Jack Aubrey Books in Order: Why Most Readers Start the Wrong Way

If you’ve ever walked into a used bookstore and seen twenty identical spines with covers depicting tattered sails and cannon smoke, you’ve met the Aubrey-Maturin series. Most people call them the "Jack Aubrey books." Honestly, though? Calling them that is like calling The Lord of the Rings "the Frodo books." It’s missing half the soul of the thing.

Patrick O’Brian’s masterpiece isn’t just about a loud, blonde British captain who’s good at blowing things up. It’s about his best friend, Stephen Maturin—a drug-addicted, Catalan-Irish physician who spends his time catching beetles and spying on Napoleon.

There are 20 finished novels and one tantalizingly unfinished fragment. If you’re looking to get into them, you probably want a list. But there's a trick to reading them that most newcomers miss.

The Absolute Order of the Aubrey-Maturin Series

Look, you can jump in anywhere. O'Brian was a pro; he wrote these so you could pick up book ten and generally understand that the guy in the gold lace is the boss. But why would you? The real magic is watching these two men age. You see them go from young, hungry officers and doctors to grizzled, wealthy, and slightly weary legends.

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Here is the sequence as it was written and as it should be read.

1. Master and Commander (1970) – The beginning. They meet at a concert. They almost fight a duel over a squeaky chair. Instead, they become brothers.
2. Post Captain (1972) – This one is basically Jane Austen on a ship. Lots of romance, debt, and Jack hiding in a bear suit. Seriously.
3. H.M.S. Surprise (1973) – Many fans say this is the best. It’s got the first real taste of the Indian Ocean and a heartbreaking look at Stephen’s personal life.
4. The Mauritius Command (1977) – Based on the real-life campaign of 1810. Jack finally gets to lead a fleet.
5. Desolation Island (1979) – Things get dark. A shipwreck, a plague, and a terrifying chase through the ice.
6. The Fortune of War (1980) – Set during the War of 1812. Jack and Stephen end up as prisoners in Boston.
7. The Surgeon's Mate (1980) – Intelligence work in the Baltic. High-stakes political maneuvering.
8. The Ionian Mission (1982) – Politics in the Mediterranean. It’s slower but deep.
9. Treason's Harbour (1983) – Malta is the setting. Spies are everywhere. Stephen is in his element; Jack is miserable.
10. The Far Side of the World (1984) – The one the movie is named after (sorta). A chase around Cape Horn into the Pacific.
11. The Reverse of the Medal (1986) – Jack gets caught in a Stock Exchange scandal. It’s the lowest point for his character.
12. The Letter of Marque (1988) – Jack is out of the Navy and working as a privateer. The redemption arc begins.
13. The Thirteen Gun Salute (1989) – An embassy to the Far East. Buddhists, volcanoes, and heavy diplomacy.
14. The Nutmeg of Consolation (1991) – Shipwrecked (again) and building a boat from scratch on a desert island.
15. The Truelove (1992) – Also known as Clarissa Oakes. A female stowaway causes chaos on the ship.
16. The Wine-Dark Sea (1993) – An Andean adventure involving an escaping priest and a massive volcanic eruption.
17. The Commodore (1994) – Jack returns home as a big shot, dealing with family drama and a mission to West Africa.
18. The Yellow Admiral (1996) – The war is ending. Jack faces being forced into retirement (the "Yellow" of the title).
19. The Hundred Days (1998) – Napoleon is back. One last frantic scramble to stop him.
20. Blue at the Mizzen (1999) – The final completed voyage, taking the duo to South America.
21. The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (2004) – Published posthumously. It’s mostly notes and a few chapters.

Why the "Fantasy Time" of 1812 Matters

There is a weird quirk in these books that confuses people. If you look at the dates, the first few books move through history at a normal pace. Then, O'Brian realized he was running out of Napoleonic War.

He didn't want to stop.

So, he created what fans call "The Long 1812." Basically, books six through eighteen all take place in a sort of "hypothetical" year. It’s like 1812a, 1812b, 1812c. If you try to map the actual calendar of the Napoleonic Wars to the books, you’ll give yourself a headache.

Don't do it. Just enjoy the ride. The characters don't seem to mind that they’ve been forty years old for a decade.

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The Misconception About "Nautical Fiction"

A lot of people avoid these because they think they need to know what a "main-topgallant stay" is. You don't. Honestly, Stephen Maturin doesn't know either, and he’s been on the ships for twenty years.

O'Brian uses Stephen as a proxy for the reader. When Jack explains a maneuver to Stephen, he’s actually explaining it to you. But even if you don't get the physics of a tacking maneuver, it doesn't matter. The books are really about the dialogue.

The way these men talk is incredible. It’s witty, formal, and deeply human. They play cello and violin duets together in the cabin while the world outside is literally on fire. That’s the core of the series. It’s a domestic drama that happens to have thirty-two-pounder cannons in the background.

How to Actually Start Reading

If you want to do this right, start with Master and Commander. Don't skip it. The movie (starring Russell Crowe) actually pulls plot points from about four different books, so don't expect it to match up perfectly.

Some people say start with H.M.S. Surprise because the first book is a bit "nautical heavy." I think that's bad advice. You need to see the moment they meet. You need to see Jack get his first command, the little brig Sophie. Without that context, the later books lose their emotional weight.

Actionable Tips for New Readers:

• Get a Glossary: Keep a copy of A Sea of Words by Dean King nearby. It helps with the jargon.
• Listen to the Audiobooks: The narration by Patrick Tull is legendary. He gives every sailor a distinct voice.
• Don't Rush: These aren't thrillers. They are "literary" historical fiction. Savor the dinner parties and the bird-watching.
• Look at Maps: Following their route from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean makes the scale of their voyages feel real.

Once you finish Blue at the Mizzen, you’ll likely feel a strange sense of grief. It’s a common side effect. The 21st book is a fragment, a glimpse of what O’Brian was working on when he died at his desk. It’s worth reading just to say goodbye, but the true ending is at the end of book twenty.

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Pick up the first one. Give it fifty pages. By the time they’re chasing a French frigate through a moonlit Mediterranean night, you’ll be hooked.

Next Steps for Your Journey:
To get the most out of your first read, track down the Patrick Tull audio versions; his gravelly voice for Jack and sharp tone for Stephen are widely considered the definitive way to experience the dialogue. If you find the nautical terms frustrating, remember that Stephen Maturin is just as confused as you are—let his questions be your guide through the rigging.