Desolation Island

Series: Aubrey-Maturin
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( 16,090 ratings, 722 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Desolation Island by Patrick O’Brian follows Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend, Dr Stephen Maturin, as they navigate treacherous waters aboard the HMS Leopard. The story unfolds with tension at sea, espionage, and thrilling encounters, blending maritime adventure with elements of intrigue, while showcasing O'Brian's detailed depiction of life aboard a 19th-century British warship.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this thrilling adventure if you're drawn to tense naval encounters and strategic brilliances set during the Napoleonic Wars. This gripping story follows Captain Jack Aubrey and his surgeon-friend Stephen Maturin as they navigate challenges on the high seas, blending historical fiction with espionage, making it a compelling read for those interested in maritime history and intrigue.

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Desolation Island

On Desolation Island, with the known world out of reach, uneasy alliances are sometimes forged…

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written. All eighteen books are being re-issued in hardback by HarperCollins with stunning new jackets to coincide with a new film based on the adventures and to introduce these modern classics to a new generation.

Commissioned to rescue Governor Bligh of Bounty fame, Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend and surgeon, Stephen Maturin, sail the Leopard to Australia with a hold full of convicts. Among them is a beautiful and dangerous spy—and a treacherous disease which decimates the crew.

The ingredients of a wonderfully powerful and dramatic O'Brian novel are heightened by descriptive writing of rare quality. Nowhere in contemporary prose have the majesty and terror of the sea been more effectively rendered than in the thrilling chase through an Antarctic storm in which Jack's ship, under-manned and out-gunned, is the quarry not the hunter.

Series: Aubrey-Maturin

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian is praised for its energy and vivid portrayal of the Napoleonic Wars. Critics commend O'Brian as a master storyteller, likening his work to that of a modern Homer. The book is lauded for its detailed maritime authenticity and deep character development, making it a standout in historical naval fiction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780006499244

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 May 1997

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: HarperCollins

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Patrick O'Brian, one of our greatest contemporary novelists, is the author of the acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin tales and the biographer of Joseph Banks and Picasso. His first novel, Testimonies, and his Collected Short Stories were recently republished by HarperCollins. In 1995, he was the first recipient of the Heywood Hill Prize for a lifetime's contribution to literature. In the same year he was awarded the CBE. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by Trinity College, Dublin. He died in January 2000 at the age of 85.

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