Patrick O’Brian Reading Order
6 series · 45 books · Born 1914
Patrick O'Brian crafted intricate naval adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars, most famously through his Aubrey-Maturin series following the bond between a resourceful English captain and a multilingual ship's surgeon. His meticulously researched historical fiction brought early 19th-century maritime life vividly to the page, blending technical authenticity with compelling character development across more than two dozen novels. Beyond his beloved sea stories, O'Brian also published shorter works, anthologies, and non-fiction that demonstrated his deep knowledge of naval history and his versatility as both novelist and translator.
Anthologies Series
Complete4 books (1998–2009)
Start with Rough Water: Stories of Survival from the Sea, the first of 4 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with Rough Water: Stories of Survival from the Sea
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Aubrey/Maturin Series
Complete21 books (1969–2004)
Start with Master and Commander, the first of 21 books in the Aubrey/Maturin series.
Start this series with Master and Commander
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Non-Fiction Series
Complete3 books (1974–1987)
Start with Men-of-War and read in order.
Start this series with Men-of-War
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete3 books (2014–2014)
Start with No Pirates Nowadays and read in order.
Start this series with No Pirates Nowadays
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on AudibleShort Story Collections Series
Complete6 books (1974–2019)
Start with The Chian Wine, the first of 6 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Start this series with The Chian Wine
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
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Standalone Novels Series
Complete8 books (1930–1962)
Start with Caesar, the first of 8 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Caesar
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Patrick O’Brian written?
- Patrick O’Brian has written 45 books across 6 series. Their published works span from 1930 to 2019.
- What is the first book in each Patrick O’Brian series?
- Here are the first books in Patrick O’Brian's series: Anthologies: Rough Water: Stories of Survival from the Sea; Aubrey/Maturin: Master and Commander; Non-Fiction: Men-of-War; Short Stories/Novellas: No Pirates Nowadays; Short Story Collections: The Chian Wine.
- What order should I read Patrick O’Brian's books?
- We recommend reading Patrick O’Brian's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are Patrick O’Brian's series complete?
- Patrick O’Brian has 6 completed series.