The Mauritius Command, by Patrick O’Brian
By Peter on Oct 12, 2009 in Classical novel, Excellent book, Historical Fiction, Patrick O'Brian, book review
Patrick O’Brian’s fourth Aubrey-Maturin novel,
Jack Aubrey has been on shore for quite some time, and is becoming extremely restless. His cottage is small and drafty, his twin daughters are too young, his mother-in-law, Mrs. Williams, lives with Jack and Sophie, and life isn’t so easy. The navy routine is missing. As well – he is poor and on half pay only.
However, when Aubrey is put in charge of a small fleet destined for the Indian Ocean to harass French shipping and take several of their island outposts, life changes to the better for him. For Jack Aubrey is truly a warrior and a man of the sea. He loves the sea, Navy life, roaring cannon and a well fought battle.
Now France has sent a squadron of powerful frigates to the island of La Reunion and its close neighbor Mauritius. These islands, which have good harbors, provide the French with a formidable base for harrying British shipping. Due to its effects on the India trade, the French presence there cannot be permitted. Thus, in order to make the Indian Ocean safe for English commerce, the islands must be taken from the French.
To achieve this, Jack Aubrey is given command of a small squadron and with it the temporary rank of commodore. This is his first taste of high command. This means he has to deal with several difficult and somewhat unruly captains: Lord Clonfert who is jealous of Jack’s fame and success; Pym who is solid but lacks judgment in battle; and Corbett who is a savage disciplinarian.
The Mauritius Command is one of the best books in the series. Most of the book takes place at sea. As well, Stephen Maturin plays a more prominent role as an intelligence officer in this book, and becomes more and more interesting as a character. But most of all, it is a book where we meet a thinking and fighting Jack Aubrey that has to go up against overwhelming odds, and end up feeling a lot of sympathy with him.
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