Patrick O’Brian

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Nikolai Tolstoy. Patrick O’Brian

PATRICK O’BRIAN. A Very Private Life. Nikolai Tolstoy

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Preface

I. Collioure and Three Bear Witness

II. The Catalans

III. New Home and New Family

IV. Voyages of Adventure

V. In the Doldrums

VI. A Family Man

VII. Master and Commander

VIII. The Green Isle Calls

IX. Pablo Ruiz Picasso

X. Shifting Currents

XI. Muddied Waters

XII. Travails of Existence

XIII. Family Travails

XIV. The Sunlit Uplands

XV. Epinician Acclaims

XVI. Triumph and Tragedy

XVII. Melmoth the Wanderer

Envoi

Appendix A. Collioure: History and Landscape

Appendix B. Patrick and His First Wife Elizabeth

Appendix C. Patrick’s Sailing

Footnotes. Preface

I Collioure and Three Bear Witness

II The Catalans

III New Home and New Family

IV Voyages of Adventure

V In the Doldrums

VI A Family Man

VII Master and Commander

VIII The Green Isle Calls

IX Pablo Ruiz Picasso

X Shifting Currents

XI Muddied Waters

XII Travails of Existence

XIII Family Travails

XIV The Sunlit Uplands

XV Epinician Acclaims

XVI Triumph and Tragedy

XVII Melmoth the Wanderer

APPENDIX A Collioure: History and Landscape

APPENDIX B Patrick and His First Wife Elizabeth

APPENDIX C: Patrick’s Sailing

Notes. Preface

I Collioure and Three Bear Witness

II The Catalans

III New Home and New Family

IV Voyages of Adventure

V In the Doldrums

VI A Family Man

VII Master and Commander

VIII The Green Isle Calls

IX Pablo Ruiz Picasso

X Shifting Currents

XI Muddied Waters

XII Travails of Existence

XIII Family Travails

XIV The Sunlit Uplands

XV Epinician Acclaims

XVI Triumph and Tragedy

XVII Melmoth the Wanderer

APPENDIX A Collioure: History and Landscape

APPENDIX B Patrick and His First Wife Elizabeth

APPENDIX C: Patrick’s Sailing

Index

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also by Nikolai Tolstoy

About the Publisher

Отрывок из книги

I dedicate this book to my late cousin Adrian Slack and his sister Julia, the dearest of friends as well as closest of relatives since those distant days of childhood at Appledore beside the Severn Sea.

James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (London, 1793), i, p. 6

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At Warburg’s invitation, Patrick forwarded from my grandparents’ house in Chelsea (whose lease they had taken over from him at his departure in 1945) ‘some biographical scraps’ for inclusion on the dustjacket. Although Warburg thanked him for ‘the biographical material, which is excellent’, nearly eight months later he oddly repeated the request for ‘your biographical details, i.e. date and place of birth, education, appointments held and any other relevant information … speed is of the essence’. Since it was Patrick’s persistent habit to preserve copies of such material, it is hard to conceive of any reason why he should have failed to comply with the second request after being so prompt in fulfilling the first. It seems likely therefore that in the event Warburg decided against inclusion of a potted biography. As the sizeable dustjacket blurb implies that the tales arose out of the author’s own communing with the countryside which provides their setting, this may have appeared to suffice for a personal description.

The Last Pool was published on 17 August 1950. Its best stories contain some of Patrick’s finest writing, while all are entertaining. A Latin dedication ‘To Mary, my wife and Dearest Friend’ acknowledged her indispensable support and help. The book’s atmospheric green dustjacket design by Edward Bradbury, depicting three fine trout in the foreground, and shadowy images reflecting country sports circling dimly through refracted water, make it a handsome volume, now much sought by bibliophiles.

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