Disclaimer: Apologies if this makes no sense. I had my wisdom teef pulled yesterday and am currently on nice, friendly pain meds.
Desolation Island is the fifth book in the Aubrey-Maturin series. This time around, Capt. Aubrey finds himself with two choices of command: the newly refitted Leopard with a mission to Australia to restore Capt. Bligh (yes, that Bligh) as Governor of the New South Wales after a coup and to transport convicts, or the soon to be completed HMS Ajax with a mission of patrol in the Mediterranean.
Diane Villiers has returned, sort of, and leaves even more quickly than she appeared. Maturin once again(or is it still?) heartbroken, Aubrey decides to leave immediately with the Leopard believing that a few years of sailing and cataloging flora and fauna will do Stephen good. Among the convicts is an American spy who turns out to be a friend of Villiers. Maturin is obliged to study her to learn about her spy ring and possible accomplices in England.
Shortly after setting sail, the ship is overrun with gaol fever, forcing the ship to stop in Recife, Brazil to drop off the invalid sailors. While there, Aubrey learns about the Waakzaamheid, a 74-gun Dutch warship patrolling the South Atlantic. Out-gunned and under-manned, Aubrey hopes to sneak past the Dutch ship and make it to Australia.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story but O'Brian's love of detail in some areas and complete lack of detail in others, continues to frustrate me a bit. One example is
No worries though, I still plan to read the whole series. Also, reading this book reminded me that I still need to buy Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels because I just have to try some of those dishes. :whistling:
-
Desolation Island is the fifth book in the Aubrey-Maturin series. This time around, Capt. Aubrey finds himself with two choices of command: the newly refitted Leopard with a mission to Australia to restore Capt. Bligh (yes, that Bligh) as Governor of the New South Wales after a coup and to transport convicts, or the soon to be completed HMS Ajax with a mission of patrol in the Mediterranean.
Diane Villiers has returned, sort of, and leaves even more quickly than she appeared. Maturin once again(or is it still?) heartbroken, Aubrey decides to leave immediately with the Leopard believing that a few years of sailing and cataloging flora and fauna will do Stephen good. Among the convicts is an American spy who turns out to be a friend of Villiers. Maturin is obliged to study her to learn about her spy ring and possible accomplices in England.
Shortly after setting sail, the ship is overrun with gaol fever, forcing the ship to stop in Recife, Brazil to drop off the invalid sailors. While there, Aubrey learns about the Waakzaamheid, a 74-gun Dutch warship patrolling the South Atlantic. Out-gunned and under-manned, Aubrey hopes to sneak past the Dutch ship and make it to Australia.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story but O'Brian's love of detail in some areas and complete lack of detail in others, continues to frustrate me a bit. One example is
the multi-page description of the changes in the weather while spending less than two paragraphs describing how a lucky canon shot blows away the Waakzaamheid's foremast, causing her to be thrown on her beam ends and sink almost immediately.
No worries though, I still plan to read the whole series. Also, reading this book reminded me that I still need to buy Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels because I just have to try some of those dishes. :whistling:
-