The second book Patrick O’Brian wrote about the sea and a brilliant sequel to The Golden Ocean. The second book Patrick O’Brian wrote about the sea and a brilliant sequel to The Golden Ocean. As in The Golden Ocean, The Unknown Shore tells the tale of another ill-fated ship on Anson’s expedition round the world – the Wager. Parted from her squadron in the fearful storms off Cape Horn, the Wager struggles on alone up the ironbound coast of Chile, before she is driven onto rocks and sinks. The survivors include Jack Byron, a midshipman, and his eccentric protégé Toby, an alarmingly naive surgeon’s mate with a single-minded devotion to zoology. Faced with a surplus of rum, a disappearing stock of food, and a hard, detested captain, the survivors soon descend into trouble of every kind, including drunkeness, mutiny and bloodshed. As they make their way northwards under the guidance of a band of stony and depraved Indians, they at last find safety and good treatment in Valparaiso. Admirers of O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels will see in Jack Byron a matter-of-fact, bluff precursor to the great Jack Aubrey. Whilst Toby, raging in Greek against a corrupt Member of Parliament, stripped by thieves in the Farthing Pie House, asking the Commodore to carry his snake, arousing the darkest suspicions in the Chilean Inquisition, is an amiable companion whose vagaries afford endless diversion on a hard and dramatic journey. ‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde ‘The story has in it something like greatness. It is naive, matter-of-fact; tragic, richly funny; closely detailed but with a bold sweeping action. It goes on that very small shelf reserved for authors who, disregarding aptitudes spin a story out of the heart and soul of their experience and the joy of living.’TLS 'As always, the author's erudition and humour are on display…the attention to period speech and detail is uncompromising and while the cascades of natural love can be dizzying, both aficionados and newcomers will be swept up by the richness of Mr O'Brian's prodigious imagination.'Scott Veale, New York Times Patrick O’Brian, until his death in 2000, was one of our greatest contemporary novelists. He is the author of the acclaimed Aubrey–Maturin tales and the biographer of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He is the author of many other books including Testimonies, and his Collected Short Stories. In 1995 he was the first recipient of the Heywood Hill Prize for a lifetime’s contribution to literature. In the same year he was awarded the CBE. In 1997 he received an honorary doctorate of letters from Trinity College, Dublin. He lived for many years in South West France and he died in Dublin in January 2000. • Massive press and consumer interest in O’Brian. He has been hailed as the greatest historical novelist writing today and as ‘Jane Austen, sur mer’. • O’Brian’s entire backlist has been repackaged in B-format with stunning new cover designs. Competition: master and commander;clarissa oakes;post captain;treason’s harbour;desolation island;sharpe’s assassin;war lord;the last kingdom. by;bernard cornwell;julian stockwin;david gilman;alexander kent;allan mallinson;dean king;c. s. forester;dewey lambdin;jay worrall;diana gabaldon
Pubblicato da: HarperCollins Publishers