• Master and Commander

  • Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 1
  • By: Patrick O'Brian
  • Narrated by: Patrick Tull
  • Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (7,166 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Master and Commander  By  cover art

Master and Commander

By: Patrick O'Brian
Narrated by: Patrick Tull
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.79

Buy for $25.79

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This, the first in the splendid series of Jack Aubrey novels, establishes the friendship between Captain Aubrey, Royal Navy, and Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and intelligence agent, against the thrilling backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Details of life aboard a man-of-war in Nelson's navy are faultlessly rendered: the conversational idiom of the officers in the ward room and the men on the lower deck, the food, the floggings, the mysteries of the wind and the rigging, and the road of broadsides as the great ships close in battle.
Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.
©1984 Patrick O'Brian (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)
"No writer alive can move one as O'Brian can; no one can make you laugh so loud with hilarity, whiten your knuckles with unbearable tension or choke with emotion. He is the master." (Irish Times)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Military Audiobooks from History to Fiction and Beyond


The titles that fall under the designation of military audiobooks are more varied and diverse than you might think. From firsthand combat accounts to imaginative works of fiction, these listens cover a lot of ground on both domestic and international disputes, scientific and sociological analyses, male and female perspectives, lessons from victory and loss, and more. What they have in common, though, are themes of courage, loss, and determination.

Editor's Pick

A historical masterpiece
"I came to this book through my dad, whose initial recommendation may have garnered an eye roll. But, like Young Frankenstein and yacht rock, sometimes his favorites end up being…cool!?! The first in the Jack Aubrey series takes you on a naval adventure, set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars and packed with period detail so meticulously authentic you can go on your own Master & Commander weekend getaway, complete with historically accurate menus and accommodations, should you choose. Or you can just listen to the epic audiobooks, handsomely narrated by the incomparable Patrick Tull. If there’s such a thing as a "dadsterpiece," this is it."
Kat J., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Master and Commander

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    4,779
  • 4 Stars
    1,324
  • 3 Stars
    625
  • 2 Stars
    247
  • 1 Stars
    191
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    4,154
  • 4 Stars
    854
  • 3 Stars
    335
  • 2 Stars
    132
  • 1 Stars
    126
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,934
  • 4 Stars
    975
  • 3 Stars
    421
  • 2 Stars
    147
  • 1 Stars
    94

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My 5th time through the series

I just can't get enough of this series. Listening as the friendship between Jack and Steven develops is nothing short of awe inspiring. The battle scenes are magnificent. The character development is second to none. The narration is perfect. If you have any love for Napoleonic era history you will love Master and Commander as well as the entire series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Listen carefully or you will miss out

Would you consider the audio edition of Master and Commander to be better than the print version?

Yes because the British narrator does a superb job bringing you back in time with excellent accents and inflections.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The doctor. He is the foil that makes it possible for the novice sailor to learn about the majestic uniqueness of a sailing vessel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely worthwhile

Tull does a wonderful job of narration. Even the singing parts which are usually horrible are respectable. The voices used for different characters and their dialects are well done. Mr Tull makes even the technical jargon relatable. O'Brian's work is beautifully written and I am sure I'll read the rest of the series. I read this book because I loved the movie and could envision Jack and Stephen as Crowe and Bettany. However I was so glad to find this first book took the reader back to Jacks earlier days when he got his promotion to Captain and was assigned his first ship, to his first meeting with Stephen, to his young mans folly which nearly cost him his career right at the start, and to his developing skill at sea and how it was honed by both victory and defeat. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend both the printed version and the audible with Patrick Tull narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellently read and wonderfully written!

Love this series as read by Patrick Tull. Very engaging and realistic. I am most impressed by the narration of the naval battles. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thick and rich

The novel and the narrator are both thick and rich; what seems rough and grating at first soon resolves itself as mellifluous and enchanting. The narrator enriches the story in the best way possible, and the story stands on noble, daring footing, unashamed to represent its heritage with vocabulary, characters, and a nearly unbelievable story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Capital Seafaring Tale!

Patrick Tull is the perfect narrator for this series of stunningly well written nautical tales. One gets to know the characters as close friends.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved the drama

Recommended by a niece. Delightful. Great audiobook. I am former USAF Pilot. Loved depiction of military in that period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Patrick Tull could read the phone book

He's a splendid narrator, and Master and Commander is terrific material. very highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

visually illustrious

the illiistretor did a marvelous job of recreating the story and expressing the emotions of its characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Starting my 4th voyage with Patrick O Brian

Perhaps it would be best to sum this up in a few short sentences as words do little to describe this experience. I have just finished Master and Commander and this makes the forth embarkment on this series. These characters are so well developed and the story so masterfully read by Patrick Tull, I feel as if they are family or at least old friends. I discover something new with every read which speaks to the depth of the prose.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!