Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > O'Brian, Patrick - Sam Pickering (review date Spring 1996)

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Sam Pickering (review date Spring 1996)

SOURCE: “On the High Seas with the Royal Navy and Patrick O'Brian,” in Sewanee Review, Vol. 104, No. 2, Spring, 1996, p. R40.

[In the following review, Pickering argues that although Men-of-War is an interesting look at life in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, he believes that the Aubrey/Maturin series offer a more-rounded portrayal of the era due to the fictional narrative.]

“Thick weather in the chops of the Channel and a dirty night, with the strong north-east wind bringing rain from the low sky and racing clouds: Ushant somewhere away on the starboard bow, the Scillies to larboard, but never a light, never a star to be seen; and no observation for the last four days.” Thick weather, racing clouds, and the wind from the northeast are matters worth thinking about after a day at the office and the long drive home, the radio jabbering about “grass-combing lubbers” and...

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1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. John Bayley (essay date 7 November 1991)
   2. Frank Stewart (review date 4 April 1993)
   3. Byron Rogers (review date 10 July 1993)
   4. Michael Dirda (review date August 1993)
   5. Patrick T. Reardon (review date 19 December 1993)
   6. Frederick Pratter (review date 31 December 1993)
   7. John Balzar (review date 2 January 1994)
   8. Thomas McGonigle (review date 2 January 1994)
   9. Elliott Abrams (review date 24 January 1994)
   10. James Hamilton-Paterson (review date 26 December 1994)
   11. Frederick Pratter (review date 2 May 1995)
   12. Katherine A. Powers (review date July 1995)
   13. Sam Pickering (review date Spring 1996)
   14. Thomas R. Edwards (essay date Summer 1996)
   15. John Balzar (review date 20 October 1996)
   16. Edward T. Wheeler (review date 8 November 1996)
   17. Christopher Clausen (review date 16 December 1996)
   18. James Teacher (review date 4 January 1997)
   19. John Mullan (review date 10 January 1997)
   20. Books Magazine (review date October 1997)
   21. Molly Finn (essay date 19 June 1998)
   22. Alan Judd (review date 22 August 1998)
   23. Barbara Everett (review date 4 September 1998)
   24. Martin Jacques (review date 6 September 1998)
   25. Christopher Hitchens (essay date 9 March 2000)
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright