Rating:  Summary: Disappointing at best Review: A geographical companion and atlas could be very helpful, but this didn't answer. Perhaps someone else will try their hand and be more successful. The maps are inadequate and omit important and interesting locations. The maps are also rather crudely drawn. The text is unnecessary and silly, attempting to recap each book and at the same time not give away the plot.I can imagine a book arranged as an atlas, with colored detailed maps which include all named locations. Maps with exploded detail would be necessary to show harbors and navigation hazards. The index would include all place references with location coordinates on the maps. Latitude and longitude references should also be included. I'll buy one as soon as it's published.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing at best Review: A geographical companion and atlas could be very helpful, but this didn't answer. The maps are inadequate and omit many important and interesting locations. The maps are also rather crudely drawn. The text is unnecessary and silly, attempting to recap each book and at the same time not give away the plot. Perhaps someone else will try their hand and be more successful. I can imagine a book arranged as an atlas, with colored detailed maps which include all named locations. Maps with exploded detail would be necessary to show harbors and navigation hazards. The index would include all place references with location coordinates on the maps. Latitude and longitude references should also be included. I'll buy one as soon as it's published.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing at best Review: A geographical companion and atlas could be very helpful, but this didn't answer. Perhaps someone else will try their hand and be more successful. The maps are inadequate and omit important and interesting locations. The maps are also rather crudely drawn. The text is unnecessary and silly, attempting to recap each book and at the same time not give away the plot. I can imagine a book arranged as an atlas, with colored detailed maps which include all named locations. Maps with exploded detail would be necessary to show harbors and navigation hazards. The index would include all place references with location coordinates on the maps. Latitude and longitude references should also be included. I'll buy one as soon as it's published.
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing at best Review: A geographical companion and atlas could be very helpful, but this didn't answer. The maps are inadequate and omit many important and interesting locations. The maps are also rather crudely drawn. The text is unnecessary and silly, attempting to recap each book and at the same time not give away the plot. Perhaps someone else will try their hand and be more successful. I can imagine a book arranged as an atlas, with colored detailed maps which include all named locations. Maps with exploded detail would be necessary to show harbors and navigation hazards. The index would include all place references with location coordinates on the maps. Latitude and longitude references should also be included. I'll buy one as soon as it's published.
Rating:  Summary: Fine Atlas Chronicling Aubrey/Maturin Adventures Review: Dean King's "Harbors and High Seas" is a good atlas chronicling the exploits of Captain "Lucky Jack" Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin from the fateful meeting in "Master and Commander" through "The Commodore". The maps - which are drawn by William Clipson - are a fine guide tracing the major routes undertaken by Aubrey's ships (and Maturin's personal espionage missions on behalf of the British government) across the globe. Each chapter corresponds with the O'Brian novel, without giving away much with regards to plot (though the maps themselves offer quite a few spoilers). Admittedly this is a bit expensive to acquire - though hopefully the paperback edition will be much less expensive - but may nonetheless be regarded as an important companion to the O'Brian novels which any diehard fan of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin may wish to possess.
Rating:  Summary: Fine Atlas Chronicling Aubrey/Maturin Adventures Review: Dean King's "Harbors and High Seas" is a good atlas chronicling the exploits of Captain "Lucky Jack" Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin from the fateful meeting in "Master and Commander" through "The Commodore". The maps - which are drawn by William Clipson - are a fine guide tracing the major routes undertaken by Aubrey's ships (and Maturin's personal espionage missions on behalf of the British government) across the globe. Each chapter corresponds with the O'Brian novel, without giving away much with regards to plot (though the maps themselves offer quite a few spoilers). Admittedly this is a bit expensive to acquire - though hopefully the paperback edition will be much less expensive - but may nonetheless be regarded as an important companion to the O'Brian novels which any diehard fan of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin may wish to possess.
Rating:  Summary: More than a reference Review: Harbors and High Seas gets more use from me than the lexicon reference to the Aubrey Maturin series, A Sea of Words. I skimmed through Harbors and High Seas after each O'Brian book the last time through; leaving alone the clearer geographical detail, this really adds depth to O'Brian's already convincing world. I would recommend this highly to fans of the series who feel bereft at its close and long to return, to poke around a little themselves. Harbors and High Seas is full of taking off points, tangents to the stories that the curious reader can follow up on. A print of the decrepit Temple, reproduced here, might spark you to pursue some detail or other about Napoleon's Paris. The discussion of the many Desolation Islands has lots of little sides to it that could reward some curiosity. Like the stories, this is a sort of open-ended invitation into the historical setting, you might say. Harbors and High Seas is a "companion" to the series, a complement to it, not just a reference to be consulted when you're muddled. Don't just refer to it -- read it for fun.
Rating:  Summary: Not Bad but Not Great Review: Harbors is a good effort to try and geographically place events in the Aubrey/Maturin series. For the number of pages, however, I would have wanted more maps and less exposition by Mr King. And while he does not give away plot points in his book summaries, the maps themselves necessarily identify major battles or meetings; beware of spoilers! The maps themselves are rather basic, but in their favor Mr King does place as well as possible fictitious places as well as actual. If you find a good deal, then by all means add it to your collection. It's not a bad book, and until a better version is published (which is doubtful) it does an adaquate job.
Rating:  Summary: Not Bad but Not Great Review: Harbors is a good effort to try and geographically place events in the Aubrey/Maturin series. For the number of pages, however, I would have wanted more maps and less exposition by Mr King. And while he does not give away plot points in his book summaries, the maps themselves necessarily identify major battles or meetings; beware of spoilers! The maps themselves are rather basic, but in their favor Mr King does place as well as possible fictitious places as well as actual. If you find a good deal, then by all means add it to your collection. It's not a bad book, and until a better version is published (which is doubtful) it does an adaquate job.
Rating:  Summary: Buy it, but don't expect much. Review: I am very disappointed with Dean King's efforts here. Where is this great prodigy of maps that the book seems to promise? Much of the book is taken up with summaries of PO'B's novels. If I want to know what happened in the books I will read them, I don't need to pay 21 American dollars for that. And most of the content that is not summary is written descriptions entitled 'Here and There'. Can Mr. King possibly think his accounts will succeed in enabling we hopeless lubbers to comprehend intricate harbors and locations where the great O'Brian's have not? In the Post Captain chapter, do we find a map of Chaulieu where Aubrey fights the Polychrest until she sinks under him? No we do not. This book should be filled cover to cover with detailed charts and maps. It falls far and sadly short of expectations. I urge anyone not having been duped into purchasing it already to refrain from doing so.
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