Aubrey, Maturin and Diana Villiers (Maturin's fickle and enigmatic love) are passengers on a packet ship from Nova Scotia to England when two American privateers give chase. They are hunting Maturin, who has compromised U.S. spy networks. The Americans are eluded, and upon reaching England, Maturin sets off to France. Armed with safe conduct papers, he lectures on natural history and installs Villiers in Paris. Suspicious French agents try to bait Maturin but he refuses to be lured into an indiscretion. On his return to London, Maturin is sent to woo Catalan officers and troops from the French cause to the British. Aubrey provides transport, but despite his best support, including staging a splendid charade chase on the water, the mission takes a nasty turn when their ship founders; seized by the French, Maturin and Aubrey are hauled off to Paris's infamous Temple Prison.

Book 7 of the series travels with 8 other volumes as ring:


1 Master & Commander
2 Post Captain
3 H.M.S. Surprise
4 The Mauritius Command
5 Desolation Island
6 The Fortune of War
7 The Surgeon's Mate
8 The Ionian Mission
9 Treason's Harbour
10 The far side of the world

Ahoi

1. suzanne4books
2. chesswally

Arrived here yesterday, thanks a lot! Might take me some more time to read it, though. Some other BookRings came in first.

Looking forward to reading them all nevertheless!

Update, February 28th 2014: First things first: Sorry that it took so long this time!

Nevertheless I enjoyed it thoroughly, both "The Fortune of War" and "The Surgeon's Mate". (I am very much inclined to consider them to be one story told in two books.) It was particularly nice to follow Captain Jack Aubrey on a mission in the Baltic Sea for once!

Next: "The Ionian Mission". (Might take some more time. Again: Sorry.)

Und weiter geht's für Jack und Stephen. Nächster Hafen: Vaihingen!

Viel Spaß der nächsten Leserin!

Besten Dank...liegt nun hier vor Anker.

Patrick O'Brian is a great author having the abilitiy to bring the reader to many different places in the world. This novel went to the Baltic Sea. But also the individual thoughts and motivations are important. Well, I was not very amused to read about Captain Aubrey's infidelity and its problems. But fortunately the end this time was a real happy one.

On its way home. Thanks for sharing.