I have enjoyed reading many of the Patrick O'Brian books. The story is really fine. I had previously enjoyed the movie very much also. I love naval novels and adventure stories and this satisfactorily does both. My only complaint was that somehow the coarse language grated on me more hearing it read out loud. I guess I have learned to filter the 'cuss' words when I read, but that is simply not possible when listening to the book. This is not a book I would let my youngsters listen to, and quite frankly, I won't listen to it myself again. It simply didn't meet our family standards.

As a long time fan of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, it was a pleasure to find an audio rendering that fills the sails with such precision. Mr. Tull brings each character to life just so with wonderful accents and a twinkle in his eye.

Oh, man, this was so much fun! I totally didn't expect to like this so much, but Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin pretty much immediately sucked me in, and Patrick Tull did a fantastic job narrating. Friendship, adventure, plenty of nautical battles...I am definitely looking forward to their next one. 20 more books to go--ha!

I am on my second time through the series and enjoying it almost as much as my first time throguh. I did not have an interest in nautical life/history when I started this book. That made for a bit of a learning curve to come to grips with the vocabulary, but it was well worth it. The combination of wonderfully deep characters, exciting naval actions, masterfully written relationships (of all sorts) gives this book a substance that goes far beyond "story-telling." You do not have to be a history buff or have an interest in sailing to love this book and series. As the author said, beyond the story and the history, the series is the study of human relationships and interaction (paraphrased from the interview with Patrick O'Brian at the end of The Wine Dark Sea).

Every adventure story you ever read as a child not only becomes alive again, but also challenges you on the intellectual level as an adult. The erudition, the accurate attention to the smallest detail across a very wide palette, history, seamanship, the conduct of war, medicine, politics, espionage, commerce, human nature, command and management concepts and plain old human foibles, conceits, and magnanimity across the ages are not found elsewhere, I believe, in all of literature. Just as the opening of Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" does in music, Patrick O'Brian does with words: You literally feel the salt spray in your face. You are at sea.

Engaging witty reparte

The character development. Patrick O'Brian does a great job with the detail for all of the essential characters to make you love them or hate them. The writing is so detailed and uses so many terms and jargon from a by-gone era that I felt the need to buy an encyclopedic dictionary of sorts written just for these stories. Not that one couldn't enjoy the books without, but I like learning new things and now know the difference between a xebec-frigate and a snow... Great writing and well performed. This is the main book behind the movie and the book that launched a publishing goliath. One is transported to another era in such detail that it's easy (for me) to close my eyes, listen along, and feel that I'm really a part of the story, a bystander along for the voyage.

Patrick Tull gives the book additional flair through his use of British, Irish and French accents, with a little Spanish thrown in as well. Much more aural detail than my mind could produce, and I have a well-developed imagination. Loved the performance and would love to hear more from Mr. Tull.

Friendship with a heart of oak forged by iron shot.

The production of this book suffers from the unclear delineation between segments of the story. The chapter of section breaks might have had a longer pause. I often found myself listening to a conversation, the plot shifted ahead hours or weeks, but I did not perceive the previous conversation has concluded.

The reader does not greatly distinguish the voices other than by class (education level) to it is sometimes difficult to know who is speaking. Adding to this the authentic, but arcane nautical dialect of the speakers and much of the plot is confused.

O'Brian does an excellent job of researching and presenting the daily lives of the characters and one does feel a better understanding of the difficult lives and brutish attitudes that built the British Empire. I don't think I will bother to read any of the sequels.

I was able to 'see' the action for not having to 'read' it as well...oh my! I love this series read by Patrick Tull....!!!

I love Jack Aubrey...he is like all of us...Everyman! He is not above a few shenanigans, but he knows where his line is drawn...

I think the Doctor...he is endearing for his inability to actually see that he has 'issues' I mean that in a very liking way...he is addicted to drugs and has no idea...being a doctor, seems like he might get a clue...but no...:)

When they became friends..right up front...the stiffness, the judgement, without knowing the other was a same gender soul mate..then the realization they were a good pair...

I have read this series 2 times through...and adore it, but when I listened to it, I found whole parts I could enjoy for the pure moving pictures in my head....Patrick Tull's narration bothered me in the beginning, But now,

Character development. Historical research and basis. Transported back 200 Years

Chance meeting of Aubrey and Maturin at the beginning of the novel. Unique method to start such a magnificiant friendship and continuing adventure.

Which everone Tull was perfoming at the time. Tull and O'Brian are Bookends to a wonderful adventure.

An Adventure that you will wish would never end.

Entertainment at it best. Spellbinding and actually educational. I have listened to this entire series twice and hope to complete once more before I venture to meet Aubrey, Maturin, O'bian and Tull in the here after.

A favorite series of mine for years, now every time I read one of the books I will hear the characters in my head as voiced so perfectly by Patrick Tull.