• The Hundred Days

  • Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 19
  • By: Patrick O'Brian
  • Narrated by: Patrick Tull
  • Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,235 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Hundred Days  By  cover art

The Hundred Days

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

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

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

For years, critics have celebrated best-selling author Patrick O'Brian's seafaring adventures for their magnificent blend of swashbuckling excitement and historical accuracy. With The Hundred Days, he transports you to the high seas of the Napoleonic era when the French demagogue is making a desperate attempt to control the European world. While Napoleon pursues the British across Europe, rumors fly about him forging a secret link with the forces of Islam. Soon an ominous horde of Muslim mercenaries gather. In a desperate attempt to avert disaster, ship's doctor Stephen Maturin navigates oriental politics to uncover the truth. And blustery Commodore Jack Aubrey launches a daring mission to destroy the growing French-Muslim menace.

Patrick O'Brian packs this brilliantly executed tale with elegant language, rich humor, and authentic period atmosphere. With his deep, rumbling voice, narrator Patrick Tull brings storm-tossed seas and gallant navy warships colorfully to life.

Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.
©1988 Patrick O'Brian (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Colorful historical background, smooth plotting, marvelous characters and great style....O'Brian continues to unroll a splendid Turkish rug of a saga." (Publishers Weekly)
"The Hundred Days is certain to delight O'Brian's fans, for whom happiness is an unending stream of Aubrey/Maturin books...[It] is a fine novel that stands proudly on the shelf with the others." (Los Angeles Times)

What listeners say about The Hundred Days

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,031
  • 4 Stars
    156
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    918
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    802
  • 4 Stars
    134
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    4

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

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

Patriotism, promotion, and prize-money

"Patriotism, promotion, and prize-money have been described as the three masts of the Royal Navy."

- Patrick O'Brian, The Hundred Days

One more full novel to go in this series and two surprising deaths. This, the 19th novel was published in 1998, 29 years after the first book in the series (Master and Commander) came out (1969). This novel takes place largely in the Eastern Mediterranean, Gibraltar, and the Levant. There were many things about it to love and while this wasn't the best in the series, O'Brian still manages to reinvigorate the novel (which takes place during les Cent-Jours (hundred days) after Napoleon escapes imprisonment on the Isle of Elba; hence the title).

Things are wrapping up with the series (but you wouldn't know it from the writing). Some of the things from this book I loved: naval superstitions (involving narwhal tusks, hands of glory, etc.), Mediterranean piracy, Gibraltar, details regarding the splitting of prize money, nuances of the Ottoman Empire (specifically the Deys of Algiers), discussion of the Battle of Waterloo, etc. O'Brian constantly brings back common items like music, science, education of young midshipmen, order and discipline, wives, etc., but each book is spiced with some new tidbit or eddy that he folds into the plot with skill and precision. When Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin discuss prize money, it is relevant to the plot, but also interesting and detailed. It just WORKS.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

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

Good Sailing Story

Patrick Tull does a great job narrating this story. The Hundred Days is about the escape by Napoleon from the Island of Elba and the hundred days till Waterloo. The story takes place in the Mediterranean Sea with Aubrey/Maturin trying to destroy French Navy that declare for Napoleon and stop the gold shipment from Napoleon to pay for an mercenary army. Lots of intrigue for Steven Maturin and navel battles for Aubrey.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

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

Good Sailing Story

Patrick Tull does a great job narrating this story. The Hundred Days is about the escape by Napoleon from the Island of Elba and the hundred days till Waterloo. The story takes place in the Mediterranean Sea with Aubrey/Maturin trying to destroy French Navy that declare for Napoleon and stop the gold shipment from Napoleon to pay for an mercenary army. Lots of intrigue for Steven Maturin and navel battles for Aubrey.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great moments, but not best effort

Love the O'Brian series, and this reader is phenomenal. This just isn't the best example. Bogs down in places. Dark. Killing off characters who are long-time "friends" made me think more of the author's own darkness at the time of writing was making its way into the book. Possible. Understandable. Don't let it keep you from reading, but don't expect the dashing tales of old.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

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

Another fabulous installment

in the Aubrey Maturin series. Patrick Tull cannot be topped as the narrator -- he takes me right back to the 19th century and makes me feel that Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are old friends. This is a wonderful book and a great listen.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

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

​Back to Back and One More Left

​I've been finding the later parts of the series to be much shorter than the first ten novels. The last three books was relatively pretty short compare to book #1 through #10. Reading #18 and #19 back to back without a pause was a good called for me since #18 wasn't my favorite. It helped me to understand where "The Yellow Admiral" ended, and "The Hundred Days" begin.

This installment was smooth sailing for me. I instantly got back into Aubrey–Maturin series again. There is only one more novel left and a portion of #21. I'm not really sure that I will ever read incomplete #21 because I'm kind of getting sadden that my go to series is coming to an end.

If you reading my review and never thought about reading a series that is so grand, you are not alone. I was thinking about the same thing many years ago when I read "Master and Commander." It was daunting at first and the first few books, I just want to put a dent into a series, but after talking to my friend, who has read this series twice, he taught me how to pace myself and enjoy Patrick O'Brian's gift to literature.

This review is becoming more like a thank you card to my high school English teacher on how much I loved this series. I'm debating if I really need to write a review after I finish #20. "Blue at the Mizzen" is definitely on hold. For a while.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Not the best of the series

Not the best story in the series and I did not like the narrator's vocal characterizations of Jack and Stephen.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

The Hundred Days

I am mightily sad to come towards the ending books of this much beloved series. I have so enjoyed my travels and adventures with the Surprise and her crew on every voyage. I have avoided reading the last three books for years because I do not want them to end. I have read all the other books twice.

This said, I was greatly disappointed by the author’s ill treatment of the deaths of two of the series most beloved characters in this story (I will not say who). They were summarily discussed then dismissed as though they were “bit” players to the series. I was shocked...Their passing should have brought on a more vivid response of sadness, love & grief by from those who knew them best, yet O’Brien was totally silent on this aspect (totally uncharacteristic of his style). There was a total lack of conveying a sense of loss in the story, no tribute or recognition and more grief was felt by me than the story’s own characters! (Made me wonder why he wrote them off)

I felt the author did a great disservice to his story and its characters. The overall story is worthy, but I found it difficult to enjoy. Patrick Tull is brilliant as always.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Just the best

Patrick Tull is the ne plus ultra of readers of Patrick O'Brian. Can't imagine it better done

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Patrick O'Brian is a brilliant writer. The narrator is a bit too hammy though--too in love with the sound of his own voice.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful