A Sea of Words

A guide to the British Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Age for fans of the Aubrey–Maturin series: “A gem of a book” ( Minneapolis Star Tribune ). What is a sand-grouse, and where does it live? What are the medical properties of lignum vitae , and how did Stephen Maturin use it to repair his viola? Who is Admiral Lord Keith, and why is his wife so friendly with Captain Jack Aubrey? More than any other contemporary author, Patrick O’Brian knew the past. His twenty Aubrey–Maturin novels, beginning wit