The Wine-Dark Sea

The Wine-Dark Sea (1993) is the sixteenth volume in the Aubrey/Maturin series, and became Patrick O'Brian's first bestseller in the United States. Again the novel features the pair of Captain Aubrey and his sea-surgeon Stephen Maturin and their vessel of many years, the Surprise. The novel's title is the English translation of a line from Homer. The narrative opens with the close pursuit of an American privateer, the Franklin, by the Surprise in ... more

The Wine-Dark Sea (1993) is the sixteenth volume in the Aubrey/Maturin series, and became Patrick O'Brian's first bestseller in the United States. Again the novel features the pair of Captain Aubrey and his sea-surgeon Stephen Maturin and their vessel of many years, the Surprise. The novel's title is the English translation of a line from Homer. The narrative opens with the close pursuit of an American privateer, the Franklin, by the Surprise in the South Pacific, interrupted by an undersea volcanic eruption which completely disables the former and severely damages the latter. The Franklin is easily taken as most of its crew are either dead, severely wounded or drunk, and Monsieur Dutourd, its French owner, is taken on board. A wealthy philanthropist, he intended to colonise a South Pacific island, Moahu, and establish a paradise of equality, justice, and little labour, after first enriching himself by committing piracy on assorted British whalers and merchantmen, and then wiping out... less