Aubrey-Maturin series

I'm just about to finish up the Aubrey and Maturin series [1] - It's very well written and has a nice balance of character development and action. Some of the stuff that happens seems unbelievable until you realise that O'Brian took an event from real life and just changed the names. Really makes me want to buy a boat or something :^D [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey%E2%80%93Maturin_series

Against the Grain by James C. Scott. Eye opening take on early stages in history The entire Aubrey-Maturin series starting with Master and Commander. Exquisite writing, funny, interesting, deep characters and chock full of interesting philosophy and life observations. These books are my happy place: like most fans of the series I have read them all 5 times, which I have never done with another series.

Used to be the Swallows and Amazon series (when I was much younger). Then it was the 2 memoirs by Patrick Leigh Fermor: "A Time of Gifts" and "Between the Woods and the Water". Lately it's the Aubrey-Maturin by Patrick O'Brian series which I have re-read multiple times.

Non-fiction, best to worst: Henry Marsh, Do No Harm. A brilliant memoir by a neurosurgeon about his work, the nature of his profession, successes and mistakes (especially the latter). Frequently touches or verges into the personal. Not morbid, but often sad. Keith Johnstone, Impro for Storytellers. Viola Spolin, Improvisation for the Theater Two very good books about improvisation, although Spolin's is too dry and theory-laden for me (it's meant for teachers more than practitioners). Both, however, pale compared to Keith Johnstone's earlier Impro: Improvisation and the Theater, which is a life-changing book about what improvisation can teach us about spontaneous creativity and relationships between people. I recommend that one first and foremost if you know nothing about improvisation and are curious.…

You might like Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series. They cover the same period and similar themes as Forrester's Hornblower. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey-Maturin_series

I'm imaging myself around 20 and missing out of a couple of decades of great reading: the Aubrey/Maturin canon - Patrick O'Brian any book in the Discworld series - Terry Pratchett anything by Iain M. Banks (although, strangely, I don't find his non-SF as compelling; perhaps it is too dark for my tastes). and something to stimulate me to learn Lisp then instead of now.

Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series. A very enjoyable description of the pinnacle of pre-Industrial technology.

Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell Post Captain (well, basically all of the Patrick O'Brian series)

I second the master and commander series. I read all 21. Amazing. Afghan history Books, both incredible: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wars-Afghanistan-Invasion-Septem... (http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wars-Afghanistan-Invasion-September/dp/1594200076) http://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Struggle-Central-Kodansha/d... (http://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Struggle-Central-Kodansha/dp/1568360223/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2598053-1933600?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190171658&sr=1-1) Why: While the Master and Commander Series are historical fictions they teach you A LOT about the Napoleonic Wars, The British Empire and the British Navy. The Afghan books are also incredible adventures that happen to be entirely true. I like books that teach me history in a fun way.