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Suggested Reading: Aubrey/Maturin Companion Books

Obviously, the world Patrick O’Brian brings so vividly to life in our beloved series is complex and foreign to most readers. There is certainly no shortage of information about the time period and the novels themselves online (including over 250 articles on this site alone), but there are also many excellent companion books available. Your [...]
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Paintings, Plans, Diagrams and History of the HMS Boadicea

*SPOILERS* … the Boadicea proved she was a dry, wholesome ship. – The Mauritius Campaign
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Paintings, Plans, Diagrams and History of the HMS Surprise

*SPOILERS* … He knew her through and through, as beautiful a piece of ship-building as any that had been launched from the French yards, a true thoroughbred, very fast in the right hands, weatherly, dry, a splendid sailor on a bowline, and a ship that almost steered herself once you understood her ways. - H.M.S. [...]
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Ship Losses During the French Revolutionary War (1793 – 1802)

Ship losses during the Revolutionary War from 1793 through to late 1802 are very revealing as to the strength of the British navy. Although the French and Spanish were the main adversaries the British also had to contend with the Dutch (under the guise of the Batavian Republic) and the Danes. There is also one [...]
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10.20.1827 The End of the Age of Sail

If the Age of Sail has a specific expiration date, October 20th, 1827 is it. This is when the Battle of Navarino, the last battle ever to be fought entirely between sailing vessels, occurred. After this date, while some navies retained a few sailing ships because they could not afford the expense of new steam [...]
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A Closer Look at Rates of Pay in Aubrey’s Royal Navy

Life in the Royal Navy had an advantage over life on land, specifically that of steady pay at quite decent rates, perhaps higher than most occupations on the shore (though not higher than work in the merchant service). Here is a look at the rates of pay for a sixth rate such as the Trincomalee [...]
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The State of Aubrey’s Royal Navy

Just what kind of situation is Jack getting himself into when he takes command of the Sophie in Master and Commander? The Naval Balance The naval balance of power during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars was one-sided, with Britain having so large and powerful a fleet it could match all the other sea-faring nations put [...]
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An Introduction to Pay and Prize Money in Aubrey’s Royal Navy

“The pay is contemptible for a learned man – five pounds a month – and I am ashamed to mention it; but there is the chance of prize-money… For even Aristotle would have been moved by prize-money. Doubloons, sir: they lie in soft leather sacks, you know, about so big, and they are wonderfully heavy [...]
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An Introduction to the Watch System in Aubrey’s Royal Navy

This is a simplified version of the watch system as operated in most ships, where the crew were divided into two watches, the larboard and starboard watch. In practice when meals were served a small percentage of the watch on duty manned the ship whilst the others ate and then had their meals when the [...]
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Paintings, Plans, Diagrams and History of the HMS Lively

*SPOILERS* No wonder they called her a crack frigate: her sailing qualities were quite out of the ordinary, and the smooth quiet discipline of her people was beyond anything he had seen. – Post Captain
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All To Seek: Cross-Reference

Subjects Commonly Addressed