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  • Post Captain

  • Aubrey-Maturin Series, Book 2
  • Written by: Patrick O'Brian
  • Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
  • Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (126 ratings)

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Post Captain cover art

Post Captain

Written by: Patrick O'Brian
Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
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Publisher's Summary

This tale begins with Jack Aubrey arriving home from his exploits in the Mediterranean to find England at peace following the Treaty of Amiens. He and his friend Stephen Maturin, surgeon and secret agent, begin to live the lives of country gentlemen, hunting, entertaining, and enjoying amorous adventures. Their comfortable existence, however, is cut short when Jack is overnight reduced to a pauper with enough debts to keep him in prison for life. He flees to the continent to seek refuge. Instead he finds himself a hunted fugitive as Napoleon has ordered the internment of all Englishmen in France.

Patrick O'Brian is regarded by many as the greatest historical novelist of the 20th century. Post Captain is the second novel in his remarkable Aubrey/Maturin series.

©1972 Patrick O'Brian (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What the critics say

" Master and Commander raised dangerously high expectations; Post Captain triumphantly surpasses them." (Mary Renault)

What listeners say about Post Captain

Average Customer Ratings
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To marks

Darn fine stuff this, my only lament is not having been exposed to his books when I was a young lad.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Even better the second time around.

Having completed the entire series over a period of 2 years, reliving Post Captain had an almost nostalgic feel. The time spent ashore developing relationships with the ladies had seemed distracting the first time through but now with my fore - knowledge and familiarity with the characters it was far more engaging. Love the battles and the character development in JA and SM.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good maritime romp

Very good overall. One spot not so believable, but the series may not have defined the age group of its readership at this time (you can push the boundaries of belief with a teenage audience).

The narration was good, but a lot of defects in some places.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

dashing

A remarkable tale, written by the great man and perfectly narrated by Ric Jerrom.
I have read the series many times, but really enjoy the story as presented.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fifth Time Just as Good

Read the all books four times and just starting again on the audio for the fifth. Never gets tired.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A great series to listen to, brilliant performance

Fewer battles than the 1st book, more domestic-romantic affairs. Still lots of fun on the high seas, good observations of characters during the chapters on land, and an absolutely brilliant voice performance. This narrator was worth every penny they paid him. Accents, singing, pace, inflection: thos guy does it all perfectly.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An Excellent Period Piece

This historical fiction novel is near complete. There is action, intrigue, romance, humor, and consistent entertainment. The pacing is a little off (slow to get going), but even the more plodding parts are praiseworthy. Patrick O'Brian writes accurate Naval fiction set in a rich 18th century setting. Characters and settings are startlingly real.. the reader feels like they are there.
O'Brian uses a notably lighthearted style to keep the plot moving. It works. In this episode, Aubrey and Maturin meet their future wives, Jack abandons his dream of promotion to Post Captaincy, flees England under threat of arrest for debts, and then returns to obtain command of the experimental HMS Polychrest, eventually losing her in a pulse-pounding battle - earning a no-longer-looked-for honor.

Ric Jerrom turns in an above-average performance. His style isn't perfect, but fits the characters in this series perfectly. His performance grows on me the more I listen to him. To his undying credit, Jerrom actually sings the period shanties in the text.

I bought this novel looking for quality historical fiction and I found it. The Aubrey/Maturin series is most enjoyable. This installment merits 8.5 stars out of 10.

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