In which Aubrey and Maturin separately learn important things from a visit to Ashgrove Cottage: Maturin meeting his daughter for the first time after years at sea, and Aubrey confronting feelings of jealousy and betrayal so similar to those he has visited upon his wife, Sophie. News from the Admiralty set the stage for finally putting into action a strategem against the French, one threatening close to home despite the mission against slavers in African waters. That mission is most likely to be undermined, however, not from enemies without so much as the breakdown in community and spirit from within the fleet itself, and the best hope is for Aubrey to win the command entrusted to him.

//

Not an installment to be held up for anyone unfamiliar with the larger sweep of the series, but I suspect after a second read through them all, this will prove to include a majority of the elements making the novels so beloved to me. Each element necessarily appears in smaller doses than could be wished, there are others which have more impressive naval actions or exciting intelligence capers, certainly more of Jack and Stephen's love for music, perhaps more closely examined social interactions. Jack again recalls with glee Stephen's witticism of the dog watch, and the Royal Navy's regard for "lesser evils"; and O'Brian seems to delight in having as many characters as possible mention that chestnut, not a moment to be lost. They are all here, doled out in measured amounts, and while fleeting they come together amazingly well.

Jack's second command of a fleet: whence the novel's title. The convoy includes flagship Bellona and Stately, leading Aurora and Thames; Nimble and Orestes; Laurel and Camilla. Before assuming to Commodore, Jack and Stephen returned to England from Peru aboard Surprise and Ringle, latter a Baltimore schooner found abandoned on the open ocean and subsequently won from Dundage in a backgammon game (so Schuyler's Butcher's Bill).

Chapter VII an historical peek into slaving and its insidious bloodline within the Royal Navy, and indeed Britain's own illusory strength of culture and empire.

The political machinations and peril with French Intelligence winds down to the person of the Duke of Habachtsthal, a semi-royal and ruler of a Prussian principality. Stephen's freedom and the safety of Clarissa Oakes, Brigid, Diana, and Padeen imperiled and forced into exile.

Mr John Paulton publishes a novel, now all the rage in London, and dedicated to Maturin after their time together in New South Wales. Stephen is gifted a potto by Whewell, purchased from market and believed by the sailors to have brought prodigious luck; this potto he leaves with Christine Wood Heatherleigh, fellow naturalist in Liberia and object of Stephen's flirtations, so as not to bring it out of the Tropics.

Consulting Seltzer's chronology: The last (?) of the novels occurring within the "repeating year" 1813. ( )

Not every Aubrey and Maturin novel contains a plethora of sea battles. There's only one major action in 'The Commodore' and it happens right at the end. Instead, the first half of the book recounts Jack and Stephen's adventures on land upon their return from many years at sea. As the reader has come to expect, things do not go well. Jack almost immediately falls off a horse and seriously injures himself, then argues with his wife, not to mention having serious mother-in-law problems. Meanwhile Stephen's wife has vanished off the face of the earth, leaving the mute daughter he's never met before with Clarissa Oakes, plus one of his nemeses is after him. From this unpromising start things do improve, but the two of them still head back to sea as soon as they can. For spying reasons, and also because it's clearly where they are both happiest (which make the last line of the book rather ominous). As with the previous two installments in the series, this one isn't terribly light-hearted. There are a few moments of amusement via social awkwardness, nonetheless:

"Yes," said Sophie, and she paused before going on, "And there is something on his mind. He is not the same. It is not only the ships and all the business; besides, the invaluable Mr Adams takes a great deal of that off his hands. No. There is a sort of reserve... it is not that he is in the least unkind... but you might almost say a coldness. No. That would be an absurd exaggeration. But he often sleeps in his study because of the paper-work or because he is out late. And even when he does not he gets up at night and walks about until the morning."
Into this most unpromising conversation Stephen could find nothing better to say than "Perhaps he will be happier once he gets to sea," which earned him a reproachful look. Both were poised to say something almost certainly unfortunate when Jack came in from seeing the flag-lieutenant off, the remains of a farewell smile still on his face.

During the voyage that follows, their mission is to disrupt the slave trade and free those captured on slave ships. Views on slavery differ between Stephen (campaigned against it), Jack (opposed, with some ambivalence), and a disagreeable captain in Jack's fleet (pro, family was in the slave trade). Slaves ships are shown in all their cruel horror. Another theme is homosexuality in the navy, as one of the other captains under Jack's command is a 'known pederast' and plays favourites with his subordinates. As a commodore, Jack has become a senior manager whose time is perpetually occupied dealing with these conflicts. He decides the overall strategy of the ships he commands and attempts to get his captains to work together properly. Now that he has reached this senior position, it's all the more clear how valuable and important his friendship with Stephen is. Their companionship isn't impacted by naval hierarchy and accusations of favouritism. Their areas of expertise and skill are totally different, while obviously complimentary, so they talk unusually freely with one another. Both are extremely capable and competent in their own spheres, yet also do some ridiculous and foolish things. One of Stephen's flaws is his fondness for substances, as the reader is reminded in this installment:

Yet he had some faults, and one was the habit of dosing himself, generally from a spirit of inquiry, as in his period of inhaling large quantities of the nitrous oxide and of the vapour of hemp, to say nothing of tobacco, bhang in all its charming varieties in India, betel in Java and the neighbouring islands, qat in the Red Sea, and hallucinating cacti in South America, but sometimes for relief from distress, as when he became addicted to opium in one form or another; and now he was busily poisoning himself with coca-leaves, whose virtue he has learnt in Peru.

There aren't as many scenes with wildlife as in [b:The Wine-Dark Sea|938791|The Wine-Dark Sea (Aubrey & Maturin #16)|Patrick O'Brian|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565969963l/938791._SY75_.jpg|388063] sea, however there is an enchanting potto:

At about sunset she came out, looking nervous to be sure, as any country potto might in new surroundings, but neither shattered nor terrified. She would have nothing to do with his proffered banana, still less with a finger, but she washed to some extent - a very beautiful creature - and a little before he left he saw one of the far too many local cockroaches walk into her cage. Her immense eyes glowed with an uncommon fire: she paused, motionless until it was within reach, and then seized it with both hands. Yet for eating the animal, which she did with every appearance of appetite, she used but one, and that the left.
"Good night, dear potto," he said, locking the door behind him.

It is sad to contemplate that only three unread Aubrey and Maturin novels remain after this one, as the series creates such a vivid and delightful world for the reader to visit. They make ideal lockdown reading, given the beautifully described settings, endearing creatures, wonderful characters, exciting events, and general immersion in the Age of Sail. ( )

Good addition to the series with expedition against slavery in Africa and blocking French landing at Ireland. Both the captain and doctor have problems with their wives. Seemed a little rushed at the end, but still worthwhile. I like the doctor's feyish daughter. ( )

A re-read as I'd managed to read both this and The Hundred Days a long way out of sequence.

Not the best Aubrey/Maturin. Perfectly decent, but not the usual driving plot, which is possibly why I didn't remember any of it!

Would have given it a 3.75 if I could have. ( )

Having circum-navigated the globe, Aubrey and Maturin have an interlude back in England before setting off to fight the slave-trade off the coast of Africa. These interludes are the weakest parts of this saga, for me; I just get a bit bored quite quickly. But soon enough we're back at sea with Aubrey in command of a small fleet for the second time and then matters fairly whizz along, like a ship clapping on sail, right up to the sky-scrapers. The problems of fleet command present new challenges for Aubrey and Maturin faces new and old family challenges.

A pleasant, competent entry into this series, neither the worst nor the best - and only three more to go! ( )