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Title details for The Letter of Marque by Patrick O'Brian - Available

The Letter of Marque

#12 in series

by Patrick O'Brian
Simon Vance
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

In the early 1800s, the British Navy stands as the only bulwark against the militant fanaticism of Napoleonic France. Captain Jack Aubrey, a brilliant and experienced officer, has been struck off the list of post-captains for a crime he has not committed. His old friend Stephen Maturin, usually acting as the ship's surgeon to cover his activities on behalf of British intelligence, has bought for Aubrey his old ship, the Surprise, to command as a privateer. Together they will sail on a desperate mission against the French that, if successful, may redeem Aubrey from the private hell of his disgrace.

In this twelfth installment of the beloved Aubrey-Maturin series, Patrick O'Brian has created another tale of great narrative power. O'Brian's attention to period detail and his ability to weave excitement and high seas adventure into every yarn make his novels utterly delightful must-haves.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Aubrey & Maturin

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    January 1, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481581097
      • File size: 280049 KB
      • Duration: 09:43:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Text Difficulty: 8-12

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 29, 2007
      Unlike its competitors, who are usually linked to major book publishers, Blackstone specializes in giving new audio life to classics—using prize-winning readers like Vance to bring new and exciting life to neglected works. This is Vance's 17th reading of one of O'Brian's superb seafaring novels about Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin, and it's the first time that anyone has made new versions since O'Brian's death in 2000. Vance (who also reads under the names Robert Whitfield and Richard Matthews) is absolutely perfect for O'Brian's sad and stirring tale about Post Captain Aubrey's unjust punishment: Aubrey has been stricken off the Admiralty's list, usually the end of a man's career. But Dr. Maturin uses his own money to buy Aubrey's old ship, HMS Surprise
      , and turn it into a privateer—a letter of marque. Vance catches the subtle differences between the land-owning Jack, his rough-tongued crew and the Spanish/Irish Maturin. O'Brian fans should relish this excellent audio outing as should anyone with a love of adventure, history, the sea and fine writing. (Reviews, July 6, 1990).

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The high-seas adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey and his ship's surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin, as read by Patrick Tull, have entertained and educated sailors and lubbers alike for 10 previous productions from Recorded Books. Tull's characterization of these two heroes, his mastery of dialect and his rousing reading of these dramatic sea sagas have become a standard against which all other productions of O'Brian's work must be measured. This book sees Aubrey being struck from the list of the Royal Navy and beginning a career as a privateer, commanding his beloved ship, SURPRISE. Historical fiction doesn't get any better, and Tull's narration is "Prime." L.R.S. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 17, 1990
      If Jane Austen wrote Royal Navy yarns, they might read like this sequel to Master and Commander and Post Captain (which Norton issues in paperback in August). In the early 1800s, Captain Jack Aubrey, unjustly drummed out of service, is now master of the ``letter of marque'' (privateer) frigate Surprise , secretly owned by Stephen Maturin, ship's doctor/naturalist/abandoned husband/opium-eater and intelligence agent. The major events here are two great sea victories that make Jack a rich folk-hero, and Stephen's winning back of his wife and breaking his laudanum habit. Jack's seamanship and heroism are complemented by Stephen's absent-minded brilliance, their friendship cemented by their shared music-making (violin and cello, respectively). The early-19th-century locutions are fascinating, as are the evocation of period shipboard life (including ship-provisioning and naval lingo), Whitehall politics (rotten boroughs, etc.) and drug addiction (coca leaf-chewing as well as opium-eating). Seafarers and landlubbers alike will enjoy this swift, witty tale of money and love.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:8-12

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