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The Hundred Days Review

The Hundred Days Review

The Hundred Days

Published: 28, September 1998

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 19 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 Hundred Days Summary


The Review:

Patrick O'Brian's The Hundred Days' storyline is more contemplative, with quiet and delicate action. The smashing broadsides and clang of steel as boarding parties jump the gunwales, blood pouring from the scuppers is entirely lacking here - what little action there is at sea is the consequence of a protracted chase, chasers fire at one another from afar, and whatever ships are lost are burnt at the port. In reality, much of the action in Patrick O'Brian's books occurs after the event, with Maturin and Aubrey acting more as passive viewers than active players.

This was infuriating as well as depressing. Because of an unexpected event in this work and the reactions (or lack thereof) of Aubrey and Maturin.

However, I believe Patrick O'Brian is demonstrating a great subtlety in the storytelling here, as well as a complexity to the characters. The characters' grief is palpable, yet it is expressed in the style of the time - grieving in the early nineteenth century was a very personal experience, made all the more so given the English "stiff upper lip." Aubrey is no stranger to death, nor to the loss of shipmates, as an officer in the Royal Navy. 

Keeping this in mind, Patrick O'Brian's attitude and writing style are consistent with his meticulous attention to historical facts. Regarding the action - or lack thereof - this, too, suits Aubrey's function and position in the Royal Navy: he is now a flag officer who is largely away from naval operations.

The title of this book, "The Hundred Days," refers to Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on March 20, 1815, and King Louis XVIII's second restoration on July 8, 1815. (a period of 110 days). The War of the Seventh Coalition took place during this time period, and it included the Waterloo Campaign, the Neapolitan War, and numerous other lesser engagements. In his address welcoming the king back to Paris on July 8, the prefect of Paris, Gaspard, Comte De Chabrol, coined the expression Les Cent Jours (the hundred days).

Napoleon has returned from Elba in this narrative. The Great Powers of Europe are gathering their forces once more to meet the Little Corporal's feared military brilliance. The French military has split loyalties, and it's up to Stephen Maturin, a secret British intelligence officer, to exploit these flaws. Stephen is in charge of intelligence, while Jack is in charge of his ship and squadron in order to intercept a cargo of gold from North Africa that may mark the end of the Great Powers.

The shattered tusk of a narwhal (which the sailors authoritatively pronounce to be a gloriously lucky "unicorn's horn") and a dog woofing down one of Stephen's anatomical specimens are both negative omens for their expedition (which specimen the sailors declare to be a wonderfully lucky "Hand of Glory" - the severed and disfigured hand of a murderer). Because sailors are superstitious, these two foreboding happenings drive the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise to fear the worst, and a character who has traveled with Jack Aubrey is slain in the shortest of naval confrontations.


Final Thoughts:

Patrick O'Brian seemed to churn out these works with little effort. I know that can't be real, yet that's how it appears. He provides us with a well-developed narrative thread, profound insights into the floating culture of the British Navy at the time, and characters that we have become used to. I adore these novels, and this one is just as amazing as the others.

When two doctors discuss the scarcity of medical supplies, my favorite scene occurs. One inquires about leaches, which were a common commodity at the time. The other says that they were taken by the midshipmen to be used as bait. That may appear charming and amusing, but we readers are well aware, having read the novels, that the midshipmen are frequently young men and boys with minimal resources who live in a state of chronic hunger.

It's witty, but it also alludes to a social convention of the time: midshipmen's poverty (as a group-of course some had plenty of funds to spend on food.) Many other chapters in the text speak to us in a similar way; all we have to do is listen. Patrick O'Brian's historical expertise impresses me a lot and I can see him doing his research while I am reading these books.

Do not start with this book if you are new to the Aubrey/Maturin stories, start at the beginning "Master and Commander," and work your way up. You're in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

However, because this is the 19th book in a series, it's important to be familiar with the characters, their backstories, and the author's flaws. Yes, I agree with other critics that this is not the strongest book in the series, and there are some very heartbreaking passages; but there is nothing,that could persuade me to award anything less than the points and recommendations that i gave to this novel or any other novel in this series. 

There is plenty to relish in this novel for the admirer; for the comparer, there are none that compare to Patrick O'Brian and his heroes.


Synopsis:

“"One of the best novelists since Jane Austen…The Hundred Days may be the best installment yet." —Philadelphia Inquirer

Napoleon, escaped from Elba, pursues his enemies across Europe like a vengeful phoenix. If he can corner the British and Prussians before their Russian and Austrian allies arrive, his genius will lead the French armies to triumph at Waterloo. In the Balkans, preparing a thrust northwards into Central Europe to block the Russians and Austrians, a horde of Muslim mercenaries is gathering. They are inclined toward Napoleon because of his conversion to Islam during the Egyptian campaign, but they will not move without a shipment of gold ingots from Sheik Ibn Hazm which, according to British intelligence, is on its way via camel caravan to the coast of North Africa. It is this gold that Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin must at all costs intercept. The fate of Europe hinges on their desperate mission.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Aubrey-Maturin Series, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Clarissa Oakes, Desolation Island, Diplomatic Mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, Gun Salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Hundred Days, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, North Africa, Nutmeg Of Consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Penal Colony, Peter Weir, Political Intrigue, Post Captain, Pulo Prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Sea Dark, Sea Wine, Simon Vance, Slave Trade, South Seas, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, Thirteen-Gun Salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Wine-Dark, Years Ago, Yellow Admiral


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


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The Yellow Admiral Review

The Yellow Admiral Review

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.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Aubrey-Maturin Series, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Clarissa Oakes, Desolation Island, Diplomatic Mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, Gun Salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Nutmeg Of Consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Penal Colony, Peter Weir, Political Intrigue, Post Captain, Pulo Prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Sea Dark, Sea Wine, Simon Vance, Slave Trade, South Seas, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, Thirteen-Gun Salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Wine-Dark, Years Ago, Yellow Admiral


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:

Free With Free Audible Trial:

The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):

Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
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The Commodore Review

The Commodore Review

The Commodore

Published: 1994

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Book 17 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 Commodore Summary


The Review:

The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian works brilliantly as a standalone novel. Background, description, and context are expertly handled, and the abundance of scenes, people, and action immediately immerse the reader in a rich, diverse, uncertain, and, above all, authentic Regency world. Surprisingly, it was this haphazardly chosen novel that sent one of my cousins scrambling around bookstores looking for 'Master and Commander,' in order to begin one of the most consistently enjoyable literary experiences of her life (in her own words,) and in the process, I had to lend her my copy of 'Master and Commander.' I never share my books, but some of my cousins are book lovers who respect books, and I am always confident in the security of the books I lend them, so I occasionally let them borrow mine.

This is an excellent fictive tale of a tiny mixed squadron late in the wars, with The Commodore sailing with a flag captain beneath him. Better than Commodore Hornblower's squadron, who also had a flag captain but was in different theaters. Exciting missions, locations, interesting new people, and, of course, Patrick O'Brian's lucid, knowledgeable descriptions of action and combat. Political intrigue and rich private lives of the principal characters, realism, and very human emotional turmoil are weaved together and balanced by the material naval component. The book emphasizes the micro politics and personalities of the squadron's commanding commanders as an intriguing aspect.

The Admiralty of the Royal Navy assigns Captain Aubrey, now Commodore of a squadron of His Majesty's tall ships, to deter the slave trade off what was then known as "The Bight," but more completely was the Bight of Biafra, and further south all the way to Freetown, in the 17th wondrous volume of Patrick O'Brian's incomparable Aubrey/Maturin fictional series set during the Napoleonic Wars.

I've devoured these incredible novels, becoming more utterly engrossed with each one than the one before it. For these reviews, I had to reread all of these terrific stories once again, and it brought back so many wonderful memories.

As usual, Patrick O'Brian has mastered so much non-fiction via as thorough historical research as I have ever seen in any historical novel that it reads as if he was there himself. That, of course, would be impossible because Patrick O'Brian was born in 1914 and died on January 1, 2000. This book came out in 1994, 25 years after the first title in the series.

But it wasn't just in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that the author learned to master the manner of speech. He also learned so much about its history that it's difficult to comprehend the magnitude of the work that must have gone into it.

For example, Patrick O'Brian frequently discusses medical procedures that would have been in use at the time; how diseases were named; how they were diagnosed and treated; where and how a surgeon and his assistants would have learned their craft (because medicine was not always regarded as a respectable profession); and what tools and prescriptions they used in each volume. And Patrick O'Brian weaves all of this into the plot "as easily as kissing your hand," with no interruptions, bumps, or wrinkles. All of this gets in the way of real discussions or plot developments.

As the tale progresses in this chapter, readers in the twenty-first century will learn a lot about the slave trade in that age, and there is no denying its horror. When Doctor Maturin inspects one of the slavers, the descriptions are as raw, real, and visceral as the circumstances would allow.

And one learns about all the political ramifications, such as changes in British parliamentary law about slavery, international relations, maritime law, and merchants who formerly earned lawfully from slaving but now resort to piracy to continue their heinous source of revenue.

But there's also an endless supply of natural history, botany, ornithology, and entomology (which will especially amuse Sir Joseph Blaine, a fictional creation who is the head of Naval intelligence in this series and also a profound devotee of bugs, beetles, and butterflies, who Patrick O'Brian based on Sir Joseph Banks, a well-known naturalist of the era who wrote prolifically and appears in at least one of the novels) — not to mention the topography and meteorological conditions in every possible location on land and at sea, let alone all the nuances and finer aspects of sailing a square-rigger in every sort of wind.

Given the smoothness, delicacy, and magnificence of the prose, it all appears so seamless as to elicit wonder, especially from anyone who has ever written nonfiction seriously and for broad public consumption.

Patrick O'Brian was nothing short of a genius, but as evidenced by the few prefaces he wrote in some of his works, he was modest to a fault, a rare and especially golden quality, and he seemed to enjoy writing these books as much as readers do.

Many archaic words, expressions, descriptions, and names are encountered, and it is helpful to have a large dictionary or internet access nearby to better comprehend events in which one is so deeply immersed as to lose oneself, to find oneself happily "at sea."


Final Thoughts:

This one has a broader geographic scope, a wider range of dangers, and a higher level of intricacy and resolution. Jack is gaining weight, Stephen's health is deteriorating, and good actions are being performed on two continents.

Another thing I like about these novels is that you can read any of them at any time, even if you haven't read the others. Of course, I would not advise it. I read them in order and found that it enhanced my enjoyment of the novels.

However, each book quickly recaps enough of the events of prior books such that a new reader to any of the books would not be lost. In other words, these works invite everybody onboard, and it is a joyful invite.

Even though I claim you may read these novels in any order, I strongly advise against it since a reader must read them in order to properly appreciate and comprehend this series.


Synopsis:

“The seventeenth novel in the sweeping Aubrey-Maturin series of naval tales, which the New York Times Book Review has described as "the best historical novels ever written."

Having survived a long and desperate adventure in the Great South Sea, Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin return to England to very different circumstances. For Jack, it is a happy homecoming, at least initially, but for Stephen it is disastrous: his little daughter appears to be autistic, incapable of speech or contact, while his wife, Diana, unable to bear this situation, has disappeared, her house being looked after by the widowed Clarissa Oakes.

Much of The Commodore takes place on land, in sitting rooms, and in drafty castles, but the roar of the great guns is never far from our hearing. Aubrey and Maturin are sent on a bizarre decoy mission to the fever-ridden lagoons of the Gulf of Guinea to suppress the slave trade. But their ultimate destination is Ireland, where the French are mounting an invasion that will test Aubrey's seamanship and Maturin's resourcefulness as a secret intelligence agent.

The subtle interweaving of these disparate themes is an achievement of pure storytelling by one of our greatest living novelists.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:

Action, Admiral Harte, Age Of Sail, Anyone Who Loves, Aubrey And Maturin, Aubrey-Maturin Series, Billy Boyd, Botany Bay, Blockade Duty, British Navy, Captain Aubrey, Captain Jack, Character Development, Clarissa Oakes, Desolation Island, Diplomatic Mission, Diving Bell, Drama, Diana Villiers, Early 19th Century, Entire Series, Far Side Of The World, Fortune Of War, French Agents, Gun Salute, High Seas, Historical Fiction, HMS Surprise, Horrible Old, Indian Ocean, Ionian Mission, Jack And Stephen, Jack Aubrey, Jane Austen, Letter Of Marque, Lucky Jack, Master And Commander, Maturin Series, Mauritius Command, Napoleonic Era, Napoleonic Wars, Nautical Terms, Nutmeg Of Consolation, Old Leopard, Patrick Brian, Patrick O’Brian, Patrick Obrian, Patrick O Brian, Patrickoobrian, Paul Bettany, Penal Colony, Peter Weir, Political Intrigue, Post Captain, Pulo Prabang, Red Sea, Reverse Of The Medal, Royal Navy, Russell Crowe, Sea Dark, Sea Wine, Simon Vance, Slave Trade, South Seas, Stephen Maturin, Stock Market, Surgeon Mate, Takes Place, Thirteen-Gun Salute, Treasons Harbor, United States, USS Constitution, Well Written, Wine-Dark, Years Ago


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

Buy The Kindle Version Here:


Free With Free Audible Trial:


The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels (Hardcover):


Master and Commander (2003) (PG+):


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Any kind of support, even a simple 'like, thumbs up or a small comment' is enough and helps me grow, create and freely do more stuff and work on projects for the benefit of many.
Help me grow into a global force: https://www.patreon.com/namsu
Support with crypto coins/tokens: https://cointr.ee/namsu
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