The Lubber’s Hole - A Patrick O’Brian Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 241 - Desolation Island (Part 8) Oct 04, 2026

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In the wake of the destruction of the Waakzaamheid, a wounded Jack Aubrey contends with fractured discipline, mutinous whispers, and a muffled ship's bell. But the real ordeal in the freezing Southern Ocean has only just begun - the Leopard and her crew are in a grim fight for survival.

Episode 240 - Desolation Island (Part 7) Sep 20, 2026

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Pursued across the South Atlantic by the Waakzaamheid, Jack Aubrey evades, fights, and then flees the Dutch 74. Below decks there's tragedy, as a monstrous gale drives both vessels into the Roaring Forties. A desperate duel with stern-chasers ends with one of the most shocking and memorable moments in the canon.

Episode 239 - Desolation Island (Part 6) Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

As HMS Leopard runs south toward the Cape, Jack Aubrey prepares to meet a superior enemy. We encounter seabirds, superstitions, social diseases and substance abuse, and Stephen gets personal with Midshipman Herapath.

Episode 238 - Peter Moore Interview Aug 23, 2026

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We welcome historian and author Peter Moore to discuss his new book, Dangerous Game: Thomas Cochrane’s Life on the Edge. Peter dives deep into the real-life naval hero who inspired Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey. Discover fresh archival revelations, the complex family dynamics shaping Cochrane's ambitions, his controversial 1814 stock exchange trial, and forgotten exploits from chemical warfare plans to daring night actions. Plus, we explore Peter's own journey into O’Brian’s fiction and the creative craft of naval biography.

Episode 237 - Desolation Island (Part 5) Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

The crew of the Leopard go through hell and out the other side. We have disease and despair, a finely-honed intelligence coup, an escape to higher ground, and a fascinating detour into the 18th-century literary and theological easter eggs hidden in Louisa Wogan’s cabin. Grab a slice of iced pudding and settle in!

Episode 236 - Desolation Island (Part 4) Jul 26, 2026

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We get a thickening of the plot with Louisa Wogan and her lover Herapath; plants everywhere to be paid off in this book and later ones; idyllic sailing time, Old Adam, a saintly cleric, decomposed puffins, and Stephen's nemesis finally declares itself as he gathers allies.

Episode 235 - Desolation Island (Part 3) Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

There's death below decks, a stowaway, rats and a dog, Stephen stepping up as surgeon and spy (despite his Jonesing), an introduction to the wardroom, classical poets, toasted cheese and Corelli in C Major.

Episode 234 - Desolation Island (Part 2) Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

Jack and Stephen get some help from their friends, Stephen navigates the highs and lows of London street life, and we discover what's been happening to Diana Villiers. To cap it all, Stephen and Jack are persuaded that the best place for them is at sea.

Episode 233 - Desolation Island (Part 1) Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

Desolation Island opens with bucolic absurdity - we’ve got Jack Aubrey on ‘Fiddler’s Green’, Stephen dissecting a fresh cadaver's hands before dinner, a catastrophic get-rich-quick scheme, and Jane Austen-style fibbing from almost everyone. Grab a glass of port and mind your poke—we're getting the band back together.

Episode 232 - The Mauritius Command (Final Part) May 31, 2026

Show notes

The pieces fall into place for the final stages of the invasion of Mauritius - we find out how that’s all going to play out! Plus resolution for Stephen, a boiled baby for Tom Pullings, grief and anger for McAdam, un-earned glory for Admiral Bertie, and a delightful piece of news from home for Jack Aubrey.

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