# Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

7 Hacker News commenters recommended Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as the first of a long, well-written naval series with a rich, period English voice. The most common caveat is that it is a long series that is hard to stop reading.

## Why people recommend it

- Rich, perfectly formed English prose (2 comments): "I'd never before heard someone give voice to the English language in what sounded to me as such a profoundly perfect form" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49150007)) "which is an awesome reminder of the bygone floridity of educated English" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50096207))
- Long series of well-written books (3 comments): "If you've seen the movie master and commander and liked it, or are interested in a long series with 20 well written books" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49907635)) "An awesome series of books. Beware, when you start... There are over 20 volumes in the series, and it's hard to stop." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48241843)) "These books are awesome I really recommend starting at Master and Commander and working your way through all 20" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48317958))

## What people warn about

- Some find it pretentious pulp (1 comments): "Master and Commander is pretentious pulp" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47290238))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian](https://hackerapproved.com/p/aubrey-maturin-series.md): 18 recommend
- [The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas](https://hackerapproved.com/p/three-musketeers.md): 12 recommend
- [The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut](https://hackerapproved.com/p/maniac.md): 12 recommend
- [I, Claudius by Robert Graves](https://hackerapproved.com/p/i-claudius.md): 11 recommend
- [The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/baroque-cycle.md): 7 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/000715786X?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780007157860) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian", https://hackerapproved.com/p/master-and-commander/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).