Mustering The Company
Navigation
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- 01. Master and Commander
- 02. Post Captain
- 03. HMS Surprise
- 04. The Mauritius Command
- 05. Desolation Island
- 06. The Fortune of War
- 08. The Ionian Mission
- 09. Treason’s Harbour
- 10. The Far Side of the World
- 11. The Reverse of the Medal
- 12. The Letter of Marque
- 13. The Thirteen Gun Salute
- 14. The Nutmeg of Consolation
- 15. The Truelove/Clarissa Oakes
- 16. The Wine-Dark Sea
- 17. The Commodore
- 18. The Yellow Admiral
- 21. The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey
- Spoliers
- ►The Characters
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Glossaries Archive
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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 [...] -
The Nautical Origins of Everyday Sayings
Many phrases that have been adopted into everyday use originate from seafaring – in particular from the days of sail. Virtually all of these are metaphorical and the original nautical meanings are now forgotten. That association of travel and metaphor is significant in that the word metaphor derives from ancient Greek for ‘to carry’ or [...] -
Nautical Expressions From Aubrey’s Royal Navy
One of the things that makes our beloved series so rich and fascinating is Patrick O’Brian’s flawless use of many colorful nautical expressions. They help bring the world of Jack and Stephen to life, and give dimension to even the most minor characters. This is a short list of some common naval expressions, most of [...] -
A Napoleonic Era Lexicon
Unlike Master and Commander, a great deal of the action in Post Captain takes place on land, which means an entirely new vocabulary is introduced. This lexicon will hopefully prove useful if you become confused by all the lubberly terms being thrown about. Caveat: This is not a period lexicon, but one created based on [...] -
An Introduction to Ship Types During the Age of Sail
You can mouse over terms in red for further clarification… Cool, huh? There were many different types of ships during the Age of Sail, and all were defined based on their size, the number of masts they had, the shape of their hull and their rigging (the size and shape of sails arranged on however [...] -
An Introduction to Naval Terms
Patrick O’Brian is a master of naval jargon, and such mastery can at times be overwhelming. This glossary is by no means exhaustive (hence “introduction”) but should help you gain your sea-legs for your voyage! -
Master and Commander Glossary of Medical Terms
These definitions are taken from the amazing site Maturin’s Medicine and were compiled by Kerry Webb and many others (see the end of this post for full credits). In order to make the incredible amount of information somewhat easier to process, the lovely Gwen and I have gone through the original comprehensive list and broken [...]