Patrick O'Brian
Born: 01-01-1914
Patrick O'Brian was a British novelist and translator best known for his historical Aubrey-Maturin series set during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1914, his rich narratives and meticulous attention to naval detail captivated readers worldwide. Beyond fiction, O'Brian translated numerous works, including those of Simone de Beauvoir. His literary contributions have left a lasting impact on historical fiction, blending adventure with profound character studies.
Book summaries for books written by Patrick O'Brian
Quotes
The hardest thing in the world is to put your finger on what the problem really is.
There is no fixed law in the world. No stoplights. No speed limits. We outrank them all.
The sea is everything. It covers seven-tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.
There is nothing like wounded vanity for causing memory to act in place of conscience.
The wisdom of the old ones is great. The wisdom of the young ones is great too.
Women grants health and fortune to whoever possesses her and health and fortune often grant honour and sometimes wealth.
There is no situation so desperate that it cannot be bettered by a good pistol.
In long thin nightcaps that reached down to their heels, they giggled and gaggled and ran around the deck, looking for all the world like a flock of geese.
A continously breaking wave was probably the most beautiful thing a sailor could ever hope to see.
Jack experienced the surprise, the helpless fury of a mouse being towed up a drainpipe by an army of beetles.
In a sea gale, when skysails were furled there was no prudent captain who would not beat to windward.
Men of war are always anxious to engage, but always reluctant to break off.