|
''Master and Commander'' is the first historical novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, first published in 1969 in the US and 1970 in UK. The story features Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and the naval surgeon Stephen Maturin, and is set in the Napoleonic Wars. The novel proved to be the start of a 20-novel series, written from 1969 until the author's death early in 2000. The novel follows a brief period in the lives of three men, Jack Aubrey, a young "Master and Commander" who gains his first command the ''Sophie'', Stephen Maturin, a penniless doctor who becomes a naval surgeon after meeting Aubrey at a musical performance in Port Mahon, and the third, James Dillon, the first lieutenant of the ship on which they sail. The novel is set during 1800 and follows Aubrey's naval exploit during a window of time early in Britain's war with Napoleon's France. Aubrey's ship enters several naval battles that draw on the feats of Lord Cochrane, including a battle modeled after Cochrane's famous victory while commanding the brig HMS ''Speedy'' over the Xebec-frigate ''El Gamo''. Aubrey observes the Algeciras Campaign as a French prisoner-of-war. The novel was written by O'Brian at the suggestion of J. B. Lippincott, a US publisher. A UK publisher published the novel in the next year. It was re-issued by another US publisher in 1990, reaching a wider market and better critical reception. Reception for the novel, as well the rest of the series, emphasizes the deeply described characters, accurate description of the nautical culture and technology and the literary style in which O'Brian writes. ==Plot summary== The story starts out on April 1, 1800, in Port Mahon, Minorca, a base of the Royal Navy. A shipless lieutenant wasting away in port, Jack Aubrey, meets Stephen Maturin, a penniless half-Irish and half-Catalan physician and natural philosopher, at an evening concert at the Governor’s Mansion. An offence against honour arises when Jack Aubrey gets elbowed by Maturin to stop beating "a half measure ahead" of the time while the string quartet is playing. Each man is at a low point; they exchange names and locations (so that their seconds might call upon them to arrange a duel). Later that evening, at his living quarters, Jack Aubrey learns that he has been promoted to the rank of commander and has been given command of the brig HMS ''Sophie''. Meeting Maturin in the street the next day, Aubrey's joy overcomes his animosity and he invites Maturin to dine. Maturin accepts. They discover a shared love of music and a similar level of talent in the other: Aubrey plays the violin and Maturin the cello. Upon learning that Maturin is a physician Aubrey, somewhat impetuously, asks him to sign on and ship with him, the surgeon for Aubrey's new ship having left with the previous captain. Although Maturin is a physician, with training far beyond the naval designation of 'surgeon', he agrees, as he is currently unemployed. In ''Sophie''s crew are master's mates Thomas Pullings, William Mowett, midshipman William Babbington, and James Dillon, the first lieutenant. Dillon and Maturin met earlier as members of the United Irishmen, a secret they keep between them. Three men about the same age, Aubrey, Dillon and Maturin, begin an adventure on ''Sophie''. Aubrey improves ''Sophie''s sailing qualities by adding a longer yard which allows him to spread a larger mainsail. She then is sent to accompany a small convoy of merchant ships. During their journey east, the new captain, Aubrey, takes the opportunity to get to know his sailors and work them into a fighting unit, with the aid of Lieutenant Dillon. As he does this, he and the crew explain many naval matters to Maturin (and to the reader) since the doctor has never served aboard a man-of-war, including the gaining of prize money for capturing enemy vessels. Maturin quickly makes friends aboard the ship for his medical skills and his joy in finding rare birds and fish. The crew treat him as a landsman, but without insult. After the convoy duties, Lord Keith allows Aubrey to cruise independently, looking for French merchants. After a number of prizes are taken, they meet and defeat the ''Cacafuego'', a Spanish xebec-frigate, losing a number of crew, including Dillon, in the bloody action and gaining the respect of other naval officers. However, Captain Harte, the commandant at Mahon, has a grudge against Aubrey, who has been having an affair with his wife. Harte's malevolence ensures that the victory brings Aubrey and his crew no official recognition, promotion, or significant prize money, although Aubrey gains a reputation among members of the British Navy as one of its great, young fighting captains. The loss of Dillon is great to both Aubrey and Maturin, and felt in the ship, especially when his replacement is nowhere near his match. On her following escort duty, ''Sophie'' is captured by a squadron of four large French warships after a pursuit and a brave but hopeless resistance. The French Captain Christy Pallière is most courteous to Aubrey; he tells Aubrey of his cousins in Bath, and feeds them well. The Battle of Algeciras begins, and after a short period as prisoners of war aboard ''Desaix'', they are exchanged; awaiting their trial, the Sophies miss the fighting but observe it closely from Gibraltar. After the battle, Aubrey undergoes a court-martial over the loss of his ship, and he is cleared of the charges. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Master and Commander」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|