The Thirteen-Gun Salute

Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 13

By: Patrick O'Brian

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin set sail aboard the Diane for the South China Sea, shepherding a diplomatic mission to prevent links between Bonaparte and the Malay princes. If their mission fails, English merchant shipping in the area will be threatened. At the barbaric court of Pulo Prabang, the stage is set for a duel of intelligence agents, pitting the savage cunning of Stephen Maturin against the French envoys, who are already entrenched in the Sultan's favor.

The thirteenth installment of Patrick O'Brian's hugely successful Aubrey/Maturin series.

Don't miss the rest of the Aubrey/Maturin series.©1989 Patrick O'Brian (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)

another great sea story

I love this one, cannot wait to get into the next book to see how our protagonists prevail. Narration excellent as always, best compliments, of course. Outstanding story, with beautiful attention to detail and drama to make the entire experience most enjoyable.

Plenty of fun, but runs much deeper

This 20 book series is so much fun to listen to. Sure, you learn much about the life of a British sea captain during the Napoleonic wars, but for me the joy is in the details. There is as much adventure in struggling to remove a foundered ship from a coral reef as there is in a battle between two frigates at sea. Even more, the author frequently shares timeless and insightful reflections on life through the the thoughts and conversations of his two main characters. Patrick Tull is the perfect narrator, revealing countless bits of humor that I missed in reading the books silently. I find myself smiling and chuckling out loud many times during the course of every book. I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks, but for their perfect marriage of engaging plot, literary eloquence and narrative interpretation, this series is by far my favorite.

Another adventure begins !

I love these books; I'm not sure what took me 60 years to discover them. As a young man they might have changed my life. Even now I can find myself immersed in the stories and I completely tune out everything else going on in the world. Thanks Patrick. I can only Imagine how compelling and how driven you must have been to write these stories, considering it took you the last 30 years of your life to get them published. Bravo, good on you.

Fantastic Book - Fantastic Narration

I've been listening to audio books for close on 25 years and Patrick Tull takes the art to perhaps its highest level. When I think of Jack Aubrey, I hear Tull's booming but subtle Hampshire tones. When I think of Stephen Maturin, I hear Tull's nuanced Dublin brogue. I lose myself entirely in his characterization. The performance is only to be surpassed by O'Brian's masterful, detailed, entirely believable world created by some of the best prose since Jane Austen. Tull's reading and O'Brian's prose are a powerful cocktail, capable of suspending anyone's disbelief. I drink it often and gladly.

Brilliant book well matched with best reader TULL

Vivid writing, fascinating characters and situations. Patrick Tull is without equal as a reader. No-one else comes near.

Fun story and great vocals

Yet another yarn from P. O. B. that takes you around the world with two very different yet companionable characters.

Great Story

Patrick Tull makes the story come alive. One feels as if they are part of the crew. When listening I could smell the sea and feel the movement of the ship. Love Stephens excitment over the wildlife and fauna of the land and sea. O'Brian's stories always take me off to read more about the time and story he is writing about. I disagree with some of the other reviewer that felt they could not distinguish between the characters in the story. I could hear the difference and he has kept the various ones consistent from book to book.

The best narrator at his best

I have listened with joy to every Aubrey/Maturin novel thus far and all read by Patrick Tull. The man continues his phenomenal performance in this 13th audio novel. I had the misfortune of listening to book four in the series read by an another narrator and it lost all the love I had for the characters and the series. So, then I found the book read by Mr. Tull and stuck with his narration ever since. Patrick Tull masterfully portrays each character and keeps them individual throughout the series. His Aubrey and Maturin are ideal to the image in my mind. Tull's Jack Aubrey makes Russell Crowe a pale shadow of the character.

Memories

I read this entire series while living aboard a small sail boat, loved them. Couldn't wait to get the next one! Even better listening to Patrick Tull! It is like having a daily visit to my grandfather to hear his tales. I love his voice and the way he reads the story.

Excellent character development

Using Maturin to explore character traits continues to be very interesting and is wonderfully narrated by Tull.