The Commodore (novel)

Infobox Book |
name = The Commodore


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Patrick O'Brian
country = United Kingdom
language = English
cover_artist = Geoff Hunt
series = Aubrey-Maturin series
genre = Historical novel
publisher = Harper Collins (UK)
release_date = 1995
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio Book (Cassette, CD)
pages = pages (first edition, hardback) & pages 282 (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-393-03760-6, (first edition, hardback) & ISBN 0-393-31459-6 (paperback edition UK)
preceded_by = The Wine-Dark Sea
followed_by = The Yellow Admiral

"The Commodore" (1995) is a further historical novel entry in the Aubrey-Maturin series of naval stories by Patrick O'Brian. Set in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian takes the narrative further across the globe than other in this genre. The main characters are rising in seniority with the Royal Navy and many of the problems of naval life of the period are included with the story.

Plot summary

The Commodore opens with Jack winning the "Ringle", a Baltimore Clipper, from his friend Captain Dundas, the "Surprise" having accompanied the "Berenice" back from Chile. Aubrey and Maturin have returned to England, (after adventures in the South Pacific and South America) where the latter finds that his young daughter Brigid appears to be an "idiot" or "natural" (to use the language of the time) and unable to speak, and that his wife Diana has fled the situation, leaving Brigid in the care of the newly-widowed Clarissa Oakes.

When Stephen meets Sir Joseph Blaine at Black's, their club, he is told that Clarissa's information led to the Duke of Habachtsthal being supposed the third conspirator in the Ledward-Wray conspiracy. Unfortunately, the Duke is too highly placed for Blaine's investigation to do much good and in fact does even more harm to Stephen and his friends. Blaine tells Stephen that the Duke's influence has delayed the pardons of both Clarissa and Padeen as well as instigated an investigation into Stephen's role in the Irish revolt. After hearing this information, Stephen asks Jack for the "Ringle" and sets off to cash out his bank accounts and then proceeds to have Clarissa, Padeen and Brigid taken to live at the Benedictine house in Avila, Spain out of the clutches of the Duke. Blaine hires Pratt, whom Stephen had employed in "The Reverse of the Medal", to gather information on the Duke.

Once the squadron is formed, Aubrey and Maturin are very publicly instructed to disrupt the African slave trade, now illegal, but the true mission of the squadron is to intercept a French invasion force which expects a sympathetic welcome in Maturin's native Ireland. The squadron begins on a disastrous note, losing the powerful "Pyramus" and taking the "Thames" instead. Also, the "Stately" is commanded by Duff, a paederast, who destroys discipline by taking young lovers among his forecastlemen, and another by a tyrant, Captain Thomas who, unlike Aubrey, values spit and polish more than efficiency in battle, and indiscriminately flogs his crewmen. These two captains and their crews soon find themselves at odds, threatening the squadron's efficiency.

The "Ringle" makes it safely to Corunna in Galicia where Stephen sees off his wards and deposits his considerable amounts of gold. The "Ringle" rendezvouses with the "Bellona" at the Berlings off Cape Finisterre, and they make their way to the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, with the crews practising hard at lowering down boats. Stephen survives a near fatal bout of Yellow Fever contracted while traipsing around the swamplands of West Africa in his usual search for rare birds and animals, a quest in which he is ably assisted in Freetown by the British colonial governor's wife, Christine Wood (née Hatherleigh), herself an esteemed naturalist and sister of one of Stephen's fellow members of the Royal Society.

The squadron successfully disrupts the slave trade, saving over 5,000 slaves and having eight slaving ships condemned. Aubrey then hastens to meet the French squadron, commanded by the wily Commodore Esprit-Tranquil Maistral, south and east of the point the French are expected to reach (West Cork). Jack fills in his captains on his plan of attack and the "Bellona" attacks the French pennant-ship, with the "Thames" and "Stately" attacking the other French two-decker. The first strikes on a rocky shelf and surrenders; the second badly mauls the "Stately" (Duff loses a leg) and flees eastwards. The four French troop carriers and one frigate are also captured (one frigate also escapes), aided by the "Royal Oak" and "Warwick", who join the scene of battle.

Maturin finds as the novel closes that the Duke of Habachtsthal has committed suicide. This is possibly due to the threat of trial for treason after being identified by Clarissa Oakes and following extensive investigation carried out by Pratt, a Bow Street Runner employed by Maturin and Sir Joseph Blaine. This was a traditional courtesy to noblemen, allowing them to commit suicide and save themselves the ignominy of a public trial and even more public execution. Stephen is also happily reunited once more with Diana, who happens to be living near that part of the Irish coast with one of her first husband's uncles.

Characters in "The Commodore"

*Jack Aubrey - appointed Rear-Admiral.
*Stephen Maturin - surgeon of the "Bellona", friend to Jack and an intelligence officer.
*Heneage Dundas - Captain of HMS "Berenice"
*Preserved Killick
*Barret Bonden - Jack's coxwain
*Padeen Colman - Stephen's Irish servant
*Sarah and Emily Sweeting
*Awkward Davies - Able Seaman
*Joe Plaice - Able Seaman
*Fellowes - Post-Captain of the "Thunderer"
*William Smith and Alexander Macaulay - assistant surgeons on "Bellona"
*Mr Wetherby - youngster on "Bellona"
*Sophie Aubrey - Jack's wife
*Mrs Williams - Sophie's mother
*Diana Maturin - Stephen's wife
*Clarissa Oakes
*Brigid Maturin - Stephen's daughter
*Sir Joseph Blaine - Head of Intelligence at the Admiralty
*Mnanson - Jack's butler at Woolcomb
*Mr Gray - First Lieutenant on the "Bellona" (dies)
*Mr Whewell - acting First Lieutenant on the "Bellona"
*John Square - assists Stephen in Freetown
*Houmouzios - Greek money lender
*Mrs Charlotte Wood - eminent naturalist

Squadron leaders:
*Captain Tom Pullings - "Bellona"
*Captain William Duff - "Stately"
*Captain Howard - "Aurora"
*Captain Thomas - "Thames" (nicknamed the Purple Emperor)
*Captain Fitton - "Nimble"
*Captain Smith - "Camilla"
*William Reade - "Ringle"
*Dick Richardson - "Laurel"

hips in "The Commodore"

The British:

Jack Aubrey's squadron:
*HMS "Bellona" - seventy-four gun; broadside weight of 926 pounds; crew of 590
*HMS "Stately" - sixty-four; broadside weight of 792 pounds
*HMS "Nimble" - a cutter
*HMS "Thames" - thirty-two; broadside weight of 300 pounds
*HMS "Aurora" - a twenty-four gun; crew of 196
*HMS "Camilla" - twenty-gun
*HMS "Orestes" - brig-rigged sloop
*HMS "Ringle" - Boston cutter, "Berenice" then "Bellona"'s tender
*HMS "Laurel"

Others:
*HM Hired Vessel "Surprise"
*HMS "Berenice" - sixty-four two decker
*HMS "Thunderer" - seventy-four
*HMS Royal Oak - seventy-four
*HMS Warwick - seventy-four

The French:
*two seventy-fours
*two frigates
*four troop carriers

Editions

*Audio edition Recorded Books, LLC; Unabridged Audio edition narrated by Patrick Tull (ISBN 1419320882)

ources, references, external links, quotations

The West African slave trade:

The "Bellona" stops the "Nancy", a slave trading vessel, and O'Brian gives a graphic description of the conditions on board. They see the bodies of two dead small girls being tossed overboard to feed the sharks. Once aboard, they discover the slaves only have two feet six inches headroom, and the ones who are sick from dysentery are found lying near the hawse-holes, covered in their own excretement. Stephen has their iron manicles removed and the slaver's men are forced to swab out the holds. Once on deck, they count about five hundred in total and, after feeding them, the slaves are landed a couple of days later in Sierra Leone and given their freedom.

Mr Whewell, who has worked previously on slave ships, tells Stephen that the ship is relatively healthy for one fourteen days out of Whydah. He also mentions that it is common for a slaver to lose at least a third of its human cargo on the passage across to the West Indies.

Footnotes