Patrick O'Brien is the author of a large number of books in a wide variety of genres, but his real fame was brought to him by a series of books about Captain Jack Aubrey and the ship's doctor Stephen Maturin. The action of the books takes place in the era of the Napoleonic wars, developing the theme begun by the books of S.S. Forester. Critics unanimously note both the high artistic merits of the books (in terms of skill in constructing dialogues and describing characters, O'Brien is compared to Jane Austen) and excellent knowledge of historical realities. The author managed to recreate in every detail the appearance of the era - from the design of the ship to the language, description of customs, beliefs, and scientific ideas. His work fits into the idea that the Napoleonic Wars are the English Trojan epic, which called into existence its “Iliads” and “Odysseys.” The duet of the main characters created by the author received the highest praise from literary scholars: Jack Aubrey, a true representative of the officer corps of the Royal Military the navy, with its advantages and disadvantages, and Stephen Maturin - an intellectual and scientist, also a true son of his age. "His Majesty's Frigate "Surprise" is the third book in the series. The action takes place in the distant waters of the Indian Ocean, where the frigate Surprise will have to defend a convoy of East India Company ships from the superior forces of the French squadron.* * *Translation from English: El Timonel (csforester.narod.ru)