An enemy frigate is outward bound to play havoc with the vital British whaling trade, and must be stopped at all costs.An enemy frigate is outward bound to play havoc with the vital British whaling trade, and must be stopped at all costs.Racing against time, Captain Jack Aubrey and his crew must chase the USS Norfolk as she rounds Cape Horn, pursuing her into the Great South Sea and beyond. Following the equator, ahead of them lies not only the natural wonders of the Galapagos but also a succession of disasters – men overboard, castaways, typhoons, shipwrecks, to say nothing of murder and criminal insanity.In a deadly game of cat and mouse with their American foes, will Jack Aubrey and his crew triumph, despite the odds?‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’CAROLINE MOORE, Sunday Telegraph‘I love these books . . . They will sweep you away and return you delighted, increased and stunned’NICOLA GRIFFITH, NPR‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie FfordeThe War of 1812 still rages as Jack Aubrey and his tetchy, sardonic friend Stephen Maturin lay a course across the South Atlantic to intercept a powerful American frigate outward bound to play havoc with the British whaling trade.If they do not come up with her before she rounds the Horn, they must follow her as far across the Pacific as she may lead them. It is a commission after Jack's own heart, while Maturin has fish of his own to fry in the world of secret intelligence.In classic O'Brian style, the execution of their duties is hampered by a succession of disasters – men overboard, castaways, encounters with savages, storms, typhoons, groundings and shipwrecks, to say nothing of murder and criminal insanity.Other Patrick O'Brian titles available from HarperCollinsAudioBooks include:'The Surgeon's MateThe Ionian MissionTreason's Harbour'Patrick O’Brian was born in 1914 and published his first book, Caesar, when he was only fifteen. In the 1960s he began work on the idea that, over the next four decades, evolved into the twenty-novel long Aubrey–Maturin series (with an extra unfinished volume published posthumously). In 1995 he was awarded the CBE, and in 1997 he received an honorary doctorate of letters from Trinity College, Dublin. He died in January 2000 at the age of 85.Requires internet connection for purchase, plus iPod or other Audible-compatible player or iTunes software on Mac OS X or Windows• Available for the first time as a downloadable audio file.• Massive press and consumer interest in O’Brian. He has been hailed as the greatest historical novelist writing today and as ‘Jane Austen, sur mer.’• O’Brian’s profile has also never been higher. He was the first recipient of the Heywood Hill Prize for a lifetime’s contribution to literature. Interest in him continues unabated both in the UK and the US (he is Norton’s top-selling novelist).• New $150 million movie based on the series due in 2003, starring Russel CroweCompetition: clarissa oakes;post captain;treason’s harbour;desolation island;sharpe’s assassin;war lord;the last kingdom. by;bernard cornwell;julian stockwin;david gilman;alexander kent;allan mallinson;dean king;c. s. forester;dewey lambdin;jay worrall;diana gabaldon
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