Patrick O’Brian’s The Commodore handles one of the more challenging steps in Aubrey’s career: promotion. Simply put, if the author removes one of his main characters from the sea, it’s hard to imagine the result. Promotion in the Royal Navy eventually removes a captain from commanding a ship. First, the rising officer commands a small group of ships, but is master of none. Further advancement can mean the officer now commands from port. The Dilbert principle states: “The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage — management.” In the early 19th century, a related process was at work: the better you ar at one job, the faster you are promoted out of that position. Of course, we’ve all seen evidence that this phenomenon is not limited to the past.
I’m going on at length about this career move because in C.S. Forester’s Hornblower novels, I found that the later books were less interesting because the protagonist, Horatio Hornblower, is one step removed from the direct action due to his high rank. The later novels are not bad, but they pale after the rip-roaring adventures of the young Hornblower. As Aubrey and Maturin age — and there’s three more volumes to cover — I want them still in the thick of daily sea life.
Note: if you want a plot summary, click that first link to the official site.