willoyd Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 It was his refusal to anchor after the battle, as Nelson had ordered, and then his indecision on so many fronts thereafter, costing so many lives, not to mention losing most of the prizes and thereby denying the survivors the money they would've been due. The authors seemed to think he was a bit jealous of Nelson so wanted to prove himself to be better. Ah, yes. I haven't read hugely round the battle, but I got the impression that Clayton and Craig were harder on Collingwood than others about this (although I think cotemporaries weren't over-impressed either): it's usually dismissed as Collngwood being backed into a bit of a corner by many of the ships not having anchors etc, having had them shot away in the battle. However, I think Collingwood himself is recorded as having always regretted not giving the order to anchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Season 11 has been confirmed Blimey, it's getting into Law & Order territory now I'm amazed it's gone on this long. I remember watching the first episode on ITV2(?) one Sunday evening and thinking it was fun. Didn't think it'd last 11 seasons, though Must be the longest running cult tv series by now, surely? I can only think of The X-Files' nine seasons coming close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed your non-fiction read, Steve . But wow those prices.. That photo is quite spectacular! (and at the same time makes me a little bit dizzy because of my fear of heights ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Uh oh! I hope you get an interesting case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Oh good luck! I've always dreaded this happening to me. Probably be very interesting though .. hope it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Eeep. That happened to me once, but I got out of it because I was registered as living in Kerry at my parent's address (I always go down there to vote, so I've never changed it, even though I live in a different county and have done for 8 years) and all I had to do was say I wasn't living in Kerry anymore and so couldn't attend. Worked too! Edited January 29, 2015 by Nollaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Just don't hide under your chair in the courtroom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Do you get to wear a wig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 It was the Butler... in the drawing room with the candlestick. There, solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 This is very sad news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31036362 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Uh oh! I hope you get an interesting case. Oh good luck! I've always dreaded this happening to me. Probably be very interesting though .. hope it is I've been dreading it, too, ever since I was called up about 10 years ago. It was for the Royal Courts of Justice then, so probably quite a big civil case, but I didn't have to go in the end because it was settled out of court. So I've been dreading it since then. Kind of had a premonition about it a couple of weeks ago because one of our consultants at work was out on jury duty, and I thought then that it was inevitable I don't like being forced to do things (kind of goes back, in a way, to the introversion thread) and I have no choice in this, so it's put me on edge a bit. At the moment it's set for the end of March, but I may have to defer due to it being my busiest time of year at work. Eeep. That happened to me once, but I got out of it because I was registered as living in Kerry at my parent's address (I always go down there to vote, so I've never changed it, even though I live in a different county and have done for 8 years) and all I had to do was say I wasn't living in Kerry anymore and so couldn't attend. Worked too! Lucky you! Maybe I should move to Ireland Just don't hide under your chair in the courtroom! Depends on the case, I expect Do you get to wear a wig? Only my usual one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 This is very sad news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31036362 I read last year, when I was wading through the Rome books, that she was very poorly. Didn't stop people pestering her to write more of the series, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Kind of had a premonition about it a couple of weeks ago because one of our consultants at work was out on jury duty, and I thought then that it was inevitable I know, I am going lalalalala to your post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The legal system in the Netherlands works differently, there is no jury and there is no jury duty. A judge decides things, in some cases there are multiple judges. So I'm not quite sure how the whole thing works in the UK, or the US, but I wish you strength with going to go to court, Steve! I've never been in court in my whole life, I've had no reason to be. @ Colleen McCullough, may she RIP . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 The Letter of Marque (Aubrey/Maturin Book #12) by Patrick O'Brian 1988 - Harper ebook - 327 pages Going to put the blurb in spoiler tags because it will ruin the end of the previous book for anyone intending to read it. When Jack Aubrey is unfairly deprived of his commission in the Royal Navy, Stephen Maturin comes to the rescue, purchasing the captain's former ship and outfitting it as a privateer, to be commanded by none other than Jack Aubrey. Soon the Surprise is off to sea, on a mission that Aubrey hopes will redeem his good name. Note: This book begins shortly after the events of The Reverse of the Medal. I liked: This book sees a very different side to Jack, unsurprisingly, and it works very well because it is exactly how you would imagine the character to react to what has happened. There is a particularly thrilling sequence involving the 'cutting out' of a French ship in a harbour. The lead up to it builds the tension and excitement perfectly. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. There's a sub-plot involving one of the crew becoming secretly addicted to laudanum that I thought was very effective. I loved some of the interplay between Jack's children, who have - by luck or design - spent a great deal of time in the company of men of the sea. From Charlotte calling her brother, George, a 'fat-arsed little swab' and telling him to 'bear a hand', and Fanny's 'close-reefed topsail screech', to the moment where the two girls push George off a wall, leading two strangers to tell them not to use 'such words as sod, swab, and whoreson beast, because their mama would not like it' Needless to say, Sophie is concerned that they will grow into 'perfect little savages' Had to laugh at Stephen bemoaning the number of the crew kicked or bitten by horses - 'an unreasonable number, for a naval engagement.' I don't usually mention the essays at the end of each book but the one here - Jack Aubrey's Ships by Brian Lavery - is brilliant, and makes a lot of things to do with the frigates of the time that much clearer, from the layout of each deck to the masts, sails and rigging. Naturally, most of this information has already been gleaned from reading the books, so it would have been handy to have this essay presented much earlier in the series, but it's an enlightening read nonetheless. The ending is lovely. After the cliffhangers of the last few books it made for a refreshing change. I disliked: It was hard to get a handle on where exactly the harbour in which the 'cutting out' takes place actually is, and internet searches didn't make it any clearer. A real place was put forward, but it's layout in reality doesn't look at all like the map provided in the book. I have to assume that O'Brian invented the place for his story's purposes. I can say literally nothing about the plot without ruining the previous book. Each book in this series has pretty much become like reading the next chapter in an ongoing adventure, and there's still no let up in the quality. Whilst I would say that The Letter of Marque is not quite on the stratospheric level of the previous book, it's still a brilliant, wonderful read. Memorable Quotes: The balloon rose faster in the sun - they could see their shadow on the sea of cloud - faster and faster. 'Dear Lord,' he said, 'I can see it now; how I wish I could describe it. That whole enormous jewel above, the extraordinary world below, and our fleeting trace upon it - the strangest feeling of intrusion.' 'The Sea has receded!' cried Stephen. 'I am amazed.' 'They tell me it does so twice a day in these parts,' said Jack. 'It is technically known as the tide.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Oh joy, I've been summoned for jury service Ugh, you have my sympathies. Things like this make me very anxious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Great review, Steve ! I particularly love that second quote . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 If the actual Aubrey/Maturin books are even half as good as your reviews Steve I am missing a fantastic series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 This is very sad news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31036362 Did any of you see this floating around the internet? Fat, ugly, AND a likeable human being, who'da thunk it possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Yes, Neil Gaiman posted a link to the article on FB yesterday. I think it's disgusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Whoever wrote it should be fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Apparently it was written a while ago and the author has since died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 It is an herrendous thing to write about someone, whether living or dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 That's terrible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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