This will replace Noble House as my favourite audio book

I have read this book several times, but the excellent narration gives the book a new dimension. I feel bereft that it is finished.

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Brilliantly written book and beautify performed

This book is one of my favoutes it's both hustorically acurate and great fantasy I would highly recommend

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Very enjoyable

A steady paced book with a good balance between action and inactivity. Excellent explanations of the various nautical terms. Definitely intend to listen to the rest in the series.

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A series you will miss once you finish

Audible got a lot of credit money from me for this series. Probably my favourite series in the genre. Varied plots. Depth of characters is huge and intricate. Jerroms performance is excellent.

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Master of the Novel

This first novel in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series is superb. It is beautifully written, with a rich language that evokes a powerful sense of the period and a detailed portrait of the characters, combined with a great story that recreates the excitement of adventures at sea. I found myself totally immersed in the narrative and enjoyed the recreation of the culture and social mores of the time.

The narration by Ric Jerrom is excellent too. He brings the characters and the story to life.

I recommend this audiobook without reservation.

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1 person found this helpful

Sit back and enjoy!

Like so many of the other reviewers, I am a long time fan of the books. I have read all of the series, and many of the books more than once. So I was delighted to see that at least some of the books are now available in their unabridged glory. These are books that, yes, are about the story, gradually unfolding narratives, but they are much more than just that. It is the sheer quality of the writing that brings me back to these books time and time again. The action scenes speak for themsleves - they are intense, and the matter of fact manner in which they are written tells me how life was valued so differently back then. But for me, some of the most memorable moments are unimportant, underplayed scenes that I am sure would not make it into the abridged versions - such as Maturin's quiet 'aha!' to himself when he hears a midshipman saying he has cut himself shaving while at sea.

The highly technical naval scenes (I have just listened to a section about the raising of a new mast) are indeed full of jargon that I assume only the most dedicated of sailors will understand - but then I am reminded that Maturin himself constantly struggles with such jargon, and I am comforted! And rarely does the jargon get in the way of the enjoyment. There are long moments where little occurs, just like a long sea voyage I assume, but I find that these passages enrich my overall enjoyment. The dialogue is beautifully written, and I often find myself wishing that English was still spoken like this!

The narration is superb; Ric Jerrom has a wide range of accents that enliven the book. I highly recommend this book, and I fervently hope that the rest of the series will in time be available. As I write this, only the first 3 in the series are on Audible.

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Brilliant!

A bit pricey, but you get a lot for your money! Absolutely brilliant storey telling, can't wait to get cracking on the next in the series!

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What a great surprise

This book had sat in my wish list for many months, and I finally got round to downloading it at a time when I really wasn’t sure what to listen to next. I’m so glad I did, it has greatly surpassed my expectations and I’m look forward to more from the series. Brilliant story and narration.

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Excellent start for any series.

love this book so much better that Post Captain I know I read them back to from. Enjoyed it so much will be getting the rest of the serial. Excellent

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More Unabrdged Aubrey and Maturin Please

A quite excellent rendering of this first book in the series; beautifully read and with a great breadth of accents. When can we look forward to "Post Captain" with the same reader?

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