"The Fortune of War" by Patrick O'Brian - BBC Radio adaptation (2018)

Описание: Classic Old Time Radio: Vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, science fiction, Westerns, and audiobooks.

The BBC Radio adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's "The Fortune of War" picks up with Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin facing dire circumstances. Having been shipwrecked and losing their ship, HMS Leopard, to unseaworthiness, they are on their way back to England as passengers on the courier ship La Flèche.

However, their journey home is fraught with disaster. They learn that the War of 1812 has broken out between Britain and America. Following a shipboard fire, they are forced to abandon La Flèche and are eventually rescued by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Java, which then engages in a major sea battle with the American heavy frigate USS Constitution. The Java is defeated, and Aubrey is wounded, leading to both him and Maturin being taken as prisoners of war to Boston, which is now enemy territory.

In Boston, while Aubrey awaits a prisoner exchange, Stephen Maturin's activities as a British intelligence agent come to the forefront. He also has a reunion with his former lover, Diana Villiers, who has become the mistress of an American diplomat, adding a layer of personal drama and intrigue to the wartime setting. The adaptation covers the challenges they face as prisoners, Stephen's espionage, and the broader political and naval landscape of the War of 1812.

BBC Radio Broadcast Dates:
Master and Commander – 1995
H.M.S. Surprise – 2008
The Mauritius Command – 2011
Desolation Island – 2013
The Fortune of War (and The Surgeon's Mate) – 2018

Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of 20 historical naval novels (plus one unfinished work), set during the Napoleonic Wars. The stories follow:

Captain Jack Aubrey, a bold and often brash officer in the Royal Navy, and
Dr. Stephen Maturin, a quiet, intelligent ship’s surgeon, naturalist, and secret intelligence agent.

The series begins with Master and Commander (1969), where Aubrey and Maturin first meet in Port Mahon, Minorca. Their friendship—sometimes strained but always loyal—forms the emotional and narrative backbone of the series.

The novels weave together vivid naval action, period-accurate naval terminology, espionage, political intrigue, science, and music. Aubrey excels in tactics and seamanship, while Maturin brings philosophical reflection and depth, often engaging in covert missions for the British government.

Together, they navigate:

Battles at sea and conflicts on land
Shifting political tides of the British Empire
Personal growth, romantic entanglements, and loss

Notable titles in the series include:

Post Captain
H.M.S. Surprise
The Far Side of the World (basis for the 2003 film)

O’Brian’s work is praised for its literary style, historical accuracy, and complex characters. The series is often compared to the works of Jane Austen and C.S. Forester, but with its own unique voice and rich thematic layers.