Not an addition to his popular series featuring Capt. Aubrey and Dr. Maturin, but a reissue of O'Brian's first seafaring novel, a precursor to the Aubrey/Maturin books. Written in 1956, "The Golden Ocean" gives readers a fascinating look at a master writer in the process of developing his craft. It also gives readers a fast-paced tale centered on young Peter Palafox, son of a rural and impoverished Irish parson, who scrapes together just enough support to win a midshipman's berth on board the commodore's flagship Centurion. The characters are carefully drawn and the events are true to the period. Fans of O’Brian’s complexity and level of detail might also find the livelier pace a most refreshing change.