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Jackson,
I read several O'Brian novels,
and I did not notice much about navigation in them.
Neither about seamanship in general. (And I am very sensitive in this
respect, when I read something).

On my opinion, Forester is by far superior.
(I read all novels of Forester at least 2 times, and find O'Brian
just too boring in comparison).

Forester did actually sail in the places he describes, don't know about
O'Brian.

Speaking of the fiction, I want to mention the following.
R. L. Stevenson, in one of his letters was discussing his Treasury Island
which he was writing at that time. And among the other things he wrote
the following (I cite by memory):

"I understand that squire Trelawney should hire a brig for his expedition,
(in the sense that a schooner is not a worthy vessel for a squire:-).
But I am afraid that I will not manage to sail a brig..."

On my opinion, this is the true attitude a serious writer should have.

Alex.


> Patrick O'Brian's historical novels (the Aubrey-Maturin series) contain
> occasional references to navigation in the Royal Navy in the late 18th and
> early 19th centuries.
> Has a member of NavList examined these books to determine whether
> O'Brian's portrayal of navigation is historically and technically correct?
> Some years ago, I read the twenty novels in this series as well as the
> unfinished twenty-first manuscript, but, at that time, I did not pay
> sufficient attention to how O'Brien described navigation.
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> : http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=126340
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