Book 8 of the Aubrey/Maturin series is a bit short on sea battles -- to the point where a potential dust-up in the middle of the story goes by the board -- but it makes up for the lack by giving a strong sense of the day-to-day (and month-to-month) activities during the Napoleanic Wars. Much of the action takes place during the blockade of Toulon, with rows of ships tacking back and forth across the mouth of the port. O'Brian's descriptions of the political situation are clearer than they have been in previous books, so that the import and complications of the titular mission are palpable.
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