I've meant to get around to O’Brian’s stuff, but I have not. Mainly because I have the complete Hornblower saga in audio format and that, so far, has satisfied my desire for romanticism of the era from the comfort of my desk.
I hate to say it, but it is better than Hornblower. I think O’Brian does a better job with the details and his written dialog is extremely good. I do love both, but I enjoyed O’Brian’s work more.