Master and Commander

Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 1

By: Patrick O'Brian

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins

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)

Excellent Book

A fun book, telling the story of a Royal Navy Officer, Lieutenant/Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend Dr. Stephen Maturin. It gives an interesting (and, as far as O'Brian could manage it) authentic view of life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era.

One word of caution: this is a naval book steeped in the lingo of the age of sail with no attempt at translation. If you want to know what a mizzen topmast is, or how many bells there are in the dog watch, you'll have to look it up. I made several visits to Wikipedia while listening to this one.

Many other reviewers have voiced strong opinions comparing Patrick Tull's narration to that of the other version, narrated by Simon Vance. My tuppence:

Tull's gravelly voice, lively story-telling and (South England?) accent make him a very good story-teller...but if Americans who weren't brought up on a steady diet of Monty Python and the like might find it a little hard to follow. Vance's story-telling is perhaps a little less lively and exciting, but his accent is a bit friendlier to American ears. Personally, I prefer Tull's version.

Give you joy

Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey series surprised many a reader who didn't expect to enjoy fiction about Napoleonic naval history. There is action and excitement enough, but the subtleties of language and character development are the real charm.

Patrick Tull's narration of the tales makes them even better. Not only is he a master of the many voices and accents; his narrative voice and his pauses and lingerings over phrases are loaded with meaning, bringing alive all the character, wit, and drama of O'Brian's writing. If you've loved the books before, Tull's reading will truly give you joy.

Audiobook makes it live

I tried to slog through the written version of this book, but the new terminology (I am not a naval man) combined with the early 19th century style of prose made it a difficult read, and I ended up not finishing it.

However, Patrick Tull's reading brings it to life like no other audiobook I've heard. The tale moves along, and the characters live! I've since purchased the next two audiobooks in the series, and will purchase the rest IF they come out in the unabridged version.

I love this book!

I love this book because the story is gripping and funny and wonderful. I have fallen madly in love with Captain A, why can't he be real! It made me want to be a pirate on the high seas! Plus, Patrick Tull is just fantastic. To me, the narrator can make or break the listening experience, he is outstanding. The notion that a combination of formality, gravity and cheerfulness should characterize all discourse in life has changed me forever! Three cheers for this book!

Narration not what I like

I recently listened to Cochrane by Paul? Harvey. An excellently written and narrated bio! So in the same vein I thought I'd try Master & Commander, a novel based on Cochrane's exploits and actions in the Speedy. From the sample, I wasn't impressed by this narration but thought I'd give it a try. I could not get past the first few chapters and returned it, something I've never done before on Audible! Another reviewer mentioned Simon Vance also narrates this book. I love Simon Vance's narrations! That version is not available at Audible, so I got it elsewhere. Much better, though I think I prefer Forrester's writing to O'Brien's.

Wonderful Series

This is a wonderful series detailing the life of a ship's captain jack Aubrey and his quirky doctor friend. Well narrated. Wonderful!!!! A+++++

Very enjoyable introduction to the series

This is superlative historical fiction. The only thing that would make it better for me is a glossary that addressed all the 18th century naval terms. Patrick Tull provide an excellent narration with phrasing and emotion that help make my morning & evening commutes something I look forward to just to listen to his voice. I plan to acquire future volumes to continue the story, and not just to survive my rush hour commuting.

This is the series I return to hear over and over.

The adventure starts here, brought to life by Tull's excellent narration. I've listened to the entire Aubrey/Maturin series, returning to hear several books more than once over the years. I'm so glad to see Audible bring them back as they disappeared for some time. It's much more than a collection of historical fiction portraying life and battles at sea and on land. As the relationships between the characters developed throughout the books I found myself committed to each of them. Well worth the cost and time.

Meh.

I was looking forward to this book due to the movie and word of mouth. I found the book boring and the narrator's COPD took away from the experience.

Enjoyed it greatly

I can't wait to start the next one in the series and learn more of their exploits and adventures.