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The Mauritius Command (Abridged) Audiobook
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(4.00) - 5,979 listener ratings
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The fourth of the Aubrey/Maturin series opens with Captain Jack Aubrey gloomily ashore on half-pay until Stephen Maturin arrives with secret orders for Aubrey to take a frigate to the Cape of Good Hope under a commodore's pennant. Once there he is to mount an expedition against the French-held islands of Mauritius and La Reunion. But the difficulties of carrying out his 0rders are compounded by two of his own captains - Lord Clonfert, a pleasure-seeking dilettante, and Captain Corbett, whose severity pushes his crew to the verge of mutiny.
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"This book was slow going in parts but there was a lot going on. I loved hearing more about Maturin and his secret agent activities. I liked his character to start with so, I felt like this book gave me even more. There is of course the usual great battle scene. Things start to unfold all which ways with Aubrey, Maturin, Sophia, and Diana. Leaving with a bittersweet ending. This is one I stayed up late to finish."
— Annebanana (5 out of 5 stars)
The Mauritius Command Listener Reviews
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" A worthy addition to the series, I'll keep on reading the next ones. "
— Steve, 1/31/2014 -
" Better read than Post Captain. Still a little jumpy in the time sense, but worth the time. "
— Mathew, 1/28/2014 -
" A calmer book than either of the first two, mostly about sailing to India and what it's like there, and then at the end OMG SOME STUFF HAPPENS just to get our hearts pounding pleasantly. Oh, those French. Oh, Diana. This is the book from which the movie took Stephen's auto-bullet-removal. "
— Megan, 1/12/2014 -
" Napoleonic naval "
— Ron, 1/8/2014 -
" My current enthusiasm: Patrick O'Brian's 20 1/2 volume masterpiece, his Aubrey/Maturin (aka "Master & Commander") series, with its realistic depiction of British Navy life during the Napoleonic Wars. Far more than just warfare, O'Brian gives us full, 4 dimensional characters you come to identify with. "
— Craig, 12/29/2013 -
" See my review of the first book in the series. "
— Stephen, 12/25/2013 -
" I listened to this book on CD and I really enjoyed O'Brian's ability to make a game of strategy on the seas still filled with fingernail biting suspense, romance and tragedy. "
— Esther, 12/25/2013 -
" A story for those who love sailing and sea stories, and don't mind wading through (or love wading through) the technical jargon of a frigate's sails. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I am always happy to make an exception for O'Brian's books. "
— Ed, 12/9/2013 -
" So much fun, what to say. The elements that make these books so entertaining are the same though the story keeps moving. This book was particularly heartbreaking and satisfying. "
— Shelly, 11/24/2013 -
" I'm sorry, I'm just not going to give any of this series less than five stars. There. I've said it. "
— Horton, 11/23/2013 -
" Another great book in the series "
— Theodore, 11/17/2013 -
" A good book, and a good read. It didn't pull me in quite as much as the first two, but it was solid and it continued the high quality of writing and characterization. "
— Jen, 10/17/2013 -
" The best book of the best favourite historical novel series ever. "
— Lee, 8/16/2013 -
" It's a little slower than the the first two Aubrey/Maturin books but it finishes with a bang. "
— Derek, 4/1/2013 -
" Only reason for the 4 stars is that it was a little slow in the middle, but overall I loved it! "
— Tiffin, 3/30/2013 -
" The books in this series are actually much, much better than you might expect; once a guilty secret, but not anymore. Well plotted and with impeccable historic detail (without being intrusive), they provide excellent entertainment. "
— Joe, 12/4/2012 -
" Excellent. As good as Master and Commander. Maybe better than Post Captain. Loved it. "
— Gatfish, 11/16/2012 -
" most amazing series, think Jane Austen at sea. such good characters, the kind that feel like family. an all-time fav. "
— Jill, 2/6/2012 -
" O'Brian never disappoints. I read about 6 into the series some years ago and got sidetracked. Now we're going to move right through the ranks as inexorably as Vice Admiral Nelson would lose body parts in battle. "
— Michael, 11/7/2011 -
" Quite a few surprises in and around the H.M.S. Surprise but will it be good or bad news for Jack and Stephen. I have already started book 4, The Mauritius Command. "
— Murdock, 10/9/2011 -
" This particular title is one of my favorites in the series. "
— J.E., 7/26/2011 -
" Capt. Aubrey gets command of the ship in which he served as a midshipman--the one he ends up loving the best. I think this is the book where O'Brian introduces love interests for the Capt. and the doctor...what a drag on the plot. "
— Kendra, 6/20/2011 -
" How can I give a book fromt he Aubreyad less than five stars? I should be flogged through the fleet and then keel-hauled, and then, if I survive, thrown into the orlop with no grog and no duff as we round the horn in the dead of winter. "
— Horton, 5/8/2011 -
" Another excellent Aubrey / Maturin book. This one was a little darker; Stephen still struggled with the aftermath of some events in the previous book. Jack was in command of a fleet with some incompetent captains who mess things up badly. Still, this was enjoyable. On to Desolation Island! "
— Brackman1066, 5/7/2011 -
" These books would be so much more enjoyable if O'brian dumbed down the vocab a little. During the battle scenes I have a hard time following the action. "
— Aaron, 2/20/2011 -
" Book four same as the first three books. I have read enough of the series. I think there is about twenty-one books overall. But, I don't need to read anymore. "
— Daniel, 12/20/2010 -
" I am loving these books. This book deals with one specific set of orders. Well contained. Patrick O'Brian is a first class writer. "
— Ashley, 11/23/2010 -
" First book I've finished in forever! What on earth have I been doing with myself for the last month??? "
— Ali, 11/4/2010 -
" Read...well didn't finish. As fascinated as I was about the Mauritius history of the English taking over the island from the French as I've been there and heard all about it...just couldn't get through it even though I'm a sailor and all.......snore! Just not my style. "
— Janeen, 9/23/2010 -
" Another great book in the Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin series "
— Tagg, 9/9/2010
About Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O’Brian (1914–2000), a translator and author of biographies, was best known as the author of the highly acclaimed Aubrey–Maturin series of historical novels. Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars ,this twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician and spy Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. He wrote acclaimed biographies of Pablo Picasso and Sir Joseph Banks. He also translated many works from the French, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Lacouture’s biographies of Charles de Gaulle.