Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brien

This is Russel Crow in the film 'Master and Commander.
He thinks he's Captain Aubrey. So does the
director. I don't agree with them.

     I first encountered Patrick O'Brien's series of Napoleonic Naval Novels when I was at Secondary School, and I got one on Audiobook. I cannot recall which one it was, but it was certainly read by Patrick Tull - one of the best, and slowest audio book readers around. His deep, sonorous tones were ideally suited to the story at hand. Since then, I have had numerous installements of the saga of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin on audio book.
     But I have never read one. Until now.
     Master And Commander is the first book of the series, in which Jack Aubrey gets his first command, meets Dr. Maturin and forms a friendship with him which will become the mainstay of the series. The whole book reeks of historical authenticity - there's even a foreword by the author in whihc he explains that all of the battles and naval action in the book actually took place, (although not always with the ships in the story, and not always in the order they appear in the story) and a handy diagram explaining what all of the sails are. The book is crammed with naval terminology, much of which is completely meaningless to the layman of the 21st century. This is where Dr. Maturin comes in handy. He is the layman of the 19th Century. He's never been to sea before, and is completely oblivious to all nautical knowledge. What he does learn he forgets, which gives the other characters ample opportunity to explain it all to him (and the reader!) all over again.
     I have been reading through this book at a great rate, despite a tendency to sometimes read it in Patrick Tull's voice. I had feared that this would prove one of those books which works on Audio Book because you can do other things while listening to it, but it seems my attention span is up to it. You see, all of Patrick O'Brien's books are well written, well researched, well developed, and well done, but nothing much happens in them. Well, rather a lot happens, but not very much fighting, considering they are set aboard warships. But it's the stuff which happens between the fights, the human element, which makes the books good. It's rather like Alexander McCall Smith's No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, which is more about drinking tea than detection, but wonderfully entertaining because of it.
     This is possibly not the best book to read if you have no knowledge of the navy of the Napoleonic era, and possibly not the best book for jumping into the genre. It's certainly not something I'd recommend to reluctant readers because O'Brien likes to use the fanciest words he can find, as indeed, did the naval men of the day. However, there is a qoute on the cover proclaiming O'Brien one of the greatest historical novelists, and I am inclined to agree. Just take a dictionary with you.

I give this book:
4/5 (Good Dog)

Diary of a Wombat

     Hands down my favorite picture book of all time. Diary of a Wombat is a perfect mix of simple story and words from Jackie French and wonderful paintings from Bruce Whately. The character of Mothball the Wombat is just so lovable because she's drawn from life - Jackie French is involved in rearing orphan wombats to be re-released in the wild. The book uses a very basic vocabulary, so it's a good place ego start kids reading.
     There are also two sequels - Diary of a Baby Wombat (which I have), and Christmas Wombat (which I have asked for for Christmas!) which continue the story of Mothball. And then there's the Shaggy Gully Times, a book in the form of a mock newspaper edited by Mothball. Other lovable animal characters from Jackie French books make appearances - Pete the Sheep, Josephine the dancing Kangaroo, and Emily the Emu who can, and will, eat anything at all. Shaggy Gully Times is aimed at slightly older readers and has considerably more text.

RATINGS:

Diary of a Wombat: NOBLE HOUND (5/5)
Diary of a Baby Wombat: GOOD DOG (4/5)
The Shaggy Gully Times: NOBLE HOUND (5/5)