What to Read When You're Not Reading Jane Austen

Recommended Non-Fiction (with Some Reviews)

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NON-FICTION REVIEWS

Hubback, JH & EC

Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers (London: John Lane, 1906)

An enjoyable exploration into the lives of Jane Austen's  brothers, Francis and Charles, both officers in the Royal Navy. The book contains quite a few excerpts from the ship's logs of Francis Austen, giving an inside view of an officer's life at sea in the age of sail, with meticulous records of battles, and detailed, often fascinating descriptions of far-flung regions of the world during that period. (Out of print, but the text is now available online at Molland's.)

Mullen, Jim

It Takes a Village Idiot (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 2001)

A whole new spin on "three or four families in a country village", this hilarious memoir recounts one man's transformation from sophisticated city slicker to contented country bumpkin. When his wife decides they need a weekend home in upstate New York, dyed-in-the-wool urbanite Jim Mullen begins by mercilessly skewering the tastes and habits of his new neighbors. But the friendliness of the folks he encounters and the simple pleasures of rural living gradually win him over, and he and his wife end up selling their Manhattan apartment and moving to the country for good. (It Takes a Village Idiot was a finalist for the 2001 Thurber Prize for American Humor.)

Pocock, Tom

Captain Marryat: Seaman, Writer & Adventurer (Chatham, 2000)

Captain Frederick Marryat served in the Royal Navy from 1806 to 1830. He became a successful novelist, writing authentic nautical fiction steeped in his own experiences at sea. Pocock, well-known for his books about Admiral Nelson, has produced a quick and enjoyable read in this biography of Marryat, liberally sprinkled with entertaining excerpts from Marryat's own writings.

Marryat's career was an adventurous one. He first served as midshipman under the renowned Lord Cochrane, and was eventually promoted post-captain in 1826. He was a daring and spirited officer quite in the style of Austen's beloved naval men - though unfortunately not so happy in his married life.

Particularly enlightening is the section on Marryat's post-Waterloo career, as information on naval activities during this period is not always easy to come by. This biography should be of interest to all Austen fans, especially those who, like myself, occasionally amuse themselves in speculating on the shipboard lives of Wentworth, Price, et al.

All material ©2004, 2005 Joan Ellen Delman