Patrick O'Brian Weekend

Our very successful Patrick O'Brian weekend was held on 31st August - 2nd September 2007.

Although our numbers were not as good this year, the feedback we have received from those who attended ranged from "Excellent" to "Very, Very Excellent", to the "weekend far surpassed our expectations".

We celebrated O'Brian's achievement with a special weekend for devotees of his work - and anyone interested in the Navy he depicted. The weekend included leading speakers, including O'Brian's stepson, Count Nikolai Tolstoy, a concert, and a water tour, while the highlight was the rare privilege of dinner on the lower gun deck of HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship.

The lecture programme was:

From Quarterdeck to Paperback: Jack Aubrey and the frigate commanders of the Great Wars. Dr Tom Wareham (Curator, Museum in Docklands)

By management and a portion of good luck: the true story of naval intelligence in the Mediterranean 1803-1805 Dr Colin White (Director, Royal Naval Museum)

Patrick O'Brian: the Novelist - Count Nikolai Tolstoy (author and Patrick O'Brian's stepson)

Illustrating Naval History - Mr Geoff Hunt (President, Royal Society of Marine Artists)

A copy of the after-dinner speech given by Rev. Peter Wadsworth (Chaplain of the 1805 Club) on board HMS Victory is available through download

Join us in 2009

No date has been fixed for our next weekend as yet, but if you think you may be interested in joining us please contact

Mrs Sue Goodger

Royal Naval Museum, HM Naval Base (PP 66), Portsmouth PO1 3NH, UK

Tel: 023 9272 7583 From outside the UK: +44 2392 727 583

The Royal Naval Museum is a registered charity (No 266563). All proceeds from this event go towards its work of preserving and interpreting Naval history