atrick
O'Brian, who passed away this January at age 85, did not authorize King's
intriguing and extraordinarily detailed biography--which is
understandable, since O'Brian fictionalized so much of his life. O'Brian
is best known for his 20-book naval series on the Napoleonic wars--and,
more particularly, the friendship between the two protagonists, Capt. Jack
Aubrey and surgeon/intelligence agent Stephen Maturin. King (author of A
Sea of Words and Harbors and High Seas and editor of Holt's "Heart of
Oak Sea Classics" series) argues that O'Brian's prolific and
knowledgeable writing--acclaimed and translated into several
languages--owes more than a little to his divided life, his failures, and
his need to reinvent himself. Born in London (not in Ireland, as he
claimed), O'Brian changed his name from Richard Patrick Russ after World
War II. Previously, he had left his wife (a domestic) and two children and
married an English-born Russian countess. From that point on, O'Brian
disowned his past, revealing to others only what he chose to invent.
Ironically, this new existence allowed O'Brian to write knowingly of
injustice, human relationships, love, and humanity. This worthy biography,
the first major study of O'Brian, is recommended.
atrick
O'Brian, who passed away this January at age 85, did not authorize King's
intriguing and extraordinarily detailed biography--which is
understandable, since O'Brian fictionalized so much of his life. O'Brian
is best known for his 20-book naval series on the Napoleonic wars--and,
more particularly, the friendship between the two protagonists, Capt. Jack
Aubrey and surgeon/intelligence agent Stephen Maturin. King (author of A
Sea of Words and Harbors and High Seas and editor of Holt's "Heart of
Oak Sea Classics" series) argues that O'Brian's prolific and
knowledgeable writing--acclaimed and translated into several
languages--owes more than a little to his divided life, his failures, and
his need to reinvent himself. Born in London (not in Ireland, as he
claimed), O'Brian changed his name from Richard Patrick Russ after World
War II. Previously, he had left his wife (a domestic) and two children and
married an English-born Russian countess. From that point on, O'Brian
disowned his past, revealing to others only what he chose to invent.
Ironically, this new existence allowed O'Brian to write knowingly of
injustice, human relationships, love, and humanity. This worthy biography,
the first major study of O'Brian, is recommended.
