adriatic seas, as well as encounters in Spanish, French, American, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Asian ports, Pacific islands, and desolate rocks and treacherous icebergs in the Antarctic.
Final Thoughts:
You will appreciate this book if you are a fan of the series or a history buff. It contains a wealth of information on life in England and the British naval during the Napoleonic Wars. If you read Patrick O'Brian just for his dramatic stories of Napoleonic naval battles, this one will most likely disappoint you.
Patrick O'Brian takes us on a short patrol of the blockaded French coast and gives us a fantastic depiction of the treacherous fog sailing. Even the little maritime battles in this book, though, are a touch too mild and not quite as exciting as the others. Nonetheless, it's worthwhile.
If I hadn't known about the subsequent books, I would have assumed that this was the final book in the series because of the way almost all of the loose ends and even the war came to an end and the way the story ended except for a few minor things, but it's a good thing it wasn't the last book and I got to read a few more stories after this.
Synopsis:
“"There are those already planning this afternoon's trip to the bookstore. Their only reaction is: Thank god, Patrick O'Brian is still writing. To you, I say, not a moment to lose."—John Balzar, Los Angeles Times
Life ashore may once again be the undoing of Jack Aubrey in The Yellow Admiral, Patrick O'Brian's best-selling novel and eighteenth volume in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Aubrey, now a considerable though impoverished landowner, has dimmed his prospects at the Admiralty by his erratic voting as a Member of Parliament; he is feuding with his neighbor, a man with strong Navy connections who wants to enclose the common land between their estates; he is on even worse terms with his wife, Sophie, whose mother has ferreted out a most damaging trove of old personal letters. Even Jack's exploits at sea turn sour: in the storm waters off Brest he captures a French privateer laden with gold and ivory, but this at the expense of missing a signal and deserting his post. Worst of all, in the spring of 1814, peace breaks out, and this feeds into Jack's private fears for his career.
Fortunately, Jack is not left to his own devices. Stephen Maturin returns from a mission in France with the news that the Chileans, to secure their independence, require a navy, and the service of English officers. Jack is savoring this apparent reprieve for his career, as well as Sophie's forgiveness when he receives an urgent dispatch ordering him to Gibraltar: Napoleon has escaped from Elba.”
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Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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