Nautical Fiction

There are tales of the Vikings, and tales of the industiral wars of the 20th century, but by far the most prolific and interesting stories deal with the Napoleonic era of 1790 - 1815 . This is the most popular historical time in which to set tales of the high seas. Few other historical periods give an author the entire world as a canvas to develop his character over a series of novels, and provide enough foes to provide frequent promotions. There are a few about ancient history, and a fair number about World War II, but those are more military than nautical per se. Curiously, almost tall nautical fiction is about the captain. Novels about the those 'before the mast' rarely can sustain the arc beyond a single volume. Partly it's hierarchical because any drama contained in the warship is concentrated in the capabilities of one often lonely man. The rest of the ship's complement often has little freedom of action. CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower series was long the standard for other authors to approach, It follows the young Horatio from mishipman to the advanced ranks of the Admiralty. The Bolitho series tried, but no one surpassed it until Patrick O'Brian introduced us to Jack Aubry and his friend, doctor and secret agent, Stephen Maturin.

In the non series category, there are more to choose from. Known mostly for his land based historical novels of 18th century colonial & revolutionary America, Kenneth Roberts' Lively Lady still holds up as a compelling story of privateers in the War of 1812.

.The Jack Aubrey series by Patrick O'Brian is simply the best sequence of navel novels ever written. It's far superior to the sagas of Hornblower, Bolitho and the others. You can read them chronologically, or out of sequence, abut the result is the same. Every one shines as a gem on its own, but also fit together like a string of pearls.. O'Brian is to the nautical novel what John Le Carre is to the spy-thriller genre - excelling in their chosen form, while creating literature. O'Brian combines the details of life of an 18th - 19th century seaman with intricate plotting. The menus, superstitions, medical care, techniques of navigation and rigging all command attention. All the characters develop as the series progresses, and it's worth starting the series over to see how much was foreshadowed in the early books. Jack Aubrey is probably a more typical example than Hornblower's career. Jack, like most of his contemporaries spends most of the books as a frigate commander or captain. While he takes part in some historical actions, most of the background plots involve the secret war and counte-respionage undertaken by Stephen Maturin and the chess game between his London spymasters and their Parisian counterparts.

O'Brian's books are filled with beautifully accurate dialog, often humorous, but ever in the idioms of the time, whether fo'c'sle scuttlebutt, or high society chamber concerts. The relationships are perfected  by tiny details. [e.g., the employment of older or injured sailors on Jack's estate as handymen, where they keep the garden and home as spit polished and shipshape as any of Jack's oceangoing homes. ] Stephen & Jack's musical diversions are sui generi- developing as a clever yet telling backstory of friendship in wartime conditions. The sailing and action sequences remain the core of this genre and O'Brian never fails us - the storms and other trials testing Aubrey's seafaring abilities are ever novel and retain interest throughout this stunning series.

Other contenders:

C. Northcote Parkinson [of Parkinson's Law], wrote several entertaining novels in this genre, including "Devil to Pay" and "Fireship"

Julian Stockwin's tales of Thomas Kydd show the times from the view of a pressed landsman, starting at the bottom. Unfortunately, they lack any compelling interest after the first volume; I started the second but couldn't get very far into it.

Bernard Cornwell -
Killer's Wake - Combining thrilling sailing adventure with a mystery set in modern England, Cornwell does it again.

Sharpe's Trafalgar- Written after the main books in the Sharpe series about the Penisula Wars, this is a prequel that describes how Sharpe returned home from India.  Of course, with his luck, Sharpe's ship happens to link up with  Nelson's fleet, just in time for ultimate Victory. Sharpe makes an easy adjustment to life at sea and the battle sequences match those of O'Brian are superb.

Others include

• Maryatt's Two Years Before the Mast - the story of sailors on the west coast of theCalifornai in the early 1800s
• The Man Without a Country - A homily on why bad language is never appropriate. Set during the war of 1812
• Moby Dick
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne

Related books:

• Susan Sontag - The Volcano Lover
• Life of Pi
• The Nautical Chart - Arturo Perez-Reverte
• Shadow Divers:
• Tilman : Eight Sailing/Mountain-Exploration books, omnibus volumes
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