On Desolation Island, with the known world out of reach, uneasy alliances are sometimes forged... Captain Bligh, of Bounty fame, is now governor of New South Wales and facing mutiny anew, having lost the support of local settlers. Jack Aubrey is commissioned to come to his rescue. With a beautiful but dangerous spy on board, along with an unwelcome hold full of convicts, and war with America brewing, can Captain Jack Aubrey reach Australia in one piece? Outmanned and outgunned in a thrilling ...
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On Desolation Island, with the known world out of reach, uneasy alliances are sometimes forged... Captain Bligh, of Bounty fame, is now governor of New South Wales and facing mutiny anew, having lost the support of local settlers. Jack Aubrey is commissioned to come to his rescue. With a beautiful but dangerous spy on board, along with an unwelcome hold full of convicts, and war with America brewing, can Captain Jack Aubrey reach Australia in one piece? Outmanned and outgunned in a thrilling chase through an Antarctic storm, the crew of HMS Leopard discover they have become the quarry not the hunter. 'What is so gripping about O'Brian's novels is the completeness with which he invents a world which is our own and not our own . . . O'Brian is a brilliant observer.' A. S. BYATT, Evening Standard 'I fell in love with his writing straightaway. It wasn't primarily the Nelson and Napoleonic period, more the human relationships . . . It's about friendship, camaraderie. Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin always remind me a bit of Mick and me.' KEITH RICHARDS
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Patrick O'Brian wrote 20 novels in this series and Desolation is one of the overall best. The action is intense, the story believable and the characters will cause anyone who reads this to catch AMS - the Aubry/Matrian Syndrome!
More than a nautical tale, it is a story about a relationship between a ships capitan (Jack Aubry) and his "particular" friend and surgen, Stephen Matrian. Beyond that is the intregue that comes with the special duties that Maturian conducts.
Most start with the first book in the series, not this 5th one, but each are written as a complete book so you can start with Desolation Island as it is a complete story on its own.
There are none who have done historical fiction better than O'Brian. His details make every story come alive.
