Patrick O'Brian

Jack Aubrey, a former sea-officer in the British Navy and still bitter about his court-martial, agrees to take command of his old ship, the Surprise, which was sold to Dr. Stephen Maturin, who obtained a letter of marque to use the ship as a privateer.

In this sixth volume of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, Captain Aubrey and Maturin take passage for England to assume command.

Captain Aubrey has orders to intercept an American frigate in the south seas, a paradise for the battle weary Captain and ship's surgeon Maturin, until the two end up overboard.

Captain Jack Aubrey leads a great chase through fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks.

1st American ed.

Blue at the Mizzen (novel #20) ended with Jack Aubrey getting the news, in Chile, of his elevation to flag rank: Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, with orders to sail to the South Africa station. The next novel, unfinished and untitled at the time of the author's death, would have been the chronicle of that mission, and much else besides. The three chapters left on O'Brian's desk at the time of his death are presented here both in printed version-including...