• Post Captain

  • Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 2
  • By: Patrick O'Brian
  • Narrated by: Patrick Tull
  • Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,829 ratings)

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Post Captain

By: Patrick O'Brian
Narrated by: Patrick Tull
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Publisher's summary

The Peace of Amiens has left Jack Aubrey with no ship, no enemy to pursue, and no possibility of prize money to supplement his meager income. His decision to seek refuge from his troubles, and creditors, in France proves doubly disastrous.
Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.
©1972 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)

What listeners say about Post Captain

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A fair shake

My addiction to this series started as soon as I picked up "Master and Commander" on a recommendation for Leo Laporte of TWIT. Its not my usual genre, but Wow have I become hooked. Based on how much I loved the first book, I was bracing myself for a letdown based on the reviews I read here.

After just finishing "Post Captain", I have to say two things:
1) Patrick Tull is a genius - possibly the single BEST narrator I have heard given that he has such amazing command of the British, Scottish, Irish, and French accents particularly. The characters just come alive - judge for yourself.

2) Unless you're ONLY reading these books for the accounts of engagements at sea, you'll enjoy this book. Yes, they spent a little more time on land, but ultimately, the character development, depth, and dimension that we get on these folks is WELL worth it. Obrian is also so skilled at painting the intricacies of dealing in a society that is so constrained by what is "proper" that relationships all ways round become almost as difficult to navigate as a lee shore. And I was quite satisfied with some outstanding high-seas adventure - when you get to the story about the Harbor with the "Inner Road" and "Outer Road", you'll know what I'm talking about!

If you just finished Master and Commander, and you're hoping the series continues to be good, you're in for a treat! I'm ready to dive into the third book now, and I see no end in sight - these are great!

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62 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fair sky and a strong wind.

By my word, a good story well told. You?ll not be becalmed in this second book of the series. However, if you are a landsman, you will need to sail the first or you will have to be lucky to catch a good wind. Stephen Maturin does not revisit the rigging for another lesson in naval jargon. A bit deeper and perhaps darker than the first, more is said about the relationships and personalities of the characters.
I can?t say enough about Patrick Tull?s narration, his voice and acting makes the recording and, as far as I can tell, is flawless. Sound quality is good.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

I have read many of O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series and think he is one of the best. His wealth of detail and the skill in which he paints his characters is truly awesome. Patrick Tull does such wonderful narration, however, that I will listen to as many of these stores on audiobook as possible in the future so as to gain that new dimension.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

The best historical novel I've ever read. A real step up from the first in character development and plot. Great read.

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16 people found this helpful

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

One of the Best - Superb - Tull Reigns Supreme

The Aubrey/Maturin series is, as a body of work, the greatest set of novels in the English language. Post Captain is one of the best.

Post Captain introduces both the ladies' auxilary of the series, with fierce Diana and beautiful Sophie, and also shows us the hilarious social commentary of the Austen-loving O'Brian at his best. There is plenty of war action - Jack and Stephen are on a number of ships - and a harrowing, wonderful trek across the Pyrenees with Jack disguised as a bear, ending in a visit to Stephen's castle. (This is a real castle - I have seen it.)

And it introduces us to Stephen's identities as a natural historian and intelligence agent, that give so much color to the books over time.

If you consume these auditorially, accept no substitutions for Patrick Tull as narrator. He is magnificent.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Post Captain

Hard to believe that I got more out of hearing this book than I did reading it 10 years ago. Patrick Tull is the better of the two choices for narrator, and his narration is clear and entertaining, more so than the other choice offered by audible.com. Well worth it.

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13 people found this helpful

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

...a liberty I have hardly ever known.

"This is perhaps the final detachment; and this is perhaps the only way to live -- free, surprisingly light and well, no diminution of interest but no commitment: a liberty I have hardly ever known."
- Patrick O'Brian, 'Post Captain'

The second book in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series (20 books). It might be early to say this, but this might rank at or near the top of the best historical novels ever (taken as a whole). I'm not sure if he can maintain this level of literary mastery, but if the first two books are any indication, I am impressed.

The thing that strikes me in this novel is how fantastic the relationship is between Captain Jack Aubrey and naval surgeon Stephen Maturin. It has to be one of the great duos in literary history. Ranking next to Holmes and Watson perhaps. This novel also seems to be a bit of a Victorian love note to Jane Austin with characters like Sophia Williams and the aptly named Diana Villiers. The novel contains so many gems that it is hard to review them adequately, especially since I finished this book a week ago.

However, I love the relationship between Aubrey and Maturin. It reminds me a bit of Star Trek's Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. I am pretty sure this Star Trek (1966–69) and Master and Commander/Post Captain (1969 - 1972) universes emerged independent of each other, but it is also amazing to see the similarities. It is as exciting to see this as it would be to discover Homo Sapiens developing independently in Africa and Asia. These things happen I guess, but the coincidence is still very lovely. What the relationship allows is the same events to be told through the perspective of the captain and his biases (Navy, order, etc) and the doctor (Science, rationality, etc.). The dialogue and back and forth is at times brilliance and worth the price of admission alone.

Since I will be reviewing another 18 of these I imagine over the next year or so, I will keep each of the reviews short and hopefully focused on another aspect of the novel and the series that comes up as I read them. I'm excited and intimidated by the prospect of reading them all.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I'm Hooked

I enjoyed the first book so much I downloaded this one, and I wasn't disappointed! Patrick O'Brian not only continued on a great story line, but improved on it in this episode with great humor. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to the rest of the episodes. The only downside being that I haven't found the complete set listed on Audible... are they going to torture us, or keep us coming back?

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Post Captain

No one can narrate this series better than Patrick Tull. I wish I had started this series from the beginning but I had started reading back in the 1990s from my local library. When I started with Audible I noticed they had the early books. So I started with the first one" Master and Commander" which I enjoyed now I just finished "Post Captain". This book had more of the story on shore and we get to meet Sophia. I had always wondered about his wife, kids and relationship with his mother in law. After reading this book it all becomes clear. Can not wait to start on number 3 "H.M.S. Surprise." O'Brian writes a great sea story but also provides insight into the culture, history of the time as well as 1800 century British Naval history. I thought I was the only women reading this series (impression from my local library) but I noticed a number of women writing reviews--great!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Gob Smacking

Can't believe that this fellow actually does this for a living. It was not enjoyable listing to him smack his lips and burble into the microphone. Do yourself a favor and get an audiobook spoken by anyone else. Worst I've ever heard.

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6 people found this helpful