Reddit reviews A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Words-Third-Companion-Seafaring/dp/0805066152

This book is specifically made as a terminology companion for the Patrick O'Brian series. I picked it up myself but have yet to start the series.

There's actually a book for that

A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805066152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dgdKybMGPPA6K

If one starts reading those novels, I'd recommend getting some guides to aid in the lubber's understanding:

• A Sea of Words, lexical guide. Trust me, even if you're something of a sailor, you won't understand a good bit of what goes on in the books. Well, you'll probably get the general idea, but there's a lot of nautical nuance that will be utterly lost. Good even for seasoned fans of the series.
  
  
• Harbors and High Seas, geographical guide.
  
  C.S. Forester's Hornblower series is also great.
  
  I haven't tried the sci-fi RCN series, which was influenced by O'Brian, but I should give it a shot.

There are actually companion books to the Aubrey/Maturin series with explanations and illustrations of both the nautical stuff and historical events. I have this one, can recommend:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Words-Lexicon-Companion-Seafaring/dp/0805066152

My first time through the series I just read the books without any special guide to the terminology - just full immersion except maybe for some Google searches here and there. It's a bit like learning a new language by immersion and over time you will figure a lot of it out via context. That said there is a book I picked up which helps a lot as a reference: https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Words-Third-Companion-Seafaring/dp/0805066152 . I think I got this near the end of my first read through or the beginning of the second. It's a great reference book.

As for audiobooks, that's not my thing so others could chime in on that. I hope you enjoy the series!

The first book is a bit difficult to get into, but is essential in the development of the relationship between Maturin and Aubrey. My brother bought me this for my birthday before college. The range of things discussed and themes portrayed are immense. I don't think anyone can come anywhere near O'Brian's brilliance when it comes to naval warfare in the time period of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A Sea of Words is also helpful in understanding some of the finer points that the book goes into.

You can always pick up the book "Sea of Words" to assist you in understanding the more esoteric sailing and RN language used by O'Brian.

Yes, I just reread the books a couple weeks ago and he's made a baron, given a knighthood and made a Colonel of the Marines (a sinecures or ceremonial position). Thus putting him the peerage and entitling him to the honorific "Lord".

And I also third the Patrick O'Brien recommendation and I would add to that a hearty recommendation that you pick up a copy of Sea of Words which is a sort of lexicon/companion book that has entries for all the words, concepts and Biblical/literary references in O'Brien's writing. He's a wordier and less... accessible writer in that he just assumes you understand the references and nautical terms. If you don't, you end up missing some important bits. Anyway, I found reading the series a second time through after finding Sea of Words was really enjoyable.

Oh I envy you being able to read Patrick O'Brian for the first time. I firmly believe that the Aubrey/Maturin series is the greatest work of modern English literature.

I do know that the movie is actually based on the plot of The Far Side of the World, which is actually the tenth novel, and that the stole some of the best anecdotes from various novels. For example, the "lesser of two weevils" gag is from The Fortune of War, which is the sixth book.

Not sure what advice to give you before you embark on your journey but there's two major paths: using references to understand everything, and learning along with Maturin (PO'B uses Maturin to explain some of the more esoteric concepts and terms of square-rigged sailing). I wrote the following in a previous Reddit post:
>In Master and Commander, the first of Patrick O'Brian's brilliant Aubrey/Maturin series (which may very well be the best-written English-language books post-WWII), we are introduced to Stephen Maturin, the perpetual land-lubber who acts as a guide for the reader to the more obscure jargon used by sailors -- especially that of the Royal Navy during the heights of the Age of Sail.

>When Maturin is being given a tour of the HMS Sophie, his first ship deployment, he becomes perplexed by the language being tossed at him and asks, "You could not explain this maze of ropes and wood and canvas without using sea-terms, I suppose? No, it would not be possible. ... No; for it is by those names alone that they are known."

>And that is how it is with the language of sailing; like learning a foreign language, one must become familiar with its terms and jargon for there is no other language to define it.

As for references, there are two major ones: "A Sea of Words", which is a dictionary and general reference for sailing/nautical, naturalism, medicine, politics, and sometimes foreign-language dictionary, though sometimes it comes woefully short on obvious terms; and "Harbors and High Seas", an atlas which maps out the various locations and journeys of Aubrey's missions.

Enjoy! And feel free to ask me any questions regarding the series. I've got whole passages memorized lol

EDIT: I forgot to mention my favorite fact: Patrick O'Brian never stepped aboard a sailing vessel...

One suggestion, for if you get a bit lost with all the naval terminology, is Dean Kings A Sea of Words. It contains what is basically a dictionary of the naval terms used in the series, along with some diagrams and information about the Royal Navy at the time.

Buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Words-Third-Companion-Seafaring/dp/0805066152

Honestly, it was bugging the daylights out of me too. THANK YOU.

For those who care, and contextually reasonably close to the setting:
http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Words-Third-Edition-Companion/dp/0805066152
Actually fascinating, and you can find them used on Amazon for $1.