Rating: 
Summary: Awesome seafaring fun. A must read!!
Review: HMS Surprise, by Patrick O'Brian is the third in the Aubrey/Maturin series of novels about the British Navy during the early 19th Century. This tome starts with Captain Jack Aubrey, now a post captain, temporarily commanding the large frigate HMS Lively while the primary captain is busy with another task. His job as captain is the boring job of running a blockade, and he is bored, broke, and trying to find a way to find enough money to marry his sweetheart, Sophie Williams. Thanks to some intervention by his good friend and surgeon, Stephen Maturin, he is given command of HMS Surprise, a small frigate which Jack served on as a young midshippman. Jack is charged with the task of protecting the East-India fleet from destruction and confication by the French. His job takes him to the great India subcontinent, and the rich sights and smells that go with it. Along the way we see an amazing storm at sea, the damage that can be inflicted on a ship and her crew while rounding Cape Horn, an amazing act of surgery performed by Stephen Maturin. The final battle that pits "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, the Surprise and a vastly outgunned fleet of ships against the far superior French forces. The story more is clear, fast paced, and exciting. Just like Jack now commands a ship he knew is his youth, HMS Surprise moves along at a comfortable enjoyable pace as O'Brian comes into his element at writing great stories. The story is exciting, fun to read, and the characters are truly interesting and well developed. As anyone who is interested in 19th century "ships of the line", naval history, or just love a great story, this book is sure to please.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome seafaring fun. A must read!!
Review: HMS Surprise, by Patrick O'Brian is the third in the Aubrey/Maturin series of novels about the British Navy during the early 19th Century. This tome starts with Captain Jack Aubrey, now a post captain, temporarily commanding the large frigate HMS Lively while the primary captain is busy with another task. His job as captain is the boring job of running a blockade, and he is bored, broke, and trying to find a way to find enough money to marry his sweetheart, Sophie Williams. Thanks to some intervention by his good friend and surgeon, Stephen Maturin, he is given command of HMS Surprise, a small frigate which Jack served on as a young midshippman. Jack is charged with the task of protecting the East-India fleet from destruction and confication by the French. His job takes him to the great India subcontinent, and the rich sights and smells that go with it. Along the way we see an amazing storm at sea, the damage that can be inflicted on a ship and her crew while rounding Cape Horn, an amazing act of surgery performed by Stephen Maturin. The final battle that pits "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, the Surprise and a vastly outgunned fleet of ships against the far superior French forces. The story more is clear, fast paced, and exciting. Just like Jack now commands a ship he knew is his youth, HMS Surprise moves along at a comfortable enjoyable pace as O'Brian comes into his element at writing great stories. The story is exciting, fun to read, and the characters are truly interesting and well developed. As anyone who is interested in 19th century "ships of the line", naval history, or just love a great story, this book is sure to please.
Rating:
Summary: my pick of all 20
Review: I absolutely love this series-- and I love all 20 books. But, HMS SURPRISE remains my favourite. This well-thumbed, dog-eared edition is one of the most utilized books in my collection. Perhaps the reason SURPRISE has so much appeal is it equally balances Stephen's natural/espionage world with Jack's naval adventures. There are some wonderful scenes; including an interlude with Diana Villiers in India.
For those uninitiated and looking for a page-turner, this is the adventurous plot for you. I don't often recommend readers start with MASTER AND COMMANDER, I often tell them to dive into SURPRISE, get caught up in the action, and then feel it absolutely necessary to back track and meet the characters at the beginning.
Read it and get hooked: for after this you'll rush out and buy the whole of the Aubrey-Maturin series.
Rating: 
Summary: My Rieiew
Review: I found the book pleasure to my reading senses. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to turn to the next page. This is by far the best of the Aubrey series.
I found Doctor Stephen character very entertaining if I was a character in a book I would like to be him he is smart and sophisticated can do complicated math in his head in short time I really enjoyed the way O'Brian portrayed this character.
I really loved the way that the vocabulary of the book fits in with each character it is very enjoyable to read. When I read this book and I finish I just want to read it again and again.
This book really shows how life would be upon a real Man of War vessel it is amazing and how they were punished and taken care of liked being dragged the length of the ship. I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys a great novel.
Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: I found the entire Aubrey/Maturin series a delight from start to finish, all 20 books! For the first time reader, I would suggest an audio book version of H.M.S. Surprise. The audio book is a great performance and prepares one for reading the other volumes as they should be read.
Rating:
Summary: Home again
Review: I had been reading reviews of Patrick O'brian's Aubrey/Maturin series for years before I finally picked up "H.M.S. Surprise". The book was very compelling and revealed O'brian to be a brilliant writer of historical fiction. The Aubrey/Maturin series describes the maritime and romantic exploits of a British sea captain and an Irish physician/spy during the Napoleonic wars. "H.M.S. Surprise" is the third book in the series. The most delightful thing about this novel is its extrordinary attention to detail, particulary in its description of the environment on an English war ship. When you read this book you feel like you are actually on the ship experiencing every facet of life from the daily chores of the crew to the loftier concerns of the captain. A detailed descripton of naval vessels alone would not be enough to constitute a compelling novel. O'brian also tells a great story packed with romance, intrigue, combat, and travel. Despite their many winning characteristics, the protagonists experience their share of problems and display imperfections. The captain, for example, never overcomes his bitterness at having been rejected by Diana Villiers. And despite Maturin's formidable intelligence, he displays poor judgement which results in dire consequences for him and death for an innocent child. These flaws make the characters more human and more compelling. We empathize with their failings and vulnerability as much as we applaude their victories. If you don't have a sense of history and don't like to imagine life in another time and place then this series won't appeal to you. If you enjoy these things, however, you will find "H.M.S. Surprise a superb novel in many respects.
Rating: 
Summary: HMS Surprise
Review: I know this is heresy but I found "HMS Surprise" to be a little plodding. I know the dialog, settings, etc are historically accurate but I find myself feeling as I did in English literature class; This isn't that enjoyable but I know it's good for me. I felt the same with "Master and Commander" and "Post Captain." I have read many historical novels, "Sharpe's Rifles", the Hornblower series twice as well as the Drinkwater books (highly recommended), all of them very good to excellent. I will continue to read O'Brian's books but I think one every five years will do just fine.
Rating:
Summary: A Near Perfect Historical Novel
Review: I read HMS Surprise several years ago, and I've read several others in this wonderful series, but I backtracked and read this novel again at the same time I listened to most of it in the audio version with Patrick Tull as the reader. It was a great experience. HMS Surprise comes close to being a perfect novel. From the rescue of Stephen in Port Mahon, to the scene on St. Paul's rocks, to the gale as they went round the cape of Good Hope, to Stephen's tragic adventures in Bombay, to the incredible battle with the French squadron, to Stephen's tragic relationship with Diana Villiers, to Maturin's duel in Calcutta, to whether Sophie would be waiting for Jack, every scene is near perfection. Patrick Tull is a perfect narrator for O'Brian's work. He has the various voice down to perfection and you can tell he loves what he's reading. Each book in this series has much to recommend, but his one stands slightly above the others.
Rating:
Summary: No better historical fiction has been written.
Review: I read the first two in the Aubrey/Maturin series (Master and Commander and Post Captain) a few years ago and liked them. In an idle moment, I recently picked up HMS Surprise and glanced at the first page. Thirty minutes later I was still reading and within the week I had finished the book. Unfortunately my vocabulary cannot do justice to describing just how good this book is. The characterizations are sympathetic and acute, the descriptions of seafaring are hypnotic and the battle scenes are wonderful. These books are not pulp fiction, but finely wrought and accurate depictions of the world nearly two centuries ago. Some of O'Brian's observations are so good, I felt like applauding at times. These books require some patience and discipline, but the pay-off is immense. I'm only sorry that it looks like I'm on the slippery slope that will lead to reading the 17 or 18 other novels in the series. I'm just too busy to read them right now, but there may not be anything I can do about it. If you want books to truly transport you somewhere else, this is the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Action -- Wonderful Characterizations
Review: I'm reading the series in order and it just keeps getting better. "Jack, you have debauched my sloth," when read in context, is one of the most hillarious lines I've encountered; Surprise's experience in the south 40 lattitudes is the most gripping passage I've ever read; and the depth of development of the Aubrey and Maturin characters is simply wonderful. Rest in Peace, O'Brian, and thanks.
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