Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical

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Title: Gods and Generals

Subtitle: A Novel of the Civil War

Author: Jeff Shaara

Narrator: Stephen Lang

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-03

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 261 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Here is Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a hopelessly by-the-book military instructor and devout Christian who becomes the greatest commander of the Civil War. We also find Winfield Scott Hancock, one of the finest leaders in the Union army, and Joshua Chamberlain, who gives up a promising academic career to become one of the most heroic soldiers in American history. And here too is the complex, aristocratic Robert E. Lee, faced with the agonizing decision of resigning from a distinguished, 30-year army career in order to defend his home, not believing until too late that a civil war would ever truly come to pass.

From the Battle of Fredericksburg, where, for the first time, all four men meet on the same field, to the Battle of Chancellorsville, when Jackson is mortally wounded by his own men, Gods and Generals paints a brilliant portrait of the lives of these great leaders during the tumultuous, bloody decade leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg.

Beautifully told, compelling in its vivid portrayal of the battlefield, and profound in its insights into the minds and hearts of those who fought, Gods and Generals is truly a worthy companion to the timeless The Killer Angels.

Critic Reviews:

"Brilliant does not even begin to describe the Shaara gift. Thank Gods and Generals that it was passed from father to son." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Members Reviews:

Hold out for unabridged version

I too was disappointed by this abridgement. The narration was excellent, but too much material was obviously cut out, leaving the story jumpy and disjointed.

Gods and Generals.

How can you continue to give us great history books in abridged format. This is to great a book to abridge. The can is true for the Morris books and many other historys. Please offer these in unabridged version.

Gods and Generals

I was very disappointed with the abridgement. At least two major battles are completely skipped and I found it choppy and hard to follow with so much cut.

good but short

This is a book to be read/heard. but not here. The book is to complex and to good to get it here. Even though the book has a certain entertainment value in this form, it is not even close to the picture the author wanted to paint. The only desent thing to do is get it as a real book, or wait until it is released in the unabridget version. This is an insult to the men of the time and to all ohnest readers of civil war history.

Not up to par

Disappointing narration and inconsistent/fluctuating volume level throughout. Also, I thought it was poorly edited. Glad I had read the book first (which I enjoyed), otherwise it would have been difficult to understand what was going on.

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Title: Sharpe's Rifles

Subtitle: Book VI of the Sharpe Series

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-01

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 648 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1809 and the powerful French juggernaut is sweeping across Spain. Lieutenant Sharpe is newly in command of the demoralized, distrustful men of the 95th Rifles. He must lead them to safety - and the only means of escape is a treacherous trek through the enemy-infested mountains of Spain. Blas Vivar and his band of intrepid Spanish soldiers may prove to be their salvation. But Vivar is transporting a mysterious chest that he claims can shift the tides of war, and the French are determined to get it - no matter what the cost.

Don't forget to check out the rest of Bernard Cornwell's

series.

©1988 by Rifleman Productions; (P)1995 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic Reviews:

"Consistently exciting....These are wonderful novels!" (Stephen King)

Members Reviews:

Historical Fiction at it's best.

I had never read (or listened to) a novel by Cornwell before purchasing and hearing this one. I was instantly hooked and I'm planning to purchase and listen to all of the others offered on Audible. The book was superb, the character development was rich and plausible, and the story telling was excellent. My only disappointment is that not all of the "Sharpe" novels are yet available on Audible (a situation I hope they rectify quickly). I might add that the narration by Frederick Davidson is absolutely fantastic. His ability to mimic almost any voice and accent only adds to the richness of the story. I heartily recommend this book to all.

Lots of adventure.

Great fun, lots of adventure, some history. I liked all of Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's books so much that I was deeply depressed when I finished the last one available at audible. More Please!

Great book, great narration

Wonderful story with a very good plot. I'm really enjoying these Sharpe novels. And Davidson does an a very good narration--I wanted to fight along with Spanish as Davidson was reading the last dramatic chapters.

A GREAT Historical Novel

This was my first of the "Sharpe" series and it was thouroughly enjoyable as well as giving me a great perspective of Spanish history. As an American living tempoarily in Spain I found it accurate and a rip-roaring adventure. I look forward to listening to more books in this series.

Sharpe's Rifles

A rip roaring historical adventure novel, the first in a long series. Sword battering bone, blood & honor, AArrrr... Recommended for guys only, it's lot of fun and you learn some excellent history to boot!

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Title: Sharpe's Gold

Subtitle: Book IX of the Sharpe Series

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-99

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 510 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this novel, the third in a series that will take the magnetic Sharpe all the way from Talavera (Sharpe's Rifles) to the glory of Waterloo, Bernard Cornwell tells the gripping story of Sharpe's secret mission, an adventure unlike an form of warfare Sharpe has known in his long and embattled career as a soldier fighting his way up through the ranks.

Critic Reviews:

"Consistently exciting....These are wonderful novels!" (Stephen King)

Members Reviews:

Great Fun

Great fun, lots of adventure, some history. I liked all of Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's books so much that I was deeply depressed when I finished the last one available at audible. More Please!

Enjoyable historical fiction . . . . . . . .

My first Captain Richard Sharpe book out of at least 10 that are written. This one takes place around 1810 and our protagonist is a Rifleman with the British Light Infantry. Their early war invention is colored pig bladders hoisted high on a large yardarm from a high tower to communicate some miles away to the next station. 1810 technology!

_______________________________________________________

5 stars is great (I rarely give this rating).

4 stars is good (given only to interesting and well-written books).

3 stars is OK (the usual listen I encounter on Audible).

2 stars is poor (and not worth the credit or the listen).

1 star is awful (and to be diss'ed and shunned and spread as thus through out the Audible Universe)!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Good read

Not the capture volume of others in the sharpe titles, but still a good read.

The best of the Sharpe's series

This book was the second book in the series I ever read and I believe it is the best. Full of twists & turns, action, and a thriller thrown in. Sharpe actually shows his remorseful side! Frederick Davidson is excellent with the accents and keeping the story moving. A pleasure to listen to him. Sit back and enjoy a nice piece of literature unfold with a great story, characters, descriptions and narration.

Another great book in the series

This book follows the career of Richard Sharpe who is put in an inevitable position by his general.

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Title: The Scarlet Letter

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrator: Flo Gibson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 169 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This powerful story of passion, adultery, honor, and repression caused a tremendous controversy in 1850 when it was published, because of its provocative subject matter. Set in Puritan New England, the novel begins with Hester Prynne, a young woman with an illegitimate baby daughter, leaving prison to face her scornful townsfolk. Forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" to remind people of her adultery, Hester obstinately holds her head high and refuses to reveal the father of her child. In the process she cuts herself off from society - and her lover. Why won't Hester reveal her secret? The answer has much to do with guilt, passion, and repentance - timeless themes within a splendid story that has remained a literary classic for over a century.

Editorial Reviews:

Flo Gibson, the grande dame of audiobook performance, lends her renowned voice to Nathaniel Hawthornes masterful treatise on sin, knowledge, and consequence. Gibson, known for her fluid diction and deep, soothing timbre, is regarded by many as the most versatile voice in audiobook history. Here Gibson whisks listeners away to a 17th-century New England Puritan village. Gibson plays Hester Prynne - the ignoble adulteress shunned by her community - and her secret lover, the sickly Reverend Dimmesdale, besot by guilt from his carnal transgression. Prynne is forsaken by her former husband, a jealous doctor, and left alone to raise her mischievous child, the impish Pearl. As Prynne and Dimmesdale reckon with knowledge of their sin, the puritanical villagers rigid morality is called into question.

Critic Reviews:

"A masterpiece." (Henry James)

Members Reviews:

Unbearable quality recording

This is by far the worst audible program I have purchased. It is a wonderful story; however, this production is utterly unintelligible. I listened to the sample before purchasing the title and thought it was tolerable. It was nearly impossible to understand the narrator much of the time due to the horrible quality. I have purchased other books such as this (originally recorded in 1 and upgraded to 2) and have been able to understand them fine.

The story is wonderful, but utterly not worth trying to wade through this awful recording. At the time I purchased it this was the only unabridged version. I urge you to skip this one and try the other.

Unintelligible

This book is so ridiculously hard to understand in my car that I couldn't listen to it.

The reading of the Scarlet Letter

The story was read thoroughly. The change in the readers voice to signify the different characters was a bit of a distraction.

not the right book

was using this to help me understand and used this one and realized was a totally different book from mine

Great book; narration a challenge

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator puts too much effort into the voices of the characters, and makes them either pathetic (Hester and Dimmesdale), laughable (Chillingsworth), or cloying (Pearl). I don't believe any of it is supported by the text.

Any additional comments?

The narrator's talents were well suited, I thought, to the long introduction concerning the custom house. It's a chapter first-time readers might do well to skip, although, once worked through, it's a wonderful piece of writing, and the narrator does a good job capturing its humor, which is possible to miss on the page.

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Title: Manuscript Found in Accra

Author: Paulo Coelho, Margaret Jull Costa (translator)

Narrator: Jeremy Irons

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-02-13

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 420 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The latest novel from number-one internationally best-selling author Paulo Coelho is a classic of inspiration and reflection, a meditation on life, love, and the significance of change.

A novel of philosophical reflection set in Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades. Here a community of Christians, Arabs, and Jews who have long lived together harmoniously have been warned of an imminent attack and certain destruction. Contemplating their demise, the community assembles to seek the wise counsel of a Greek Copt, who imparts comforting and guiding wisdom on the enduring attributes of human character. The novel unfolds as a sequence of parables on love, faith, sex, friendship, beauty, bravery, loyalty, and success.

Members Reviews:

Manuscript Found in Accra

Would you listen to Manuscript Found in Accra again? Why?

Read by Jeremy Irons makes this book so easy to absorb. I truly love this book. I think everyone should read it. It will help you to see things in your life better, to live better and to be better.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All

What does Jeremy Irons bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

His accent along with his sensitivity bring the book to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes most definitely.

Any additional comments?

I will listen to this one over and over again........

Perhaps the most significant book I've ever read

What made the experience of listening to Manuscript Found in Accra the most enjoyable?

Hard to put into words, when a book and the passages just speak to you. Maybe it's timing in terms of your life's journey.

Outstanding story and performance

Would you consider the audio edition of Manuscript Found in Accra to be better than the print version?

The richness of the narration by Jeremy Irons makes this story mesmerizing - he has the incredible ability to speak as though he were multiple actors - each with their own unique personality and "voice" - it's hard to believe that anyone could do this. Because the story is so rich with wisdom, I have now listened to this many times - and each time I hear new things and discover nuances that I missed previously. I suppose the print version would be good if I were to just study the wisdom in the book, but listening to the narration puts the book on steroids.

What did you like best about this story?

There is a tremendous amount of wisdom in this book - it is presented as a series of distinct themes ranging from the meaning of victory and defeat, what love means, what success is, the importance of gratitude and mindfulness is daily living, the spiritual meaning of sex, and exploration of the 4 cardinal virtues, the meaning of "beauty", and many, many more. If I were to stop the narration after every chapter, I could write an essay on the application of the ideas to my own life.

Which scene was your favorite?

The prayer of the "Copt" that echoes the Lord's prayer in the Bible. It uses the same sentence construction and flow, yet expands the ideas with such poetic elegance and symmetry of phrasing when narrated by Jeremy Irons that you feel compelled to stop the narration and just let the richness of the words reverberate in your mind.

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Title: Under Heaven

Author: Guy Gavriel Kay

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-03-10

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 758 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In his latest innovative novel, the award-winning author evokes the dazzling Tang Dynasty of 8th-century China in a story of honor and power. Inspired by the glory and power of Tang dynasty China, Guy Gavriel Kay has created a masterpiece.

It begins simply. Shen Tai, son of an illustrious general serving the Emperor of Kitai, has spent two years honoring the memory of his late father by burying the bones of the dead from both armies at the site of one of his father's last great battles. In recognition of his labors and his filial piety, an unlikely source has sent him a dangerous gift: 250 Sardian horses.You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor. Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already.

Critic Reviews:

"Kay writes deftly of women who are sexually suborned by their societies, neither minimizing their constraints nor denying their agency, and the complex intrigues of poets, prostitutes, ministers, and soldiers evolve into a fascinating, sometimes bloody, and entirely believable tale." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Impressive!

The author uses luminous description and knowledge of ancient China to weave a rich, textured story with some supernatural twists. You feel like you have a small window focused on the scene at hand, say in a sedan chair, but widening out from that focal point is a world full of intertwining background activity. The characters are for the most part varied and interesting, in a few cases a little flat. The plot offers its share of surprises, yet I found myself a little annoyed at times by some improbable or awkward scenes. Still, this book merits 5 stars just for the poetic beauty of the writing.

A fabulous, sweeping epic

Although this novel is set in an imaginary country, that country is VERY closely based on Tang dynasty China. It's an elegant, refined but also often heartless world, with a strong code of honor. The hero is given the insanely generous gift of 250 perfect horses by a foreign princess, and this propels him into court life and the very complex and unpredictable political world around the emperor. There's a little bit of the supernatural in this, but not a lot. People who like George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey will mostly like love it. The writing is sublime, very much capturing the deceptively simple, melancholy poetry of the era.

One of Kay's best

Highly recommended. For fans of Kay, a must read. For those who haven't read him before, he writes highly literary fantasy that is usually modeled on and highly influenced by real places and cultures. Here, Tang dynasty China is the model. For someone who minored in Chinese and Chinese culture and history, I have to say he nailed so many aspects. The poetry, culture, rituals, and general outlook feel real, and though obviously Chinese-influenced, as always Kay does more than just copies the culture in question; it's more about the feel than the details. It is fantasy after all. The story is excellent, though it does take a while to get going, so stick with it.

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Título: El invierno en tu rostro [The Winter in Your Face]

Autor: Carla Montero

Narrador: Lara Ullod

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 27 hrs and 17 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 08-08-17

Editor: Audible Studios para Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Calificaciones: 4.5 de 5 de 16 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Historical

Resumen del editor:

Aventura, amor y guerra en el tablero de ajedrez del cruento siglo XX: la novela más personal de la autora de La Tabla Esmeralda.

En un pueblo de montaña, los hermanastros Lena y Guillén viven una existencia sencilla y tranquila. Ambos están muy unidos y apenas conciben la vida el uno sin el otro. Sin embargo, algo tan inesperado como extraordinario sucede y se ven obligados a separarse. Con los años y la distancia aquella complicidad infantil se convierte en amor juvenil alimentado con un encuentro esporádico y cientos de cartas.

El estallido de la Guerra Civil sorprende a Lena en Oviedo y a Guillén en Francia, quien, angustiado por la suerte de la mujer que ama, inicia un arriesgado viaje a través de un país asolado por la contienda para reunirse con ella. Sin embargo, la guerra pone a prueba su amor: Lena se ha convertido en enfermera voluntaria del bando sublevado y resiste en una ciudad sitiada por las fuerzas republicanas; Guillén forma parte de esas fuerzas que estrangulan a la ciudad.

Más tarde, Lena y Guillén vivirán de primera mano los acontecimientos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y seguirán en bandos opuestos: él en la resistencia contra el nazismo y ella como enfermera de la División Azul. Y aunque sus destinos volverán a cruzarse tanto en la Varsovia aplastada por los nazis como en la exuberante Tánger de los años cuarentas o en el dramático escenario de la posguerra española, siempre estarán condenados a enfrentarse al mismo dilema: ¿Cómo pueden amarse cuando sus voluntades políticas y sus trayectorias vitales han tomado caminos tan distintos?

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

¡Novela historica maravillosa!

Esta es una novela histórica de las mejores, de hecho ¡un libro maravilloso! Estoy bien entrado en años, soy naval jubilado luego de 30 años de vida militar...pero aprendí hechos de La Segunda Guerra Mundial que nunca supe. Esta autora merece halagos por su obra; lo digo por leer tres de sus libros, todos buenísimos que me captaron hasta las páginas finales. ¡Nunca olvidaré a los protagonistas Lena y Guillén! Considero Carla Montera una joya de la literatura contemporánea de España.

Quieres seguir leyendo

Muy entretenido y un gran repaso a la historia del siglo pasado. Como asturiana, ha sido muy interesante leer como se desarrolló la guerra civil en Asturias desde los dos puntos de vista.

Spain civil war and nazi regiment

The novel could have been completed with less amount of pages. Good history facts but the story of Lena and Guillen dragged for too long.

Me encanto los personajes, la historia contada y vivida ...

Me encanto los personajes, la historia contada y vivida por ellos, en base en una historia de amor se relata una historia verdadera y disfrute leyéndola!

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Title: Hornblower and the "Hotspur"

Subtitle: The Third Horatio Hornblower Tale of the Sea

Author: C. S. Forester

Narrator: Nicolas Coster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-28-17

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Napoleon is about to invade England, and it falls to young Horatio Hornblower to stop him.

This is the third in C. S. Forester's 11 volume series about one of the Royal Navy's most daring and resourceful officers.

Members Reviews:

Great book!

Wonderful book. Great narrator, but the audio isnt edited at all for volume. At times too quiet, and at time way too loud.

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Título: El invierno del mundo [Winter of the World]

Autor: Ken Follett

Narrador: Xavier Fernández

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 34 hrs and 27 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 01-25-16

Editor: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Calificaciones: 5 de 5 de 175 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Historical

Resumen del editor:

Segunda entrega de la trilogía The Century. La fascinante historia que empezó LA CAÍDA DE LOS GIGANTES continúa en este audiolibro, ahora con los hijos de las familias británica, galesa, alemana, americana y rusa como protagonistas. Narra sus luchas personales, políticas y militares durante el auge de Hitler, la Guerra Civil española, la Segunda Guerra Mundial y los años del desarrollo de la bomba atómica. En el año 1933, Berlín es un foco de agitación política y social. Lady Maud, ahora la esposa de Walter von Ulrich y madre de dos hijos, publica artículos en una revista semanal que ridiculizan al partido nazi mientras su marido manifiesta su oposición en el gobierno. Sin embargo, parece que nada podrá frenar el poder ascendente del canciller Adolf Hitler. Cuando Maud recibe la visita de Ethel Williams y su hijo Lloyd, todos serán testigos de la tiranía y la represión de la nueva Alemania.El reino del Tercer Reich se extenderá hasta Francia y más allá de la frontera rusa. Mientras, en Inglaterra, Lloyd Williams, activista político como su madre, luchará en el ejército británico para intentar frenar dicho avance, antes de alistarse en las brigadas internacionales de la guerra civil española, donde participará en la ofensiva de Zaragoza y la batalla de Belchite.Ty Gwyn, la mansión familiar de los Fitzherbert en País de Gales, se convertirá en acantonamiento para oficiales, y durante su estancia, Lloyd se sentirá atraído por la mujer de Boy Fitzherbert, la rica heredera americana Daisy Peshkov.En esta magnífica novela épica, Ken Follett transportará al lector a través de una Europa en ruinas, quebrada de nuevo por las guerras y los conflictos ideológicos. Los hijos de las cinco familias, protagonistas de La caída de los gigantes, forjarán su destino en los años turbulentos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la guerra civil española, el bombardeo de Pearl Harbor y la era de las bombas atómicas americanas y soviéticas.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Crítica Comentarios:

"Fantástico desde todos los puntos de vista." (EL MUNDO)

Opiniones de los miembros:

muy bueno todo

mejor Imposible. quedé enamorada del libro, del autor, de como relata y entrelaza las historias.

el narrador es muy atinado, me gusto mucho

Extraordinario, majestral etc.,

No terminaria de listar las palabras para descrivir lo bueno qie es este libro. Aprendi muchisimas cosas que que desconocia sobre la epova de la segunda guerra mundial.

Interesante recreación mediante una saga familiar del siglo XX

Segundo de los tomos de esta saga: una buena forma de revisar los hitos del siglo XX mediante una novela. El narrador es excelente: solo con su voz consigue acercarte a todos los personajes

Magnífica lectura, la narrativa es perfecta

Las voces son perfectas, te hacen imaginar a los personajes de una mejor manera. La escritura está muy bien hecha, los datos históricos muestran una importante parte del nuestro siglo XX.

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Title: Blue at the Mizzen

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 20

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-25-03

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 586 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With his swashbuckling adventures, best-selling novelist Patrick O'Brian transports you to the high seas of old, where privateers lurk in the mist, and great ships fight to control the waterways. Blue at the Mizzen hoists the excitement to new heights as British frigate commander Jack Aubrey stakes everything on a desperate raid against the mighty Spanish fleet. Ever since Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, Captain Aubrey's prospects in the new peacetime navy have looked dim. Even worse, his frigate Surprise was badly damaged in a nighttime collision. While Aubrey waits for repairs, ship's doctor Stephen Maturin brings him intriguing information about the New World. Soon Aubrey is leading a bold expedition that will determine the fate of a rising South American nation, and his own. Critically-acclaimed author Patrick O'Brian blends authentic period atmosphere, rich humor, and elegant language in each of his seafaring yarns. You can almost hear the thunder of the waves and smell the salty sea air as you listen to Patrick Tull's dramatic performance.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1999 Patrick O'Brian; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"O'Brian is not that hard a taste to acquire, but he is very tough to shake...[the Aubrey/Maturin series] is a great work." (Boston Globe)

Members Reviews:

A review of the (end) of an entire series

What made the experience of listening to Blue at the Mizzen the most enjoyable?

The narration of this entire series (by Patrick Tull) was phenomenal. When I re-read these books I hear Maturin's and Aubrey's voices exactly as Tull presents them. He made these characters come to life - he made them real. I have listened to many Audible books, particularly ones where the characters are from a certain time/place/class/education, and Tull has nailed O'Brian's people perfectly. Frankly, I am at a loss to understand why they were later re-recorded by a different narrator...

What other book might you compare Blue at the Mizzen to and why?

If a person picked up Blue at the Mizzen without having ever read (or listened to) any other of the Aubrey-Maturin series they would certainly be entertained but they would be at a disadvantage (or perhaps I should say they would be doing themselves an injustice). This book is the culmination (the last) of twenty books in a chronological series. These books (all of them) are an experience to be savored, but more so, far more, in their entirety. This is last (finished) book in a series that follows the lives, loves and careers of two men over the span of many years and through numerous adventures and hardships. These are characters that we all have come to care about over time. Which, is the real, lasting gift that a truly gifted novelist bestows to his readers. I don't think you can fairly take one of the series of out that sequence and judge it as a stand-alone novel. If anything, I would say that Blue at the Mizzen is the last chapter of a long and absolutely gripping and endearing novel. And under that premise I would say that O'Brian gave us a fitting, if bitter-sweet, final chapter. It's hard to say goodbye to Aubrey and Maturin (and the rest).

Which character as performed by Patrick Tull was your favorite?

Maturin.