Source of
book: I own this.
This book is
number 19 in the Aubrey/Maturin series of novels about the British Navy during
and after the Napoleonic Wars. I have read all of the previous books, and
reviewed the last few for my blog. Because I do not duplicate all of the
background information in each post, it is probably best to read them in order.
And by all means, read the books in the correct order, as a particular
adventure will often be stretched across several books.
Also:
SPOILER ALERT!
***
Sorry, but
in order to discuss this book properly, there must be spoilers.
First, an
historical one. Napoleon escaped from exile at Elba, and embarked on a last
effort to conquer Europe. This period, between his escape and Waterloo is now
referred to as the “Hundred Days,” hence the title of this book, which is set
during that period.
The book,
however, does not focus on the land battles, but instead follows the intrigues
and skirmishes in the Mediterranean. In the confusion in French politics, the
French navy and its officers find themselves in a pickle: do they declare
loyalty to King Louis XVIII or follow Napoleon? Or do nothing, hoping to see
one party win first? To pick the wrong horse, so to speak, could mean the end
of a career or worse…
In addition,
there were numerous ships under construction in various Mediterranean ports
that could be of use to either the Royal forces (who were nominally allies of
Britain) or Napoleon’s imperial navy.
Jack Aubrey
and Stephen Maturin are thus dispatched to the Mediterranean to disrupt
anything which would benefit Napoleon, and protect the shipping of England’s
allies.
The book
essentially begins and ends with death. First is the sudden and unexpected
death of Stephen’s wife, Diana, in a carriage accident. (Along with Jack’s
mother-in-law.) This kind of catches everyone off guard, as Diana has been a
beloved central character since the second book in the series.
Near the end
of the book, Aubrey’s coxswain, Barrett Bonden, is killed in action. Bonden has
been a supporting character since the very beginning, so his loss is also
keenly felt. The hazards of war, though.
The
Hundred Days contains a number of related yet distinct episodes. There is the
rescue of an ambushed convoy, intelligence intrigue, an extended land trip in
Algeria by Stephen, and a dramatic capture of a gold transport.
In addition
to the central friendship of Maturin and Aubrey, an additional character makes
his appearance as a companion and contrast to Maturin. Amos Jacob is a Jewish
physician and spy who signs on to the voyage, ostensibly as an assistant to
Maturin, but really because he speaks multiple languages (crucially Arabic and
Turkish) and has contacts throughout the Mediterranean. He is also a Cainite, which leads to some rather
interesting conversations in the book. Jacob is a strong character, filling a
role which had been missing in the series since Mr. Martin retired to a land
career.
The episode
on land is a rather interesting one. Stephen and Jacob are tasked with
convincing the Dey of Algiers to withhold the cash payment to Islamic
mercenaries planning to delay the Russian forces from joining England in battle
against Napoleon. This ends up completely differently from how everyone
expects, because immediately prior to Amos and Stephen’s arrival, the present
Dey is strangled, and Omar Pasha takes his place. (This is a fictional
character, not to be confused with the historical Omar Pasha - I had to look that up
to be sure.) Stephen and the Dey have a hunting trip together, which seems to
go well, but Jacob finds out from a source that the Dey has sent the money
despite promising not to. At that point, it becomes a race against time to
intercept the shipment.
I also
enjoyed the mock “battle” between Aubrey’s ships and the ship of a rival French
captain. This captain has appeared before in the books, and he and Aubrey have
a cordial relationship despite fighting on opposite sides. The French captain
faces a dilemma, because he has no love for Napoleon, but his commanding
officer has picked the side of Napoleon. Aubrey proposes a way to save face. He
will “attack” the French ship - firing blanks - and the French ship will fire
back in kind. After that, the French ship will surrender, realizing that it is
outnumbered and outgunned. (Both quite true.) Thus, Aubrey can win the “battle”
with no bloodshed on either side.
I thought The
Hundred Days was one of the better plotted books, with a clearer focus and
theme. Not that there is anything wrong with the narratives which stretch over
two or three books, but as a single book, this one held together well.
There are a
few quotes worth mentioning. First is the reference to the Kasbah (Casbah) of
Algiers. I think this calls for both a picture and a song, don’t you
think?
By toufik Lerari from Nice, France - Casbah - Algiers, CC BY-SA 2.0
This is part of the palace itself. The whole compound is in disrepair, alas, although some restoration has been done.
The second
comes in a discussion between the Dey’s rather disingenuous vizier and Stephen,
after Stephen raises the question of the mercenary payment.
Surely, my dear sir, a man of your
egregious perspicacity cannot believe these wild tales? His Highness is a most
orthodox Sunnite, while the agitators in Herzegovina and those parts, of whom I
have heard quite often, are violent Shiites; and they have turned to a
notorious Shiite sheikh in Morocco. For them to ask the orthodox Dey to help
them at this point passes belief: it is as though a band of Calvinists were to
beg for the assistance of the Vatican.
While there
is obviously some truth here (and the Calvinism reference is amusing), the
vizier neglects to mention that supposed enemies make common cause all the
time. It is the nature of politics, so to speak.
The other
great line is in a discussion between Jacob and Maturin. Prior to leaving
Algiers, Maturin has discovered two Irish children who were captured and
enslaved. He purchases them, intending to house them in the ambassador’s home
until he can arrange transportation back to Ireland. The ambassador’s wife
refuses, which infuriates Maturin.
“Listen, Amos: did you ever read an
author who said, ‘Never underestimate a woman’s capacity for jealousy, however
illogical or inconsistent or indeed self-defeating’?”
“I do not think so: but the notion is
fairly wide-spread among those who think of men and women as belonging to two
different nations; and who wish to be profound.”
I have
experienced too many irrationally jealous men to buy into this version of
gender essentialism, and thus agree with Amos on this one.
I am almost
done with these books, sadly, and will likely have to find a new series to
read. I highly recommend them as literary historical fiction. O’Brian has
created truly memorable characters, with an admirable depth and complexity. His
moral dilemmas are also true to life - and the time in which the books are set.
Also impressive is the way that his characters age throughout the books, both
physically and emotionally.
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