HMS Surprise is the 1973 historical naval novel by Patrick O'Brian. It is third in the series of stories of Captain Jack Aubrey and the naval surgeon Stephen Maturin. In it Aubrey gains command of HMS Surprise, the most important fictional ship in the Aubrey-Maturin series (the first being "Master and Commander" which was made into a movie with Russell Crowe).
Main characters:
- Jack Aubrey - Captain in the Royal Navy and appointed Captain of HMS Surprise.
- Stephen Maturin - ship's surgeon, friend to Jack and intelligence officer.
- Sophie Williams - Jack's love interest
- Mrs. Williams - Sophie's mother
- Diana Villiers - Stephen's love interest
- Dil - Female child, Stephen's Indian guide
- Richard Canning - Rich merchant, Diana's "protector" in India
- Tom Pullings - Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, third of the Surprise
- Barrett Bonden - Jack's coxswain
- Preserved Killick - Jack's steward
- Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois - French Admiral
The British:
- HMS Surprise - frigate
- Addington - Indiaman
- Ocean - Indiaman
- Camden - Indiaman
- Bombay Castle - Indiaman
- Alfred - Indiaman
- Wexwood - Indiaman
- Lushington - Indiaman
- Royal George - Indiaman
The French:
- Marengo - 74 gun ship of the line commanded by Linois
- Berceau - 22 gun corvette
- Semillante, frigate - 36 gun frigate
- Belle Poule - 40 gun frigate
The novel was adapted in three parts in the Afternoon Play strand on BBC Radio 4, directed and produced by Bruce Young, and with Aubrey played by David Robb and Maturin by Richard Dillane. The rest of the cast was:
Barret Bonden - David Timson
Sir Joseph Blaine - Struan Rodger
Sophie Williams - Liz Sutherland
Lieutenant Pullings - David Holt
Lieutenant Simmons - Dan Starkey
Mrs Williams / Lady Forbes - Lesley Nichols
Cecilia Williams / Miss Agatha - Sarah Danes
Diana Villiers - Adjoa Andoh
Arthur Stanhope - David Timson
Midshipman Callow - Carl Prekopp
Tobias Atkins - Stephen Critchlow
Lieutenant Nichols - Dan Starkey
Midshipman Babbington - Chris Pavlo
Canning - Chris Pavlo
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