THE THIRTEEN GUN SALUTE

'''The Thirteen Gun Salute''', (1989) is a further historical novel in the series by Patrick O'Brian. This first edition bears this title, whereas later issues have used ''The Thirteen-Gun Salute'' featuring a hyphenated title.

Contents

Plot summary

Characters in "The Thirteen Gun Salute"

Ships in "The Thirteen Gun Salute"

The British

The French

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

Literary significance & criticism

Reviews

Editions

Sources, references, external links, quotations

Footnotes

Plot summary

Immediately following The Letter of Marque, the narrative picks up with Aubrey getting the Surprise underway for the mission to South America. Upon reaching Portugal, however, they are intercepted by Sir Joseph Blaine and Aubrey learns that he is to be reinstated with his former seniority as a Post Captain in the Royal Navy, and given the recently captured French ship Diane, the Surprise to be commanded by Captain Pullings.
His new assignment leads us into the story of a venture to the fictitious Malay island of Pulo Prabang, where Fox, an ambitious King's emissary, attempts to win over the local king with a treaty, while the French attempt the same. The French, in this case, are now being openly assisted by the same English traitors who were responsible for Aubrey's disgrace.
Stephen's work keeps him undercover as a naturalist as he engages in a political duel for influence at the Sultan's court. Although his works are to go unknown, they prove to be invaluable in both undermining the French efforts and finally exacting his revenge on his enemies, the French agents, Ledward and Wray.
Ledward and Wray are caught in bed with Abdul, a boy who is the Sultan's cupbearer and catamite, the Sultan having pederast tendencies, though married and fathering a son by his queen. Abdul is gruesomely executed, while Wray and Ledward are banished from the court, effectively ending the French mission. Ledward and Wray are later shot: O'Brian leaves it until well into the following novel to confirm Maturin as the assassin. Maturin dissects their bodies with a fellow natural philosopher and intelligence agent and then reduces them to skeletons by laying their remains on an anthill.
Returning, Aubrey and the crew of the Diane are shipwrecked on a desert island. Fox and his colleagues decide to sail for Batavia in Dianes pinnace, but are caught in a typhoon and killed. Aubrey's crew decides to stay on the island and build a small schooner from the ship's remains.
The title refers to the honor that is due to Fox as an official envoy and representative of the King.

Characters in "The Thirteen Gun Salute"

★ Jack Aubrey - appointed Captain of HMS ''Diane''.

★ Stephen Maturin - ship's surgeon, friend to Jack and intelligence officer.

★ Sophie Williams - Jack's wife

Ships in "The Thirteen Gun Salute"

The British

The French

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

Literary significance & criticism

Reviews

Editions

★ Audio Edition Recorded Books, LLC; Unabridged Audio edition narrated by Patrick Tull (ISBN 0788767178)

Sources, references, external links, quotations

Lois Montbertrand published an article concerning O'Brian's use of A. E. Housman's poem "Bells in the Tower" in this novel in Housman Society Journal 2002. See also [1]

Footnotes