The first meeting between Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin is humorously inauspicious. At a performance by an Italian quartetto in the music-room of th..Show More »e Governor’s House at Port Mahon on the island of Minorca near Spain, Jack is so enthusiastically enjoying the music, beating the time with his hand and humming “pum-pum-pum,” that Stephen elbows him sharply in the ribs, so that Jack must master his desire to pick up a chair and dash it over the villain's head. Yet after receiving the wonderful news that he’s been promoted to Master and Commander of the Sophie, a small sloop, Jack is in such high spirits that when he runs into Stephen around town he invites him to a sumptuous meal, during which he invites him to become the surgeon of the Sophie. (Whereas other naval historical fiction, like the Horatio Hornblower and Alan Lewrie series, begin at the beginning of their heroes’ naval careers as midshipmen, O’Brien opens his with the promotion of Jack, who has nominally been at sea since nine and factually since twelve, to master and commander, a proto-captain.)

Jack and Stephen differ in so many ways! Jack, an officer in His Majesty’s navy, is tall, robust, tanned, good-natured, and blond-maned, while Stephen, an out-of-work civilian physician-biologist is small, slender, pale, melancholic, and be-wigged (with a weird hair-piece made of wire). Furthermore, Jack tends to speak his mind, often unintentionally offending his interlocutors, is bad at languages (as when he comically confuses “putain” with “patois”), is hot-tempered (which gets him into trouble with authority figures), while the highly educated and intelligent Stephen is more careful in his speech, more philosophical, and is fluent in Catalan and speaks Spanish and French as well. Nevertheless, the two men are roughly the same age (between twenty and thirty), share a love of music (Jack playing the violin, Stephen the cello), and are naturally drawn to one another as boon companions. One of the great pleasures of the novel is beholding their friendship unfold.

Other pleasures involve the exciting scenes of naval action that suddenly pop up, from inconclusive minor skirmishes between pairs of ships to major battles involving multiple ships and shore batteries (for in the year 1800 when the novel takes place England is at war with Spain and France), as well as the occasional brief, vivid, and lyrical descriptions of the world viewed with relish from a ship at sea:

“At almost the same time the sun popped up from behind St. Phillip’s fort; it did, in fact, pop up, flattened like a sideways lemon in the morning haze and drawing its bottom free of the land with a distinct jerk.”

Or

“The sea itself already had a nacreous light that belonged more to the day than the darkness, and this light was reflected in the great convexities of the topsails, giving them the lustre of grey pearls.”

O’Brien also writes many spicy and funny lines, as when some of the Sophie’s men comment on the middle-aged Master’s obvious feeling for Jack: “Old Sodom and Gomorrah is sweet on Goldilocks.” Or as when Stephen looks forward to working on a patient: “It has been a long time since I felt the grind of bone under my saw.” Or as when Jack tells Stephen about the poor food he’ll have to endure till the Sophie can get better supplies: “Salt horse and Old Weevil’s wedding cake for most of the voyage, with four-water grog to wet it.”

There are also poignant lines about the difficulties we face in life, as when the conflicted Lieutenant James Dillon says to his fellow-Irishman Stephen, “We understood one another better before ever I opened my mouth.” Stephen himself has a philosophical turn of mind, and is often observing and then commenting on human and animal nature, as when he tries to explain to the straightforward Jack how a man might be torn between conflicting loyalties, or as when he intently observes the macabre copulation of a praying mantis couple, during which the male mounts the female and grasps her body with his legs, only to have her bite off his head and eat it, leaving his body still copulating, which leads Stephen to tell Jack that at times a woman doesn’t need a man’s head and heart. (The depiction of women in the novel is definitely done from a male point of view!)

And of course there are plenty of nautical details in the novel, about the different ships in the age of sail, and of the different sails, masts, guns, crews, officers, punishments, techniques, procedures, protocols, strategies, food and drink, toilets, sleeping arrangements, and so on involved. Some of them remain opaque to land-lubber me, but many of them become more or less clear thanks to O’Brien’s device of inserting Stephen, a man with “no experience in naval matters,” into Jack’s world, so that he may ask questions and make comments on our behalf, so to speak, as when early in the novel he’s given a tour of the Sophie by a midshipman. Anyway, the nautical details never get in the way of the story, which is full of psychological and physical excitement, humor, relish, and suspense.

Ric Jerrom reads the novel with clarity, feeling, and wit, modifying his voice effectively for the different seamen, whether common or elite, English or foreign, old or young, drunk or sober, pleasant or nasty, and so on. He brings the book vividly to life.

Fans of the Hornblower or Lewrie books should enjoy Master and Commander, as should anyone who likes historical novels featuring compelling characters and authentic settings and exciting action.


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This is a marvelous series - one which I've purchased to continue as I did not want to wait on my monthly membership credit. The characters are engag..Show More »ing and I personally thoroughly enjoy the period language and historical naval theme.

One thing that is a bit confusing is that there are two versions of most if not all the audio books - one narrated by Patrick Tull and one by Simon Vance. The first in this series I listened to was narrated by Patrick Tull and then I inadvertently purchased the second book narrated by Simon Vance. Although I have listened to several other books narrated by Simon Vance who always gives a laudable performance, in my view Patrick Tull is the ideal narrator for this series. His portrayal of the various period accents is pitch perfect to my ear and perfectly fits the spirit of these books. From the other reviews not everyone seems to share this opinion. As most if not all the series is available from both narrators, I suggest listening to the sample of each and deciding which you prefer.

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This series was recommended to me by my husband. I was doubtful, but decided to try it. I loved it! It's way more than just naval battles, although th..Show More »ere's plenty of that. There is also the great history, and the extensive character development. I'm currently almost done with the second book and will be getting all of them! I'm really interested to see what happens next. My commute goes by in a flash, as do chores like grocery shopping or cleaning. As far as the narrator, Simon Vance is the best in my book. I have also enjoyed other books read by him. My husband swears by Patrick Tull, but I think he's too hard to understand. Vance's crisp British accent and the voices that he gives to the different characters really make the book a joy to listen to. He really captures the mood of the moment, whether the character is happy, sad or otherwise at that time.

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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..Show More », 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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I have to agree that it is a matter of preference between the two narrators. Based on the two other reviews, I listened to some samples of Patrick Tu..Show More »ll reading Patrick O'Brian's books. To me, he sounded good, but not "right", probably because I had already listened to Master and Commander read by Simon Vance (Blackstone Audiobooks). If you haven't heard a whole book by either one, you might want to listen to several samples by both and see which one you prefer.

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It appears there is strong feeling about the different readers. The full series will be available from both readers within months. I find both readers..Show More »' versions enjoyable but prefer Vance. The voice he gives to each character brings out and complements O'Brian's dramatic and humorous content.

I find that Tull allows the personalities to fall a bit flat. Indeed the Tull's Aubrey simply fails to capture the perpetually high-spirited captain. Moreover the Irish accent of Maturin seems unrealistic given the mixed heritage and his scholarly bent. The quiet, neutral voice chosen by Vance is more convincing.

Whichever reader on chooses, however, the story is top-notch!

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I respectfully feel that the other reviewer was unfair. There is a tendency to prefer whichever reader one hears first. In the case of Mr. Vance, he..Show More » is, in fact, British. Consequently it is absurd to question the authenticity of the accent. I find that the different characters' individual voices and accents are more distinguishable and more dramatically presented by Mr. Vance. Mr. Tull is perhaps a touch better with the third person narrative. At any rate the series is top notch whichever reader one prefers.

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Patrick O'Brian is one of the finest writers of the 20th century and this is one of his best chapters in the Aubrey-Maturin series. His prose and Patr..Show More »ick Tull's mastery of high Irish, dockyard English, and the workings of sailing ships and Nelson's navy give you a front row seat to the thrills and dangers of the high seas during Napeoleon's domination af Europe. You won't find a better read. Intoxicating!!

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I have fallen head-over-heals for the Aubrey/Maturin series, which I first discovered on Audible. That first book (Master and Commander) was narrated..Show More » by Simon Vance, and a he is a big reason I am so enamored with this series. Vance's narration of Jack Aubrey's voice, in particular, is a joy to hear. He brings the spirit of Capt Aubrey alive.

On a side note, I once accidentally downloaded one of the books narrated by Patrick Tull, and was not impressed. Tull appears to be the favorite, though, so I guess you like what you are used to.

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A great book for a long drive and Simon Vance's narration made the book perfect.

One word on the entire series: Fantastic.
Another for Patrick Tull as narrator: Excellent.

I read all 20 of the original cannon st..Show More »raight through. What a loss to the world of literature.

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The books in this series are clearly exceptional.

It's also clear in reading other reviews of the Aubrey/Maturin series, you're either a ..Show More »Tull fan or a Vance fan. Well, I'm a Vance fan. In fact, I came to these books not from seeing the "Master and Commander" movie or reading/hearing other books in the series, but from listening to other readings by Simon Vance. His readings of "Shakespeare" and "Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates" are absolutely wonderful.

I've listened to samples of Tull, and his reading seems to drag badly. Looking at the length of the unabridged versions by each reader, there is clearly a difference in pace.

The fair thing to say is that once you've heard a character's voice by one reader, it's hard to switch. I believe that if I had heard Tull first, I'd be a Tull-ard. However, I've been Simon-ized.

Either reader you start with, you won't be able to stop--O'Brian carries the day.

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When I purchased this audio book I was concerned that it would be boring and no where as good as the printed book. I was dead wrong. This audio book h..Show More »as been very enjoyable to listen to at times when reading the book was unavailable. And this audio book also helped me to get a better idea as to the intonation of some of the words and phrases of the King's English!! I plan on getting the rest of the set as well and then can listen to them as I will.

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Captain Jack Aubrey is many great things. Brilliant tactician, gifted astronomer, navigator and mathematician, and a skilled violinist. He is already..Show More » a near legendary naval captain commanding both the HMS Surprise and the un-flagging loyalty of his officers, friends and crew.

It is this last thing that will save him.

His good friend Dr. Stephen Maturin observes often that as brilliant as Jack is at sea, he is an easy target on land for just about anything. As an equally talented intelligence agent, Stephen has sailed with Jack since the year two (1802) and together, each in their own way, they have caused such upheaval and damage to the various forces of Napoleonic France as to now be high value targets for enemy agents highly placed in British naval intelligence.

Wiley and dangerous as he is to face at sea, Jack is the weaker link on land, and enemy agents go after him with vicious purpose. His beloved HMS Surprise is being sold out of the service, and Jack is in the fight of his career in a court of law over a conspiracy of charges he has been easily framed for. His career, so much a part of the man himself, is about to shatter, and threatens to take Jack with it.

O'Brian gives rich and exquisite details of life at sea, embedding the reader in the battles and scenes, however the events that take place in the courtroom seem more shocking, perhaps because they are based on the real life events surrounding the trial of Lord Thomas Cochrane for stock fraud. It may have been 200+ years ago, but no less shocking for a justice system.

I have re-read this book more than any in the series. If your eyes are dry by the resolution of the pivotal trial events, you have not been paying attention. You cannot read this series out of order - they truly do run in series - and this book is a prime example of the build up of actions and relationships amongst the many characters and events.

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Due to the couple of poor reviews of the Simon Vance version I thought this might be a good opportunity to check out the Patrick Tull narration of thi..Show More »s book which received some good reviews.

Frankly I’m shocked by the couple of bad reviews of the Simon Vance version. Letter of the Marque (Simon Vance version) is one of the most rewarding books I have listened to so far in the Aubrey-Maturin Series (perhaps THE most rewarding book I have listened to).

However this book does not stand on its own. I could understand someone perhaps picking this up a few months or more after reading or listening to the previous book (book 11: The Reverse of the Medal) and being slightly less enthusiastic. Letter of the Marque (book 12) is the excellent conclusion to the saga of Jack Aubrey and his troubles with the Navy. What’s more, Letter of the Marque is the exciting (climatic) wrap-up of the troubles between Stephen Maturin and Diana Villiers. PATRICK O’BRIAN DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.

A note on Patrick Tull vs Simon Vance. Due to the couple of poor reviews of the Simon Vance version I did decide to switch to Patrick Tull and purchased his narration. But after three chapters I stopped listening to the Patrick Tull and purchased the Simon Vance version. Simon Vance is the unequivocal master of multiple voices. Each character has a completely unique voice of his/her own as if you were listening to a movie. And each voice is read not only with complete individuality, but with a distinct depth of emotion (you really feel that you’re getting to know each individual). I found Patrick Tull to be more two-dimensional and wooden in his performance as compared to Simon Vance. In all fairness I think it probably comes down to who you are used to (I’ve had about 10 books under my belt with Simon Vance prior to that).

Bottom line advice: If you are starting the series, start with Simon Vance. If you are continuing the series stay with the narrator you know (although it’s hard not to strongly recommend the Vance versions because they are so good). With regard to the book itself, if it’s been awhile since you’ve read the series, I might recommend re-reading book 11 (The Reverse of the Medal) just before starting Letter of the Marque since Marque is written as a grand conclusion to it and prior books. You will not be disappointed with this book. Audible is a wonderful company for making these great works possible in such an accessible format for today’s technology (I listen on my iPhone everyday on the treadmill at the gym).


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The first time I heard Simon Vance as a narrator, I thought he did a good job; the Thirteen Gun Salute was very enjoyable.

This one is lots of fun. It's packed with action and adventure. The now shipwrecked crew of the Diana fight for their lives by land and sea. If the..Show More »y ever make another Patrick O'brian movie The Nutmeg of Consolation would make an excellent storyline. Loved it.

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One of my father's favorite authors, but I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea. I ended up enjoying the book, and the narrator's performance added ..Show More »a lot to the experience. I already have another O'Brian book in my queue.

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the reader was excellent. the book itself is as enjoyable as the others in this series (The Aubry-Maturin Series)

I've enjoyed O'Brian's series over the years. They have been great beach books and great long-drive audio books. This is the only book in the series..Show More » in which I have been dissatisfied. That is not to say it is a poor book, but just quite different in focus and plot. If you are looking for the typical yarn with suspense (as the description promises), you will be unhappy. Without going into the plot, I would characterize it as closer to a series of dialogs between Jack & Stephen, than the usual interplay of sea battles and political intrigues – i.e., more like Before Sunrise than Master & Commander. Perhaps it would be more satisfying in print than as an audio book. Naval battles are quite abridged. The “climax” is rather boring and the final scene is O'brian hit his minimum word count to be paid. Intermediary Naval actions are abbreviated reports by characters after the fact. The only “in the moment” description of a desperate situation is a bout of Yellow Fever.

On the good side, there are interesting historical facts on the slave trade. More in the way of detail than "Wow! I never knew that!" sort of insights into history.

If you are a fan of the series, what can you do? You will read it if only for completeness and form your own opinion. I will not and should not try to dissuade you. If you are new to the series, however, then I suggest you avoid this one until you have read or listened to all the others and then must also take this one on for completeness.


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I love this book like all of the master and comander books! And Simon Vance is the best narrator to do them! 5 0f 5 stars!