Richard Patrick Russ O'Brian (December 12, 1914 - January 2, 2000) wrote a series of historical fiction novels about seafaring in the British Navy in the early 18th century (during the Napoleonic wars). His most famous books are probably the Aubrey–Maturin series about the careers of two friends over a series of missions and 20 books. The first book in the series is Master and Commander. Some content from the series was the basis of the 2003 movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.