The Far Side of the World
Historical Fiction Adventure Fiction Military History Naval Fiction Nautical Fiction War Fiction Sea Stories
The Far Side of the World (Collins, 1984) is the tenth novel in Patrick O’Brian’s beloved Aubrey–Maturin series and a true first-edition hardcover that still carries its original dust jacket—an immediate prize for collectors who want the 1984 text exactly as it appeared when Britain’s literary critics first hailed it as “Jane Austen on a man-of-war.” Set during the War of 1812, the story sends Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend, the erudite ship’s surgeon Stephen Maturin, on a perilous chase around Cape Horn into the Pacific, where the promise of a captured American frigate collides with the lethal beauty of ice-storms, hidden reefs, and the psychological strain of months at sea. O’Brian’s blend of impeccably researched Napoleonic naval history, sly humour, and the evolving friendship between two utterly different men makes this volume one of the high-water marks of historical fiction.
First-edition points add real scarcity value: the Collins imprint, the un-restored dust jacket with its distinctive storm-tossed cover art, and the 1984 publication date all line up with the bibliographic points collectors watch for. Because the book was later reprinted countless times, genuine 1984 firsts in the original casing are now surprisingly hard to locate, especially in the secondary market. Even with honest ex-library evidence—stamps, slight spine tilt, and the mellow page-toning typical of Collins’ mid-80s paper—this copy remains complete and tight, a reader’s copy that still looks respectable on the shelf and can travel safely in a rucksack the way sea-stories ought to.
For fans of the Russell Crowe film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the novel offers the deeper, richer voyage the movie only samples. Here you’ll meet the real “phantom” American frigate, experience the full arc of Maturin’s secret intelligence work, and understand why the series’ admirers range from historians to arm-chair sailors. Whether you are filling a gap in your first-edition set, hunting the perfect gift for a naval-fiction buff, or simply want to feel the creak of oak and the snap of canvas on a winter evening, this 1984 first delivers the authentic O’Brian experience in its most collectible form.
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