The Ionian Mission

Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 8

By: Patrick O'Brian

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

For the first time in Jack Aubrey's long, illustrious career, the sea, to which he had escaped with very little more than his dignity in tact, brings small solace to him because of his increasing despondency over debts and troubles at home.

Shoved into a temporary command in "that rotten old Worcester," Aubrey is off to the Mediterranean to join the Royal Navy's blockade of the French port of Toulon, where he will be dispatched by Admiral Harte (unfortunately the same Admiral Harte he cuckolded years ago) on a secret mission that promises to embroil Aubrey in political conflict. His friend Stephen's help notwithstanding, Aubrey faces some of the choppiest waters of his career.

This is the eighth book in O'Brian's 20-volume Aubrey/Maturin series.

Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.©1981 Patrick O'Brian (P)1994 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Splendid adventures at a stately pace." (Kirkus)

The best writing and reading out there

I listen to these stories again and again and I find new words each time. What indubitable skill.

Good book

Overall it was a good book. Some spots were a bit slow. I still do recommend it.

Slightly diffuse

The storytelling in this episode is slightly diffuse as though the author was padding. But the book contains outstanding characters and moments. And of course Patrick Tull is amazing.

Reluctant Reader

I have to admit that I have been a reluctant reader these days due to time and life getting in my way. I hope to get back into my hobby again. Trying to finish "The Ionian Mission" before I forget everything was a bit of a chore, but as soon as I heard Patrick Tull's voice again, I remembered where I left off. As others mentioned before, the eighth book of Aubrey/Maturin Series is more like a setup for the next mission to come. I actually enjoyed the long conversation on land, instead of the constant battle in the sea.

Solid Historical Fiction

In the aftermath of Aubrey's loss of his previous ship and escape from France, he finds himself tasked with taking a clapped-out 74-gun ship of the line to the Mediterranean to join the blockading squadron off Toulon.

This is almost exclusively an Aubrey book. (While Maturin is involved in some super-secret-spy-stuff, it's apparently too secret for the book. 8-) ) There are long stretches of boredom interspersed with a few high-energy moments. But there are also many anecdotes about life in a blockading fleet, that are almost certainly taken from period accounts.

Eventually, Aubrey and Maturin are detached from the fleet to manage a negotiation with multiple Turkish local rulers and to pick a winner who will support the British rather than the French, resulting in some solid action writing.

The historical background is typically excellent, and it's integrated into the story much better than in Book 6 of the series. That said, there is so much background that the story becomes a bit bogged down for the majority of the book.

Not a book for everyone, but if you're interested in the day-to-day experience of life in a blockading squadron during the Napoleonic Wars, this is excellent. And the action at the end is up to O'Brian's typical skill level.