The 9th installment in the Aubrey/Maturin series All of Patrick O'Brian's strengths are on parade in this novel of action and intrigue, set partly in Malta, partly in the treacherous, pirate-infested waters of the Red Sea. While Captain Aubrey worries about repairs to his ship, Stephen Maturin assumes the center stage; for the dockyards and saloons of Malta are alive with Napoleon's agents, and the admiralty's intelligence network is compromised. Maturin's cunning is the sole bulwark against sabotage of Aubrey's daring mission.
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"Another solid outing from the tales of Aubrey and Maturin. It looks like there will be less of an effort to contain storylines within one book, instead focusing more on longer, multi-book arcs. Still, the story is good and the pace is brisk. Can't wait for book ten! "
— Chris (5 out of 5 stars)
" Another fine Aubrey Maturin yarn. Some nice twists and tales. "
— Tim, 4/15/2010" Another great book in the series. Not one of the absolute best, but definitely a fun read. Love the diving bell! "
— Rob, 4/9/2010" Oh, no! A double agent keeps betraying Jack's position to the French, but Stephen can't figure out who it is! He is still clueless at the end of the book! Wake up, Stephen! It is so obvious!! "
— Jocelyn, 3/24/2010" This felt like half of a book. One of the major plotlines doesn't resolve at all. I'm sure it's covered in the next book of the series, but I was annoyed. "
— Aneel, 2/9/2010" As usual, this book had beautiful writing. Unfortunately, it was tied to a very weak plot. Obviously, this book was written as a bridge, introducing characters and situations that will be fleshed out in the future. But, I was disappointed. Three stars for plot, four for writing. "
— Will, 2/8/2010Patrick O’Brian (1914–2000), a translator and author of biographies, was best known as the author of the highly acclaimed Aubrey–Maturin series of historical novels. Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars ,this twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician and spy Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. He wrote acclaimed biographies of Pablo Picasso and Sir Joseph Banks. He also translated many works from the French, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Lacouture’s biographies of Charles de Gaulle.