A Sea of Words: Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales |
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Dean King
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Pages: 512 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0805066152
Pub: Henry Holt & Company Inc
Pub date: 2001-01-26
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 36785
Reader Reviews:
Indispensable for Age of Sail lovers! (7/7 people found this helpful)
Anyone interested in the any aspect of the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic period needs this book. Although it was written as a companion for the Patrick O'Brian's novels (Master and Commander was the recent movie based on the novels), it can be used for better understanding of any of the Royal Navy series (Hornblower, Drinkwater, Kydd, etc.), by anyone who watches the Hornblower movies, or anyone who simply has an interest in maritime studies in the age of sail. The book starts out with sections on the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, naval medicine, maps, and ship diagrams. You'll learn the names of all the sails and decks on a ship. Then there is a large section, about 350 pages of definitions in dictionary form. It's all here-ship ratings, maps, compass points, parts of ships and cannons, biographies, battles, ranks, and everything else you might encounter as you read the novels or watch the Hornblower movies. If you don't know what a cox'n is, you'll find it here. This book is great not only as a reference, but has given me hours of browsing pleasure. It really opens up a whole new world that this landlubber doesn't understand from first-hand experience. It's a great book--I can't say enough about it. It can be picked up in paperback for pocket change and it's worth its weight in gold. You will be pleased with this book!
Good despite the gaps (7/8 people found this helpful)
Several reviewers have already provided praise about this book which largely I share. Overall I am well pleased to have this book beside me while reading the Aubrey/Maturin series and I frequently refer to it - money well spent - as it provides additional depth to the experience of reading O'Brian's books.
However, it is far from being an exhaustive nautical lexicon. I have found numerous nautical words and terms that are not included. Some of these omissions pertain to basic terms that a total "lubber" would be stumped by, and there are many that a nautical buff would also be challenged by. Perhaps a future edition would benefit from a more thorough inexing.
Wordy, but not Seas (6/6 people found this helpful)
This is more than a mere dictionary of words used in Patrick O'Brian's books. It has short essays on some of the important historical characters and naval battles (including one about HMS Surprise), and opening essays about the historical context and Maturin's medicine. I haven't given it 5 stars because it is not totally comprehensive, and quite often I find that it doesn't contain a word or term I'm looking up from one of O'Brian's novels. Also I'd have liked a few more illustrations - this has just enough to whet the appetite, but not enough to really please.
An Invaluable Companion (8/8 people found this helpful)
There are two kinds of O'Brien readers in the world: Those who skip the nautical terms they don't understand and those who look them up.
If you are of the latter, then put yourself out of your misery and buy this book.
Lobscouse and Spotted Dog (12/12 people found this helpful)
I have only read one of the Patrick O'Brian novels but am surrounded by obsessive fans of his. I really enjoyed the book I read and found that the words I didn't know in his book were explained to the full here. BUT it doesn't stop there. This is actually a great coffee table book as its easy to pick up, dive in, read a couple of pages and find some fascinating word and meaning you just have to share with those around you. You should also look at the other accompanying Patrick O'Brian book which is a cookbook and is entitled Lobscouse and Spotted Dog.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Poetry, Drama & Criticism -> History & Criticism -> Novels & Novelists -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Poetry, Drama & Criticism -> History & Criticism -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> World -> Scottish
Books -> Subjects -> History -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Study Books -> Undergraduate & Postgraduate -> Arts & Humanities -> Literature & Drama -> Drama -> Criticism
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
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