The Mauritius Command

Captain Aubrey is made acting Commodore for an important mission, 1810

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Jack Aubrey is ordered to sail for two French-held islands in the Indian Ocean, eastward off the coast of Madagascar. The island pair, Mauritius and Le Reunion, hold ports from which French ships have been preying upon East India Company vessels.

Jack is made Commodore for the mission, enabling him to fly a long pendant from the topmast, and given a small flotilla and access to ground troops. He is to batter the French naval assets into submission, land the troops, and install a British governor. The British sailing vessels are outnumbered, and it requires all of Aubrey's characteristic luck and expert seamanship to eventually wear down and defeat the enemy.

The book is full of the usual ups and downs experienced by a man of war in action. Wonderful adventure and excitement, alongside brutal and fierce butchery. In the end, the islands fall, and British shipping is a bit more secure. As a reward for his wonderful service, Jack is given the honor of ferrying the dispatches about the success back to England, a plum assignment sure to result in honor, glory, advancement, and promotion. We'll see...