The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack AubreyBlue 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 his corrections to the typescript-and a facsimile of his manuscript, which goes several pages beyond the end of the typescript to include a duel between Stephen Maturin and an impertinent officer who is courting his fiancee. Of course we would rather have had the whole story; instead we have this proof that O'Brian's powers of observation, his humor, and his understanding of his characters were undiminished to the end. |
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Common terms and phrases
aboard Admiral Admiral's African squadron asked Aubrey's barge blue boat Brigid broadside cabin called Cape Caplan Captain Aubrey Chilean navy CLARISSA OAKES command course coxswain crew cried damned deck delight dinner Dr Jacob Dr Maturin Edward face fack favour flag friends frigate frigate's glass GREATEST HISTORICAL NOVELIST hand happy heard Heatherleigh HMS Suffolk IONIAN MISSION Jack Aubrey Jack's Killick knew land least letters lieutenant little girls look Lord Leyton mate MAURITIUS COMMAND Medenham Miller mizzen never Nuncio NUTMEG OF CONSOLATION officers once particularly PATRICK O'BRIAN perfectly perhaps port POST CAPTAIN Rear-Admiral Ringle River Plate sail salute sand seamen ship shore shot side soon Sophie South African squadron St Paul's Rock Stephen Strait Suffolk sure Surprise Surprise's tell ther thing voyage walked watch werewolf Woolcombe word YELLOW ADMIRAL