Rating: 
Summary: In Retrospect, A Fitting Conclusion to an Epic Saga
Review: The Twentieth (and Final) novel in the Aubrey/Maturin series finds our heroes engaged in a solo night raid against the Spanish viceroy in Peru. The goal, as it has been for the last several books, is to help Chile gains its independence from Spain. On the personal side, Stephen Maturin is reconsidering marriage while Jack Aubrey dreams of finally becoming an Admiral. But as readers of this series are well aware, just because one of these books heads off in a particular direction is no guarantee it will ever reach any given destination.I finished "Blue at the Mizzen" a week before the death of author Patrick O'Brian, having spent the entire summer reading the Aubrey/Maturin series from start to finish. There was speculation when the book was published that it might make the end of this most remarkable series because of O'Brian's failing health. However, the author was apparently well into his next novel when he passed away. In hindsight it is certainly remarkable that "Blue at the Mizzen" will be the final book in the series. The series does indeed a high water mark of a sort and I must express my wish that O'Brian had picked a different title in regards to that particular point. The novel begins with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, which is also significant, for Jack Aubrey is very much a creature of the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Although Aubrey and his particular friend Stephen Maturin had never been in the forefront of the war effort, it was against that larger backdrop that O'Brian set his novels. Whatever adventures lay ahead, they would most surely have been of a different cut of cloth. Consequently, while I will miss the novels that would have been followed this one, I am satisfied that there is a completeness to the epic. To underscore this idea I ask you to read the final chapter of this novel and to recognize the inherent rightness in the final words of Jack Aubrey upon the printed page. Final Note: While I give this particular novel 4 Stars the entire series. Remember: YOU MUST READ THESE NOVELS IN ORDER. This is not Horatio Hornblower.
Rating: 
Summary: Striking authenticity
Review: This final novel from Mr. O'Brian surpasses recent favorites of mine such as "Gates of Fire" and "The Triumph and the Glory", and stands alone as my best-loved historical fiction novel. "Blue at the Mizzen" brings history to life as only the best novels of this fascinating genre can, the characters are vividly drawn and the setting and action are portrayed with striking authenticity. But it's the humanity and candor of those brilliant characters, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, that make these novels so superb. These novels will be read and admired a century from now, you owe it to yourself to read them all.
Rating:
Summary: Blue at the mizzen
Review: This is another great book by a true master. I will miss this author very much. I only hope that somewhere on his estate is the final Aubrey-Maturin chapter and that it will someday be shared with the fans and readers of O'Brians wonderful literature!
Rating: 
Summary: good but not great
Review: This volume is a worthy successor to "100 Days" It follows the error of that volume in that Obryan continues his technique of failing to develop plot and characters as he did in earlier volumes. The main plot is excellant. Aubry and Maturin are indeed engaged in another worthy task envolving personal relationships, seamanship, politics and South American revolutions. The flow of the novel is great and it comes to a logical conclusion leaving us anticipating the obvious next novel where newly frocked Adm. Aubry hoists his flag and goes forth. Obryan is falling into the trench so many novelists fall into however as he assumes much knowledge on the part of his readers. He skips over many opportunities to develop many subplots and details that made his earlier novels such a delite to read and reread. Who can forget the exquisite revenge of Maturin in not only killing by dissecting his enemies; the dissertations of Maturing on women and other things. I'm not doing well at this and in thinking I'm doing the same thing as Obryan; describing the bones but the meat is thin. Charlie Cox
Rating:
Summary: DEFINITELY A GREAT BOOK
Review: This was the first book of this kind I ever read, and I loved it. The characters were real and you become a part of the story. Great job! If you want to read another book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.
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Summary: The last finished book in the series , but not "the end".
Review: Three years ago I picked up a hardcover copy of this book in a bargain bin at a local booksellers , not realizing that this was book #20 in a 20 book series. Although I enjoyed it , I wasn't really able to get into the story line very well , since the author had the habit of making clever asides referring to actions in previous novels. Now 3 years later I find that I have read 16 in the series. They must be addictive! In this novel , which is set shortly after the triumph of the allies over Napoleon at Waterloo , Jack Aubrey and his particular friend , Stephen Maturin find themselves on the way to Chile under secret orders to assist the Republican rebels in their efforts to break away from Spanish rule , locally enforced by the Viceroy of Peru. The dear old "Surprise" has been converted to a hydrographical survey vessel to provide thinly veiled cover to the mission. As a cast of characters , we are sadly missing Barrett Bonden , but have a new young face in the person of Horatio Hanson , the bastard son of the Duke of Clarence (heir to the British throne). We are given a brief glimpse of Bernardo O'Higgins , commonly accepted as the liberator of Chile. Upon arrival in Chile , Jack Aubrey sets about building and training the nucleus of a new and independent Chilean navy , a daunting task. The action line is centered about the intervention of the Spanish Viceroy of Peru , and the Peruvian navy's 50 gun ship. Aubrey boldly devises a plan to neutralize the Peruvians , and basically succeeds in his mission. In the line of personal involvements , Aubrey seems very morose and rather out of his usual sorts throughout the tale. Later , this is identified as "flag sickness" , or worry about being "yellowed". On the other hand , Maturin seeks the hand of the lovely Africa based naturalist Christine Wood. And in this vein , the novel leaves the reader hanging as to the outcome. The unfinished 21st novel is due for publication later this year ; I am hopeful that we are able to at least see where the outcome of this fine series was intended. As a final sidebar--I suggest that the reader also consider reading "Sharpe's Devil" by Bernard Cornwell as a parallel to this book. Even tho' this was not my favorite book in the series (Desolation Island or Treason's Harbor are the best) , I liked it well enough to rate it 4 stars. I suggest what several other reviewers have also stated : that one should really read the series from the start.In that manner , they flow together more seamlessly.Recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: The last of Patrick O'Brian's books
Review: Unless there is an unpublished manuscript hidden away somewhere, this is the last book written by Patrick O'Brian who recently passed away, and fittingly the last of the saga of Jack Aubrey. The Jack Aubrey character was based on Lord Cochrane (See "the Autobiography of a Seaman" by Admiral Lord Cochrane, republished in 2000). While the early books in the Jack Aubrey series were quite good, the quality deteriorated in the later books (where he was no longer taking plot material from Cochrane's autobiography), and the author lost all sense of time, trying to cram too many novels into a three year period from 1812-1815. He then invented various assignments to keep Aubrey at sea, instead of going back (like C. S. Forester did with Hornblower) to fill in Aubrey's early career. I skipped many of the later books. The present tale would have been quite good by itself, but the author rambles and digresses excessively. He also seems to change location in the middle of sentences, and skips forward leaving the reader wondering what happened in the intervening time interval. The later part of the novel, when Aubrey arrives in Chile, gets back into historical context, and the novel seems to be set in 1819 and following years - Charles Tyng, in his autobiography "Before the Wind," relates his experiences in Chile during that time period, mentioning Lord Cochran and the presence of a British frigate. Bernard Cornwell's novel, "Sharpe's Devil" (copyright 1992) also covers the action in Chile. The present novel is OK for those O'Brien fans who want the final episode on Jack Aubrey, but it is not exactly a book which holds your attention.
Rating:
Summary: And so we bid farewell to our dynamic duo . . . .
Review: Until the very last couple of pages in this twentieth and last volume of the Aubrey-Maturin saga, I was unsure of the implications of the book's title. But I was pleased to find that Jack's "flag-sickness" has been appeased. With the Napoleonic wars ended, the captain of the SURPRISE has had to go to revolutionary Chile to find ways of continuing to build his reputation, this time in the development of the infant republic's navy. There is a fine ship-to-ship action against a much larger Spanish vessel, and all the usual trials and tribulations of beating around the Horn. Moreover, the recently widowed Dr. Maturin has a much larger part this time even than usual, in his slightly odd pursuit of Christine Wood, widow of the governor of Sierra Leone and a noted naturalist in her own right. A mid-life crisis? We don't know how all that will turn out, unfortunately. It's sad that there will be no more installments to the story, but this is a reasonably satisfying conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Not one of O'Brian's best
Review: While certainly not a bad book, Blue at the mizzen is not one of the most interesting in the Aubrey/Maturin series. There is not a lot of action or tension in our hero's adventures in South America. Jack Aubrey is increasingly distant, and we get the majority of the story from Maturin. Even so, Maturin's espionage activities are somewhat less than gripping. I've heard rumors that this is the last book in the series, but there are a ton of things left unresolved, and I find It hard to believe that O'Brian would end the series this way.
Rating:
Summary: "Blue" that it's over-
Review: Who knew that early 19th century Naval history could be so exciting?
Girls, don't be afraid to read these books--I was a little intimidated, and boy, was I ever WRONG. Those who have compared O'Brien to Jane Austen are right on target. He could have written about sailors, soldiers or salesmen---as long as they were named Aubrey and Maturin, you can bet the stories would have been pure gold. But take a lesson from a previous reviewer--READ THEM IN ORDER!! And, if you have trouble with the nautical terms, like I did, get a copy of Dean King's "A Sea of Words", which does an excellent job of explaining them.
Never have I been as chagrined as when I reached the final page of "Blue at the Mizzen". It was as perfect an ending as could have been, and although the fates of Aubrey and Maturin are now left to the imagination, thanks to O'Brien, we have a rich treasury with which to create their final outcomes.
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