Post Captain (novel)

Post Captain
1st edition
Author(s)	Patrick O'Brian
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Aubrey–Maturin series
Genre(s)	Historical novel
Publisher	Harper Collins (UK)
Publication date	1972
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio Book (Cassette, CD)
Pages	414 pages (first edition, hardback) & 416 - 496 pages (depending on paperback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0002216574, (first edition, hardback) & ISBN 0006136664 (paperback edition UK)
OCLC Number	38885590
Dewey Decimal	823/.9/14
LC Classification	PZ3.O1285 Po PR6029.B55
Preceded by	Master and Commander
Followed by	HMS Surprise

Post Captain is a 1972 historical naval novel by Patrick O'Brian. It is second in the Aubrey–Maturin series of stories set in the early-nineteenth century, concerning the adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey and naval surgeon Stephen Maturin. It has been described as Patrick O'Brian's tribute to Jane Austen with part of it set in the domestic English countryside and the interaction of families.

Plot introduction

The novel starts during the Peace of Amiens. Jack Aubrey sets up a bachelor household in a country district, becoming friendly with a neighbouring household with several marriageable daughters. When he falls into financial difficulty, he leaves England with his friend Stephen Maturin. When the Peace is ended, they escape from France and return to England. Aubrey pleads for any ship. After many tribulations and disagreements with Maturin and others, he is eventually successful in his career.

Plot summary

The book begins in 1802 with the conclusion of the French Revolutionary Wars and the start of the Peace of Amiens. Commander Jack Aubrey returns to England to take up the life of a country squire. He meets the Williams family, and their cousin Diana Villiers. Aubrey courts Sophie Williams (the eldest daughter), but is also attracted to Diana, with whom he commences an affair.

Aubrey plans to marry Sophie Williams, but his fortune soon disappears when he is forced to repay the prize money for a merchant ship which has been deemed an unlawful capture and his prize-agent absconds with much of the rest. Aubrey flees the country to avoid going to debtors' prison.

While in France, war with England breaks out again, and French authorities begin rounding up all English subjects. Tipped off by Jean-Anne Christy de la Pallière, the French captain who had captured him in Master and Commander, Stephen smuggles Jack out of the country dressed in a bear costume. Finally making it to Gibraltar, Jack and Stephen take passage aboard a British East India Company ship. The ship is captured by the privateer Bellone, but a British squadron overtakes them and rescues Jack and Stephen.

Returning to England at the outbreak of war in 1803, Jack is offered a letter of marque by a Mr. Canning. Jack turns Canning down and is soon given command of HMS Polychrest, an odd ship that was designed to launch a secret weapon. The ship is structurally unsound and sails poorly, and its first lieutenant is very free with punishment. Placed under the command of Admiral Harte, with whose wife Jack had an affair, Jack is given a free hand in the hope that his lucky streak of capturing prizes will continue. Jack's luck does not prevail, only managing to drive the privateer Bellone aground outside a Spanish port, but with no other prizes. Disappointing Admiral Harte, Jack is assigned to escort convoys up and down the English Channel. During this time, he gets a reputation for lingering in port as he carries on an affair with Diana.

Meanwhile, Stephen is sent on an intelligence gathering mission in Spain. Upon returning, Stephen is advised by Heneage Dundas, a close friend of Jack's, to warn him about visiting Diana. When Stephen does so, Jack is angry and accuses Stephen of lying to him as to where he had been during his absence. Soon they challenge each other to a duel. While in port, Jack calls on Diana, but finds her with Canning. Prior to the date of the duel, Jack is ordered to raid the French port of Chaulieu to sink the assembled French troopships and gunboats and to destroy the corvette Fanciulla. On the way, the crew plans to mutiny because of the treatment they receive from Lieutenant Parker. Stephen overhears their plans and goes to Jack - the first time they have spoken since the challenge. Forewarned, Jack quashes the mutiny by separating the instigators and some loyal crew in a ship's boat.

During an engagement in Chaulieu, the Polychrest runs aground. Jack leads three of the ship's boats to board the Fanciulla. After a short battle, the Polychrests capture the ship and pull off the Polychrest from where it is stranded on a sand bar. However, after hours of pounding by the shore batteries, the Polychrest founders and sinks soon after leaving Chaulieu. After the battle, their duel is forgotten by both Stephen and Jack. Jack returns to England in the Fanciulla and is promoted to Post-captain. Jack is offered a ship that is currently being built but will not be ready to sail for six months. Afraid of being seized by his creditors, he declines the wait and asks for any command. He is temporarily assigned to HMS Lively whose Captain, Hamond, has taken leave to exercise his seat in Parliament.

Stephen is again sent to Spain to gather more intelligence. This time, he returns with news that the Spanish will declare war as soon as four ships full of bullion from Montevideo are safely in port. While Stephen is gone, Sophie, at Stephen's urging, asks Jack to transport her and Cecilia to the Downs. While on board, Sophie and Jack come to an agreement not to marry anyone else; Jack is currently too poor to propose a satisfactory marriage settlement to Mrs. Williams. Stephen, while attending an opera, also becomes aware of Diana's affair with Mr. Canning.

Fearing that a change in parliamentary leadership will leave Jack without a command, Stephen asks that the Lively be included in the squadron sent to intercept the Spanish. The Admiralty grants this request, assigns Stephen the title of captain pro tem so he will receive a generous share of the prize money, and tasks him to negotiate the treasure fleet's surrender. Because of Stephen's temporary rank and his now-obvious connection to the Admiralty, Jack realizes that Stephen has long been involved in intelligence work for Britain, which highlights Stephens previous travel and apparent unwillingness to explain himself.

The Spanish convoy refuses to surrender and a quick battle breaks out. One Spanish frigate explodes and the other three surrender.

Characters in "Post Captain"

Main article: Recurring characters in the Aubrey-Maturin series

• Jack Aubrey - Commander of the Polychrest and later appointed Captain of HMS Lively.
• Stephen Maturin - ship's surgeon, friend to Jack and intelligence officer.
• Sophie Williams - Jack's love interest
• Mrs. Williams - Sophie's mother
• Diana Villiers - Stephen's love interest, and one of Jack's mistresses
• Lt. Parker - 1st Lieutenant of the Polychrest
• Lt. Pullings - 2nd Lieutenant of the Polychrest
• William Babbington – midshipman in Polychrest

Ships in Post Captain

The British

• HMS Lively - frigate
• HMS Polychrest - sloop
• HMS Medusa - frigate
• HMS Indefatigable - frigate
• HMS Amphion - frigate
• HMS Amethyst - frigate
• Lord Nelson - East Indiaman

The French

• Fanciulla
• Bellone (Privateer)

The Spanish

• Medea - frigate
• Fama - frigate
• Clara - frigate
• Mercedes - frigate

Allusions

History

Stephen, in presenting his radical position against the tyranny of the navy in a fit of rage, says that he would "certainly have joined the mutineers" had he been at the Spithead Mutiny.

Literature

Further information: Ossian and James Macpherson

In a conversation with MacDonald, Stephen argues about the various qualities of the gaelic poet Ossian's writing and authenticity. This references similar controversy which had arisen during the period about the true authorship of James Macpherson's translation of his epic cycle, and continues to be questioned today in literary circles. In this same conversation, MacDonald references the Roman legal principle "falsum in unam, falsum in omnibus," which translates to "false in one thing, fall in all things."

Literary significance & criticism

"One of the finest seafaring novels of the Napoleonic wars." — R. W., Taranaki Herald (New Zealand), on Post Captain

"Master and Commander raised almost dangerously high expectations, Post Captain triumphantly surpasses them. Mr. O'Brian is a master of his period, in which his characters are finely placed, while remaining three-dimensional, thoroughly human beings. This book sets him at the very top of his genre; he does not just have the chief qualifications of a first-class historical novelist, he has them all. The action scenes are superb; towards the end, far from being aware that one is reading what is, physically, a fairly long book, one notes with dismay that there is not much more to come....A brilliant book." — Mary Renault, on Post Captain

Release details

• 1972, UK, Collins Publishers ISBN 0002216574, Pub Date ? ? 1970, hardback (First edition)
• 1972, USA, Lippincott ISBN 0006129137, Pub Date ? ? 1972, hardback
• 1975, UK, Fontana ISBN 0006136664, Pub date 1 April 1975, paperback
• 1990, USA, W. W. Norton ISBN 0393307069, Pub date ? November 1990, paperback
• 1994, USA, W. W. Norton ISBN 0393037029, Pub date ? ? 1994, hardback
• 2000, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon ISBN 0754014231, Pub date 1 December 2000, hardback (large print)
• 2001, USA, Chivers, Windsor, Paragon ISBN 0754023206, Pub date 1 September 2001, paperback (large print)
• 1996, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0006499163, Pub date 7 October 1996, paperback
• 1997, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0001053302, Pub date 21 April 1997, Audio book cassette (narrated by Robert Hardy)
• 1998, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0002216574, Pub Date 27 January 1998, hardback
• 2001, USA, Recorded Books ISBN 1402502214, Pub date ? September 2001, Audio book cassette (narrated by Patrick Tull)
• 2002, UK, Soundings ISBN 1842832611, Pub date ? September 2002, Audio book CD (narrated by Stephen Thorne)
• 2004, UK, Blackstone ISBN 0786187034, Pub date ? January 2004, Audio book MP3 cassette (narrated by Robert Whitfield)
• 2011, USA, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 978-0-393-05993-9), Pub date 5 December 2011, e-book

Sources, references, external links, quotations

• Richard O'Neill (2003). Patrick O'Brian's Navy: The Illustrated Companion to Jack Aubrey's World. Running Press. ISBN 0762415401. 
• Dean King (2001). A Sea of Words: Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales. Henry Holt. ISBN 0805066152. 
• Dean King (2001). Harbors and High Seas: Map Book and Geographical Guide to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian. Henry Holt. ISBN 0805066144. 
• Brian Lavery (2003). Jack Aubrey Commands: An Historical Companion to the Naval World of Patrick O'Brian. Conway Maritime. ISBN 0851779468. 
• Anne Chotzinoff Grossman, Lisa Grossman Thomas (2000). Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which Is a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels. W W Norton & Co Ltd. ISBN 0393320944. 
• David Miller (2003). The World of Jack Aubrey: Twelve-Pounders, Frigates, Cutlasses, and Insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0762416521. 
• A.E. Cunningham (Editor) (1994). Patrick O'Brian: A Bibliography and Critical Appreciation. British Library Publishing Division. ISBN 0712310711.