First off, I enjoyed reading this about as much as I have enjoyed reading any book ever.  O'Brian is the master of several points of really good writing.  I'll be quick, after all these reviews I don't know how much I can offer that is new.  But....His characters are really well done.  Also quickly done.  He teaches us a lot about one character who as a guest at a dinner party simply gets up, finds the chamber pot hidden in a cabinet, uses it and returns to table-while continuing his conversation.  I would never have thought that up in a million years.  He has lots and lots of characters, most (like the guest) come and go quickly while illuminating the social world in which Jack Aburey exists.  This attention to exquisite detail O'Brian lavishes upon the least midshipman or an admiral who we see only for a few pages.  Wonderful stuff.
  His descriptions of life at sea in the wars of the French Revolution have no equal in depth of knowledge, in tiny details that give life to the scenes and to the flow of narrative that lets us see in our minds eye the ship, the cabin, the rigging or what we need to know about.  This guy knows his boats and he allows us, his readers, to share is knowledge.
  He uses the style, the language and the often stilted pace of speaking used in that level of British society at that time.  He writes as if he were contemporary to the action in the words of that time and place.
  He is smart as all get out, which helps me learn.  He uses his character of a doctor to inform us about all matter of things in the natural world.  He knows details of geography, of wind and wave and of the social lives of even non English characters.  In one exchange of a few sentences between two Spaniards I learned more about how they saw their world than I have ever envisioned.  More wonderful stuff.
  It is a thumping great story as well with a thumping great hero-not perhaps a nice man but a man who has all of the very best attributes of his class and time-as well as the flaws.  We wish Jack well because of his virtues and in spite of his flaws.
First off, I enjoyed reading this about as much as I have enjoyed reading any book ever. O'Brian is the master of several points of really good writing. I'll be quick, after all these reviews I don't know how much I can offer that is new. But.... His characters are really well done. Also quickly done. He teaches us a lot about one character who as a guest at a dinner party simply gets up, finds the chamber pot hidden in a cabinet, uses it and returns to table-while continuing his conversation. I would never have thought that up in a million years. He has lots and lots of characters, most (like the guest) come and go quickly while illuminating the social world in which Jack Aburey exists. This attention to exquisite detail O'Brian lavishes upon the least midshipman or an admiral who we see only for a few pages. Wonderful stuff. His descriptions of life at sea in the wars of the French Revolution have no equal in depth of knowledge, in tiny details that give life to the scenes and to the flow of narrative that lets us see in our minds eye the ship, the cabin, the rigging or what we need to know about. This guy knows his boats and he allows us, his readers, to share is knowledge. He uses the style, the language and the often stilted pace of speaking used in that level of British society at that time. He writes as if he were contemporary to the action in the words of that time and place. He is smart as all get out, which helps me learn. He uses his character of a doctor to inform us about all matter of things in the natural world. He knows details of geography, of wind and wave and of the social lives of even non English characters. In one exchange of a few sentences between two Spaniards I learned more about how they saw their world than I have ever envisioned. More wonderful stuff. It is a thumping great story as well with a thumping great hero-not perhaps a nice man but a man who has all of the very best attributes of his class and time-as well as the flaws. We wish Jack well because of his virtues and in spite of his flaws.