Desolation Island

The long stern chase in this book is one of the most dramatic and compelling stories of war at sea ever told, and of all the Aubrey/Maturin novels its final resolution is probably the scene that sticks with me most strongly and clearly.

The whole book is one long, slow, build, with enough sources of tension and interest to remain engrossing throughout. The whole series is worthwhile (this was a read-read for me) but this book is definitely one of the highlights.