"But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean either my country, right or wrong, which is infamous, or my country is always right, which is imbecile." - Stephen Maturin

I wish you a blessed (belated) #IndependenceDay #4thOfJuly

#AubreyMaturin #MasterAndComander #PatrickOBrian

#GuiltyPleasures: boost, and post your own!

Mine? #PatrickOBrian’s #AubreyMaturin novels. I’ve lost count of my #circumnavigations.

Das #Turmscheit wird übrigens im dreizehnten Band der #AubreyMaturin-Reihe von #PatrickOBrian erwähnt.

In einem anderen Zusammenhang habe ich neulich die #Theorbe entdeckt.

Elizabeth Kenny: "...jokes about #theorbo players started almost as soon as the instrument so I'm liking a few new ones."

Kommentar: "As a marimba player, I appreciate this instrument for its compact size and ease of travel."

https://iv.melmac.space/watch?v=eVabz8LneI4

Patrick O'Brian's novels set during the Napoleonic Wars are among my most favorite. Killick, my non-de-mastodon is a character in the series of 20 novels. As I walk about in the 21st Century, I sometimes imagine how I'd explain life today to the two main characters, a ship's captain and his best friend, her surgeon. The characters have almost become real people to me. Even if you think this genre of fiction is far outside your interests, I suggest you give "Master & Commander" a read. It's the first of the books, and a great story in itself. Regular readers call reading each cycle of 20 books a "circumnavigation." I've lost count of my circumnavigations. #PatrickOBrian #Aubreyad #AubreyMaturin #bookstodon #fiction

Interesting article about the evolution of the frigate in the 18th century:
#AubreyMaturin #MasterAndCommander #PatrickOBrian
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2023/april/evolution-frigates-age-sail

I really wish I could hear the Worcester's rendition of Handel's Messiah, rehearsed during the monotony of the Toulon blockade. #AubreyMaturin #MasterAndCommander #PatrickOBrian

"Yet although the choir looked a little strange, and would look stranger by far given time and leisure, they made a fine body of sound as they sang away, all crammed together below with the deck touching the cooper’s crown, the taller men’s heads, but so deep in the music that the discomfort counted for nothing."

#PatrickOBrian on pregnancy:

'Apart from the obvious classical symptoms, what do you find to be the earliest signs of pregnancy?’

‘Wallis,’ said Maturin, ‘I am happy to find you here. How is your penis?’❗😂
#PatrickOBrian #AubreyMaturin #TheFortuneOfWar

#PatrickOBrian The Mauritius Command (Vol. 4) is just exquisite! The burden of fleet command, the turn of tide battles, the politcal motivations, and the tragic contrasting of Aubrey to Clonfert makes for a wonderful tale. (I'm not crying, you're crying!)
#MasterAndCommander #AubreyMaturin

‘On these occasions,’ [Stephen] reflected, ‘my valuable friend appears to swell, actually to increase in his physical as well as his spiritual dimensions: is it an optical illusion? How I should like to measure him. The penetrating intelligence in the eye, however, is not capable of measurement. He becomes a stranger: I, too, should hesitate to address him.’
#MasterAndCommander #PatrickOBrian #AubreyMaturin

Stephen said, ‘Have you ever contemplated upon sex, my dear?’
‘Never,’ said Jack. ‘Sex has never entered my mind, at any time.’
#MasterAndCommander #PatrickOBrian #AubreyMaturin

HMS Rose, used for HMS Surprise in "Master & Commander", during restoration in 2005 in San Diego, taken from the quarterdeck looking forward
#PatrickOBrian #TallShips #NapoleonicWars #Fotomontag

I don't know where all the Patrick O'Brian peeps are, but hopefully they will show themselves soon.

I have either read or listened to the Master and Commander series of books countless times now, and I have been working really hard to learn Spanish. So, I am taking a new circumnavigation through the series in Spanish this time.

A glorious set of books, and so much better and more than the movie.

#MasterAndCommander #PatrickOBrian #AubreyMaturin #JackAubrey

#7Books that greatly influenced me

#RosemarySutcliff The Mark of the Horse Lord
#GeorgeMacdonald Phantastes
#LaurieLee As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morn
#TheodorSchwenk Sensitive Chaos
#PatrickOBrian Master and Commander series
#Mary Renault The Last of the Wine
#UrsulaLeGuin Earthsea trilogy

But not necessarily my favourites

Some favorite writers

#ScottLynch
#PatrickOBrian
#DorothyDunnett
#GeorgeMacDonaldFraser
#PaulCornell
#RichardKadrey
#MarkHelprin
#PierceBrown
#BernardCornwell
#neilgaiman
#nealstephenson
#ColsonWhitehead

@albinokid

Five to seven of your favorite authors?

#UrsulaKLeGuin #OctaviaButler #HermanMelville #PatrickOBrian #JaneAusten #BeckyChambers #MarthaWells

Boy, it’s hard to stop at 7. #Books #Authors #Bookstodon

@damonyoung
I came across 8 paperbacks in Little Free Libraries over a couple of months, then filled in with eBooks.
#littlefreelibrary #MaturinAubrey #PatrickOBrian