A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian

This useful book is an indespensible compliment to the "Master & Commander" series. So many places like "Isle de France" are not found on modern maps, and details of 1805 Port Mahon in Minorca are necessary to understand the actions there which are thinly disguised accounts of actual events.

I also recommend "Harbors and High Seas" by this author and "Lobscouse and Spotted Dog" by Anne Chotzinoff Grossman and Lisa Grossman Thomas. Aubry eats as much as fights. Now you can imagine (and cook and taste) the foods of the novels.

I bought this book after reading about half of the Aubrey/Maturin series. By then, I had figured out most of what I needed to know. A good dictionary and encyclopedia does the job just as well, and you have the satisfaction and adventure in figuring it out yourself. If you really like this series, like I do, don't buy this book, dig around yourself. It will be more satisfying. It has a very pretty cover though.

As one-stop shopping for references to obscurities in the Aubrey/Maturin series, the book mostly succeeds. The information presented is mostly accurate, usually complete enough to satisfy the reader, and fairly well presented.
Unfortunately, the second edition paperback I possess contained an annoyingly large number of typos and was sloppily edited and proofed (the book's practice of distinguishing names of persons, of terms cross-referenced, etc., seems to have caused fair amount of trouble).
Also, while certainly any book of this sort must circumscribe its ambition somewhat, readers seeking a truly comprehensive vade mecum will be disappointed in the paucity of geographical references. I would not impute mercenary motives to Mr. King or his publisher, but it seems to me that at least some explanation of the locations referred to in the novels might have been provided without harming the potential sale of "Harbors and High Seas" or making this volume impossibly large, and would have made this an even more useful and comprehensive resource.

I've loved the Aubrey & Maturin books since first I opened their pages, and in no small part for their authentic language and vocabulary, but I admit that even I was sometimes daunted by grammar and words that were unknown and arcane to modern readers. This book is a great help to understanding the sense of many things in this series, and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to get the most out of this noble and glorious great serial novel, as it were.

Invaluable - Indespensable - Don't start an O'Brian novel (Aubrey/Maturin series) without it. You will waste a lot of time trying to look up references in the usual books (encyclopedia, etc.) on the various every day things mentioned in the Aubrey/Maturin novels. This is the ONLY book you will need. Place it by your side and find that the only references in it, are the ones you need. GOOD STUFF.

For someone starting out in the Aubrey/Maturin (or any other sea stories, for that matter), this is an excellent companion. While I am somewhat familiar with nautical terms, I found it helpful to have a handy reference for the language of the sea and of Georgian Britain. This is a useful volume for fans of other Nelsonian heroes such as Horatio Hornblower, Richard Bolitho, and Nathaniel Drinkwater.

Even I, someone almost as knowledgable about navies and sailing ships of that era as Jack Aubrey, consider this book indispensable. I recommend you keep it by your side whenever you read anything by Patrick O'Brian. I'm not a religious person, but I worship this book as though it were a bible.

All the words and phrases to fully understand the meaning behind the words of O'Brian. Also insight into the world of the Royal Navy in Aubrey's time including the ships and the surgeon's life. I highly recommend this book!

If you are reading the Aubrey-Maturin books, this is an absolute MUST! Not only is it fascinating to browse, but it helps greatly to clarify the ubiquitous nautical jargon. Admittedly it does not have every word I look up, especially now that I have been using it for a while, but I would not do without it. Highly recommended (as are the Aubrey books!).

A "must have" for any serious Patrick O'Brian fan. Very useful in answering all those questions that formulate in your mind as you are reading the books. I had already read all the books when I bought this and now am enjoying the books all over again with this by my side.

This is an excellent reference guide. However, the 2nd edition of this book has a major printing error. Most of the terms beginning with "C" and the beginning of the "D" entries are missing, and there's a reprinted set of pages from later in the book inserted instead.
Avoid the 2nd edition!

I have one problem with this book (Third edition). It was not put together very well. It is missing sections "T" and "U". Instead, the publishers put the bibliography and index where "T" and "U" should have been, and then picked up with section "V". To top it off, the page numbers referenced in the index don't even agree to those in the book.

Must-have reader's companion to the Glory Days of sailing ships. The unique nomenclature and general foundation of the British Navy at the beginning of nineteenth century is deftly described. Invaluable!

Not only does it give you an alphabetical listing of sailor jargon, dictionary style, but also small informational sections about medical beliefs at the time, and brief explanations about how the navy operated. I would purchase it just for the definitions of words, but enjoyed the fact it contained a bit more.