H.M.S. Surprise
Aubrey-Maturin Series, Book 3
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H.M.S. Surprise
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Narrated by:
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Ric Jerrom
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Written by:
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Patrick O'Brian
About this listen
H.M.S. Surprise, the third in O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series, follows the variable fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey's career in Nelson's navy, as he attempts to hold his ground against admirals, colleagues, and the enemy, and accepts a commission to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. The voyage leads him and his friend Stephen Maturin to the strange sights and smells of the Indian subcontinent, and through the archipelago of Spice Islands where the French have a near-overwhelming local superiority.
Rarely has a novel managed to convey more vividly the fragility of a sailing ship in a wild sea. Rarely has a historical novelist combined action and lyricism of style in the way that O'Brian does. His superb sense of place, brilliant characterisation and a vigour and joy of writing lifts O'Brian above other writers in this genre.
©1973 Patrick O'Brian (P)2014 Audible, Inc.You may also enjoy...
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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.
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Captain Jack Aubrey is ashore on half pay without a command—until Stephen Maturin arrives with secret orders for Aubrey to take a frigate to the Cape of Good Hope under a commodore's pennant, there to mount an expedition against two French-held islands. The difficulties of carrying out his orders are compounded by two of his own captains...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
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Widely regarded as the most engaging historical novels ever written, the 21 books in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series have garnered millions of fans since the publication of the first volume over 50 years ago. Included here are BBC radio adaptations of the first seven thrilling stories.
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After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss.
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In this, the final Horatio Hornblower adventure, C.S. Forester throws his hero into one of the most challenging missions yet. Upon discovering highly confidential papers dispatched by Bonaparte, Hornblower sets off to enlighten the Admiralty about his game-changing, new findings. Troubled after having been informed of Pierre-Charles Villeneuve's escape into Spain, they welcome Horatio's news and send him off on a high-priority assignment that they believe will lead to England's victory over Napoleon.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Her Majesty's ship Sutherland is a humdrum ship of the line. But in command is none other than the heroic Captain Hornblower and, with his crew from the Lydia, he looks set to take on commando raids, hurricanes at sea, and Napoleons's gun batteries.
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4 out of 5 stars
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another classic
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Master and Commander
- Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 1
- Written by: Patrick O'Brian
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Set sails
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Written by: Patrick O'Brian
-
The Mauritius Command
- Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 4
- Written by: Patrick O'Brian
- Narrated by: Tim Pigott-Smith
- Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
Captain Jack Aubrey is ashore on half pay without a command—until Stephen Maturin arrives with secret orders for Aubrey to take a frigate to the Cape of Good Hope under a commodore's pennant, there to mount an expedition against two French-held islands. The difficulties of carrying out his orders are compounded by two of his own captains...
Written by: Patrick O'Brian
-
Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin: Master & Commander & Other Adventures
- A BBC Radio 4 Full Cast Drama Collection
- Written by: Patrick O'Brian
- Narrated by: Richard Dillane, Michael Troughton, Adjoa Andoh, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
Widely regarded as the most engaging historical novels ever written, the 21 books in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series have garnered millions of fans since the publication of the first volume over 50 years ago. Included here are BBC radio adaptations of the first seven thrilling stories.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
love it!
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-02-06
Written by: Patrick O'Brian
-
Shōgun, Part One
- The Asian Saga, Book 1.1
- Written by: James Clavell
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 24 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story, masterful narration.
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Written by: James Clavell
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Hornblower and the Crisis
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- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4 out of 5 stars 17
In this, the final Horatio Hornblower adventure, C.S. Forester throws his hero into one of the most challenging missions yet. Upon discovering highly confidential papers dispatched by Bonaparte, Hornblower sets off to enlighten the Admiralty about his game-changing, new findings. Troubled after having been informed of Pierre-Charles Villeneuve's escape into Spain, they welcome Horatio's news and send him off on a high-priority assignment that they believe will lead to England's victory over Napoleon.
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Written by: C. S. Forester
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A Ship of the Line
- Written by: C. S. Forester
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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In the ninth instalment of the series, C.S. Forester transports us to the quaint village of Smallbridge. Predictably restless and eager to embark on his next adventure, Horatio Hornblower dreams of returning to the seas and commanding his next ship. Now happily married to Lady Barbara Leighton and widely celebrated for his recent successes with the navy, Hornblower has been knighted and appointed a commodore. Fortunately for Horatio, his uneventful days as village squire are soon interrupted.
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What listeners say about H.M.S. Surprise
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- karen walker
- 2018-09-19
Historical fiction as you've never heard it!!
Unique in my experience, and said to be among the very best of its type, I totally agree somewhat to my surprise...hang in for the naval jargon explanations and you will soon be thrilling to a 16-hour nautical chase and battle. The two main characters are subtly drawn and ndividuals so interesting that you always want to know more. The reader is PER-fect and brings all of this into understanding in a way I could never have done by reading it for myself. Wonderful and tks #Audible1 for making it available.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2021-03-09
A Sweeping Background
This novel begins when Spain throws in with Napoleon, declaring war on England.. continues with a mission to deliver an ambassador from South America to India.. and includes a famous Naval battle against the French fleet and real-life Admiral Linois in the Indian Ocean. On top of this, Patrick O'Brian applies an admirably lighthearted - almost jovial - storytelling style to continue his chronicle of Captain Jack Aubery and Spy/Ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin. Their experiences include capture and torture, imprisonment, shipwrecks/storms/battles, Victorian marriage negotiations, and a duel to the death. This episode also follows a more conventional "plot" - depicting a mission across the Atlantic and back rather than stringing together a series of incidents. It's an improvement in the series - elevating it to the status of true historical 'literature'.
Ric Jerrom is growing on me. His reading is far from perfect - some accents being much too strong - but the more I hear him, the more I appreciate his feeling for pacing and ability to inject excitement into a scene with tone. The performance in this installment is excellent.
Improved reading and a better-structured novel make this third book in the series worthy of 9 stars out of 10. I can definitely recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julian Ticehurst
- 2023-07-27
Hooked
Captivating. I am thoroughly hooked in now. Matters nautical fascinate. Aubery and Maturin intrigue. 15 words.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- srwatson
- 2021-04-08
O'Brian
A wonder filled story, written by the master of the Napoleonic wars, expertly narrated and boldly spoken. A great series of historical fiction that engages ones interest and hard to "put down" Heartily recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- PDubya
- 2020-02-16
Good but not the best.
This is my third O’Brian novel in the series. Again the performance was excellent given that long passages of the book dragged a bit. Such a lot of talking in this one I really felt at times I wanted to skip ahead. I understand the need to have more than battles however this one definitely tested my patience. Now to download number 4 as I push forward to listen to all 15!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zen Car
- 2022-08-01
Just wonderful
Surprising funny and touching. One of the best of the series. Leads beautifully into the next
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Coleman Cooper
- 2023-03-01
A prime reading of a great story
An excellent reading, his voice is for each of the characters are superb. Excellently done, and lovely paced.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kenneth Werner Voita
- 2019-07-05
Right series wrong narrator
Do yourself a favour, do not listen to any book in this series not narrated by Patrick Tull. Listening to the three versions by the narrators available, Patrick Tull is the only way to go. The interpretations by the two other narrators are misleading and many aspects are put in what seems to me the wrong context for the story. The two other narrators (other then tull) have come up with the worst voices for Maturin/Aubrey. Piggot-smith is the worst, his Aubrey sounds like Simmerson from the sharpe television series, and his Maturin sounds like the horror movie version of the mascot for lucky charms. Both narrators (smith and jerrom) take all complexity/humanity out of Aubreys character as well as Maturins. I started the series over again when I heard Patrick Tull for the first time and it is well worth it, it sounds like a completely different story.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeff Allan
- 2018-09-20
The wonderful journey continues
Filled with action, romance and adventure the series continues with this wholely satisfying installment. Exquisitely written and Beautifully read. Bring on the next one!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sloane
- 2021-08-05
Narration brings it to life! Amazing.
I have read these books many times. Finally decided to listen to them. The performance was superb. Such excitement and depth. I will listen to every single one and enjoy every minute.
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1 person found this helpful