"Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers" by Edith & John Hubback is a biography that explores the lives of Jane Austen's two sailor brothers, Francis and Charles. The book examines their naval careers, their relationships with their famous sister, and their impact on her writing. They begin with background information on the Austen family and the naval world of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They then describe Francis's and Charles's experiences in the Royal Navy, including their participation in the Napoleonic Wars and voyages to exotic locations such as the West Indies and Australia. The Hubbacks, themselves descendents of the Austin family (Jane Austen was Edith Hubback's great-great aunt) also examine the relationship between Austen and her sailor brothers, highlighting the influence they had on her writing. For example, they discuss the naval themes that appear in Austen's novels such as "Persuasion" and "Mansfield Park" and suggest that her brothers' experiences informed these works. Throughout the book, the Hubbacks use letters, journals, and other primary sources to bring the Austen brothers to life. They also provide context on the wider social and political issues of the time, including the impact of the wars on naval life and the attitudes towards sailors and their families. "Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers" offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of two important figures in Jane Austen's world and sheds light on the naval world that inspired her writing. (Summary by Bryn Roberts
