International best-selling author Arturo Perez-Reverte, a celebrated master of smart, gripping thrillers, draws favorable comparisons to such literary legends as Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, and Patrick O'Brian. Translated into 19 languages, his books have sold more than three million copies worldwide. At a maritime auction in Barcelona, Merchant Marine officer Manuel Coy sees an intense bidding war erupt over a seemingly innocuous 18th-century atlas. The auction winner is the beautiful Tanger Soto, who is obsessed with a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates in the 17th century. Joining forces, Tanger and Manuel hit the seas in search of Dei Gloria and its precious, yet unidentified, cargo. Their quest sends them not only into dangerous waters, but also into the perilous recesses of the human heart. Full of adventure and suspense, The Nautical Chart is a masterful romance of the sea. George Guidall's thrilling reading makes for an unforgettable listening experience.
Download and start listening now!
"This novel is one of the BEST books I read this year. I thought CLUB DUMAS by the same author was superb, but THE NAUTICAL CHART is five, six, ten times better -- if I could give it seven stars, I would. Besides getting lost in Perez-Reverte's sentences -- they are so well constructed -- there would be times, I would reread a passage for the pleasure of rereading it. Other times I would read a passage aloud to my husband because of Revete's descriptions needed to be shared. The cast of characters in this novel come alive as they travel through this story. Coy, our protagonist, wants to live his life like heroes in ancient epics and classic movies, but he is reminded that novels and movies do not always end happily. More importantly, he understands there are rules (or laws) to every game, to every encounter, and it is only at sea --where he truly belongs -- that he feels grounded (the irony!) because he innately knows the laws of the water. The melancholy dwarf is eerie and malicious, but what a character! Come on. A melancholy dwarf -- how funny the description sounds. Tanger , the love interest, is tough, cruel, and at times so broken, I understand why Coy wants to take her in his arms and protect her to the very end. Speaking of the end: Yea, Coy. You shocked me, and you became my hero. Funny, sad, dramatic, adventurous, tightly constructed, and beautifully written -- this is a must read book for all of my friends. A must must must read."
— Miranda (5 out of 5 stars)
“With his chess-like plots and mysterious characters, Arturo Pérez-Reverte has established himself as the master of the intellectual thriller, a reputation again confirmed with The Nautical Chart.”
— Chicago Tribune“A treasure hunt for a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates off the coast of Spain is the plot on which Perez-Reverte’s new novel turns, but a love story is the real heart of this nicely crafted, carefully told adventure.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review“Adept as ever at mixing historical and contemporary material, Pérez-Reverte takes his genrebending to another level this time by merging the swashbuckling spirit of the best sea adventures with an introspective, philosophical meditation on the idea of navigation.”
— Booklist (starred review)“Spanish master Pérez-Reverte has a streamlined approach to novel writing: he takes a research subject say, fencing or rare books, and uses it to construct a story rich in suspense, detail, and character study.”
— Library Journal" I cannot believe that his books weren't listed anywhere (it's easy enough to find them in Barnes & Noble or Borders). These are great mysteries, great action adventure tales and great historical novels. These are well-written and fun. "
— Cheryl, 2/19/2014" I'm giving up on this one, considering having given it a more than fair chance and going back to it on numerous occasions. I just can't relate to the characters, can't tell where the story is going, and really this story has just failed to draw me in. A big disappointment, considering how much I loved "The Flanders Panel". There are just too many other books on my To-Read list to spend any more time on this one. "
— Floy, 2/3/2014" Deep character development in which the setting brings characters to new self awareness. Tense beautiful settings and action on the high sea and in and around Malta. I will reread. "
— Ginny, 1/26/2014" Fifth of his books I've read. Liked it less than the others. "
— Frances, 1/25/2014" Interesting education in sailing and maritime matters. Slowly build to a boiling finish. "
— Celiavg, 1/16/2014" excelente libro y muy recomendable. "
— Ernesto, 1/11/2014" Love Perez-Reverte but was only so-so on this book. "
— Aaron, 12/26/2013" good tale, glad i read it this summer. puts me back in the mood to read tales of the sea... "
— Bill, 12/17/2013" Just OK. It was probably better in Spanish. Great setting, the Southern coast of Spain. If it were a movie it would be the kind film that starred Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall if they were still working today. Very film noir. "
— Alison, 12/15/2013" Not bad - I think I was just in the wrong mood for this one, so it ended up taking my almost 2 weeks to read. Always solid writing from Perez-Reverte (though I admit to a preference for his period work). "
— Greg, 12/6/2013" Does his research, structures his plot, but how acutely does he delve into character? Slow slow first half, with slow slow witted Cal ruminating over his lover to be and punching people randomly. Picks up a bit toward the end... "
— Geoffrey, 12/2/2013" While I found the writing of the novel to be very good, I just found the plot to be very boring. "
— Jolene, 11/30/2013" Couldn't finish it - boring. this site needs an "abandoned b/c it was boring" category. "
— Katie, 11/26/2013" Perez-Reverte has a rather dark view of life in his books and this one is no different. Enjoyable, interesting but I'm not sure I'd go back to his book or books. "
— Jim, 7/26/2013" It took me 5 tries to get through this book. A book about sunken treasure should be more interesting than this. Definitely the worst of all of the Perez-Reverte books. Disappointing. "
— Paul, 6/25/2013" An interesting read with a surprising twist at the end. "
— Bill, 9/13/2012" Treasure hunting, maritime filled adventure book. Well written, but the author goes off on long-winded rants and recollections, having nothing to do with the story line. These drove me crazy, so that I almost gave up reading the book. I'm glad I stuck with it however, as the ending was terrific. "
— Tom, 8/24/2012" Read years ago in another language. A naive sailor, a mysterious woman, jazz, action, Conrad and all the sea stories of your youth,a sunken boat, The Jesuits,plus Perez-Reverte's writing. What's not to like? "
— Zara, 8/21/2012Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s bestselling books, including The Club Dumas, The Flanders Panel, The Seville Communion, and the Captain Alatriste series, have been translated into thirty-four languages in fifty countries and have sold millions of copies. Pérez-Reverte was born in 1951 in Cartagena, Spain, and now lives in Madrid, where he was recently elected to the Spanish Royal Academy. A retired war journalist, he covered conflicts in Angola, Bosnia, Croatia, El Salvador, Lebanon, Libya, Nicaragua, Romania, the Persian Gulf, and Sudan, among others. He now writes fiction full time.
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.