Blue at the Mizzen

The excitement of the Aubrey/Maturin series soars to new heights in this volume, as Jack, again the daring frigate commander of old, stakes all on a desperate solo night raid against the might of the Spanish viceroy in Peru.

New York Times Book Review - Amanda Foreman

...a welcome return to form. After a spell in the doldrums O'Brian has presented his readers with a shining jewel, an intricate, multifaceted work -- one of those rare novels that actually bear up under close scrutiny...

Patrick O'Brian's historic naval adventure novels were solely the pleasure of British readers until the late '80s; but for Americans, it's better late than never. The appearance of the author's Aubrey-Maturin series in the States, with its compelling protagonists and rich period detail from the Napoleonic Wars, earned thousands of fans including Iris Murdoch, Eudora Welty and Tom Stoppard.