Reading order · 21 books · 1969 to 2004 · Set at sea
Aubrey-Maturin Books in Order
The Aubrey-Maturin novels follow Jack Aubrey, a bold Royal Navy captain known as Lucky Jack, and his closest friend Stephen Maturin, a ship’s surgeon, naturalist and intelligence agent, through the Napoleonic Wars. Rich in humour, music, food and sailing, they are often called the finest historical novels ever written.
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Series facts
- Books
- 21
- Published
- 1969 to 2004
- First book
- Master and Commander
- Latest
- The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (2004)
- Setting
- Set at sea
The reading order
Every Aubrey-Maturin book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
21 books · Set at sea
- 1Master and Commander1969With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinIn 1800, at Port Mahon on Minorca, Lieutenant Jack Aubrey receives his first command, the small sloop Sophie, and meets Stephen Maturin at a concert, where they nearly come to blows.Buy on Amazon
- 2Post Captain1972With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinDuring the Peace of Amiens, Jack and Stephen are ashore in England, in love with two cousins, Sophie and Diana, and Jack is pursued by his creditors.Buy on Amazon
- 3HMS Surprise1973With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack commands the frigate Surprise, sent to carry an envoy to the East Indies, while Stephen faces danger of his own.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Mauritius Command1977With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack is given command of a squadron to take the French islands of Mauritius and Réunion.Buy on Amazon
- 5Desolation Island1978With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack commands the Leopard, carrying convicts to New South Wales, and is chased into the far south by a Dutch warship.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Fortune of War1979With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack and Stephen are caught up in the War of 1812 against the United States, and taken prisoner in Boston.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Surgeon's Mate1980With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack and Stephen are sent on a mission to the Baltic, and end up imprisoned in France.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Ionian Mission1981With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack serves on the blockade of Toulon, and is then sent on a delicate mission among the Turkish rulers of the Greek coast.Buy on Amazon
- 9Treason's Harbour1983With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinIn Malta, Stephen hunts a French spy within the British command.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Far Side of the World1984With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack and Stephen sail around Cape Horn to stop an American frigate that is attacking British whalers in the Pacific.Buy on Amazon
- 11The Reverse of the Medal1986With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack is framed in a fraud on the Stock Exchange, convicted and struck off the Navy list.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Letter of Marque1988With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinStruck off the Navy list, Jack takes the Surprise to sea as a privateer.Buy on Amazon
- 13The Thirteen-Gun Salute1989With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack is restored to the Navy, and Stephen is sent on a mission to a sultanate in the Malay islands.Buy on Amazon
- 14The Nutmeg of Consolation1991With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinShipwrecked in the South China Sea, Jack and Stephen find a new ship and sail on to New South Wales.Buy on Amazon
- 15Clarissa Oakes1992With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinA woman convict is found stowed away aboard the Surprise, and her presence unsettles the crew.Buy on Amazon
- 16The Wine-Dark Sea1993With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinThe Surprise chases an American privateer across the Pacific, and Stephen travels to Peru on a secret mission.Buy on Amazon
- 17The Commodore1994With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack is sent as a commodore to fight the slave trade off the coast of West Africa.Buy on Amazon
- 18The Yellow Admiral1996With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinJack fears being made an admiral with no fleet to command, and trouble brews at home.Buy on Amazon
- 19The Hundred Days1998With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinNapoleon escapes from Elba, and Jack and Stephen are sent to stop gold reaching him.Buy on Amazon
- 20Blue at the Mizzen1999With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinAfter Waterloo, the Surprise sails to South America to help Chile win its independence.Buy on Amazon
- 21The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey2004With Jack Aubrey and Stephen MaturinThe unfinished chapters of the twenty-first novel, published after Patrick O’Brian’s death.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Master and Commander. The twenty books form one long story.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Jack Aubrey | Stephen Maturin | Preserved Killick | Barret Bonden | Tom Pullings | Sophia Williams | Diana Villiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Master and Commander | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ||
| 2 Post Captain | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 3 HMS Surprise | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 4 The Mauritius Command | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 5 Desolation Island | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 6 The Fortune of War | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 7 The Surgeon's Mate | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 8 The Ionian Mission | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 9 Treason's Harbour | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 10 The Far Side of the World | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 11 The Reverse of the Medal | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 12 The Letter of Marque | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 13 The Thirteen-Gun Salute | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 14 The Nutmeg of Consolation | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 15 Clarissa Oakes | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 16 The Wine-Dark Sea | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 17 The Commodore | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor |
| 18 The Yellow Admiral | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 19 The Hundred Days | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 20 Blue at the Mizzen | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 21 The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Aubrey-Maturin books
7 characters from Patrick O'Brian’s chart, with the number of Aubrey-Maturin books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Jack AubreyRoyal Navy captain, "Lucky Jack" | 21 | Master and Commander 1969 |
| Stephen MaturinSurgeon, naturalist and spy | 21 | Master and Commander 1969 |
| Preserved KillickAubrey's grumbling steward | 21 | Master and Commander 1969 |
| Barret BondenAubrey's coxswain | 21 | Master and Commander 1969 |
| Tom PullingsMidshipman who rises to captain | 21 | Master and Commander 1969 |
| Sophia WilliamsJack's wife | 20 | Post Captain 1972 |
| Diana VilliersSophie's cousin, loved by Stephen | 11 | Post Captain 1972 |