Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian
Author • Foreword • Translator12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000 · From United Kingdom- Books
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About
Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000) was an English novelist and translator, best known for the twenty-volume Aubrey–Maturin series of Napoleonic-era naval novels — beginning with Master and Commander (1969) — following the friendship between Royal Navy captain Jack Aubrey and physician-naturalist Stephen Maturin.
He was born Richard Patrick Russ in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England, and adopted the name Patrick O'Brian after the Second World War, presenting himself for decades as Irish-born; this account of his origins was shown to be fabricated only after his death.
He settled in Collioure, in the south of France, where he wrote most of his fiction and also worked as a translator and as biographer of Pablo Picasso and Sir Joseph Banks. Commercial success came late, when American publication of the Aubrey–Maturin series won him a wide readership in his seventies.
He was appointed CBE in 1997 and, in 1995, received the inaugural Heywood Hill Literary Prize for his lifetime's writing.
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Frequently asked questions
The Aubrey-Maturin series should be read in publication order to follow the continuous narrative of Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin. The first book is Master and Commander, followed by Post Captain, and then H.M.S. Surprise.
Yes, the film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" draws inspiration from several books in the Aubrey-Maturin series, primarily The Far Side of the World, with elements from Master and Commander and H.M.S. Surprise.
Patrick O'Brian is most celebrated for his Aubrey-Maturin series, which is highly regarded for its meticulous historical accuracy, detailed naval descriptions, and complex character development set during the Napoleonic Wars.
New readers should begin with Master and Commander, the first novel in the Aubrey-Maturin series. This book introduces the main characters and establishes the world of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era.
In 1995 O'Brian received the inaugural Heywood Hill Literary Prize, a £10,000 award for a lifetime's contribution to the enjoyment of books. He was appointed CBE in 1997 and held an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin.