Publisher, Blackstone Audiobooks (January 2004)

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“The best historical novels ever written.” —New York Times Book Review

"O'Brian's sheer brilliance as a writer constantly dazzles." —Irish Times

"Patrick O'Brian can put a spark of character into the sawdust of time." —Observer

"...in the end it is the serious exploration of human character that gives the books their greatest power...." —New York Times Book Review

Captain Jack Aubrey, R.N., arrives in the Dutch East Indies to find himself appointed to the command of the fastest and best-armed frigate in the Royal Navy. He and his friend Stephen Maturin take passage for England in a dispatch vessel, but the War of 1812 breaks out while they are en route. Bloody actions precipitate them both into new and unexpected scenes where Stephen’s past activities as a secret agent return on him with a vengeance.

About the Performer: Earphones Awards recipient SIMON VANCE was born in England and worked for the BBC for ten years as a radio-news announcer and also worked as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. In addition to narrating for Blackstone Audiobooks, he involves himself in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.