Nikolai Tolstoy on Patrick O'Brian

After some time away, we've decided that now's the moment for some new forays into the past. Keep an eye on this feed – new episodes on the way! In the meantime we thought we'd post one of our favourite ever interviews here. It's with the author Nikolai Tolstoy on his stepfather, the novelist Patrick O'Brian. O'Brian was a writer of great gifts. His depiction of the late Georgian world is regarded as being very nearly as vivid as Jane Austen's. But who was he really? Where did he get his inspiration from? How did he treat those closest to him? Tolstoy, who knew Patrick as well as anyone alive, answers these questions. We hope you enjoy this episode. Happy 2026 and more soon!

You can listen to Nikolai Tolstoy on Patrick O'Brian online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Nikolai Tolstoy on Patrick O'Brian is an episode from Travels Through Time by Travels Through Time.

This episode is 56:01 long.

This episode was published on Jan 13, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Travels Through Time when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.