Synopses & Reviews
The untold life story of a novelist whose greatest fictional creation was his own identity.
In a 1998 article in New York magazine, Dean King offered readers a small sampling of the secret history of Patrick O'Brian, the creator of the bestselling series of Aubrey-Maturin novels. O'Brian has always guarded the secrets of his personal history with a zealousness that has bordered on the obsessive. And for years his fanatical readers have speculated on the true story and spun myths about his past based on the lives of his characters.
Dean King at last unveils the story of Richard Patrick Russ, a writer and intellectual who emerged from the Second World War as Patrick O'Brian, a persona created in his own imagination and later refined by decades of rumor and speculation. What motivated this radical change of identity? Was it connected to O'Brian's service during the war, or the messy divorce from his first wife? Or was it the inexplicable act of an eccentric genius?King has crisscrossed Europe to speak to long-lost relatives, friends, and colleagues of his famously reclusive subject and has fashioned this wealth of information into a dramatic narrative that will appeal to an audience far wider than O'Brian's already dedicated fans.
Review
"Given his subject's passion for self-concealment, Dean king has performed a prodigy of detective research in tracking down the details of Patrick O'Brian's real life. Much more to the point, however, Mr. King has painted a fascinating, compassionate, honest portrait of a complex and difficult man who was also a consummate writer. The Aubrey-Maturin odyssey seems likely to stand among the major achievements of twentieth-century fiction, and Mr. King now makes it possible for readers to properly connect the work and its author."(Wolcott Gibbs, Jr., Patrick O'Brian's First U.S. Editor)
Review
"Like many admirers of Patrick O'Brian, I've always wondered about the man behind that remarkable shelf of books--one of the unexpected peaks of modern fiction. Dean King has done a magnificent job here, proving himself an able sleuth, putting real flesh on this immensely gifted, complex--difficult, even--storyteller. This absorbing biography provides all the details one could hope for, and more." (Jay Parini, Author of John Steinbeck: A Biography and Robert Frost: A Life)
Review
"My wife, Iris Murdoch, and I fell in love with Master and Commander and Post Captain as soon as we read them. (This was a rare event for Iris, a famous novelist who hardly ever read modern novels. But she was bewitched by O'Brian.) Dean King's biography reveals in fascinating detail that the private man behind the novels was no less of a magician than the author who created them. This is a truly remarkable book which uncovers the secrets of a professionally secretive man." (John Bayley)
Review
"[O'Brian] devotees should rejoice at this account of his life, written with appreciative balance, rich with literary insight." (Los Angeles Times)
"A generous portrait by a true believer." (Scott Vaele, The New York Times Book Review
"This absorbing biography provides all the details one could hope for, and more." (Jay Parini)
Synopsis
In January 2000, Patrick O'Brian died in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Like his life, O'Brian's death was marked by secrecy and confusion, sharpening the curiosity of his many readers who for years have speculated about the man behind the beloved Aubery-Maturin series of novels.
Dean King at last unveils the story of Richard Patrick Russ, a writer and intellectual who emerged from the Second World War as Patrick O'Brian, a persona created by his imagination and refined over decades. To research this book, King crisscrossed Europe to speak to long-lost relatives, friends, and colleagues of his famously reclusive subject; now he has fashioned this wealth of information into a dramatic and compelling narrative. As King meticulously examines the events of O'Brian's life, he deepens and enriches our understanding and appreciation of O'Brian's work.
About the Author
Dean King is well established as an authority on nautical literature and history and on Patrick O'Brian. His previous eight books include A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion to Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales, Harbors and High Seas, and Every Man Will Do His Duty. King also serves as the editor of the Heart of Oak Sea Classics series. His journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Esquire, Travel & Leisure, and many other publications. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife and four daughters.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Dean King