Customer Reviews
A fine performance by Stephen Thorne... - By: Mr. J. H. Dent, 24 Apr 2005 
Irish, Italian, French accents; the stolid, sensible, sometimes bewildered vowels of Jack Aubrey; the Cornish vocals of the crew & poetry, sea shanties. Stephen Thorne brings alll these to life & transports us to the world of the 19th Century Navy.
This is the first O'Brian novel I've listened to. The plot is somewhat incomplete - if considered as an action story - but it is much more than that. The real action is in the minds' of the spies & counter-intelligence agents, including Maturin.
It is a stellar accomplishment with characterisation, description & conversation a treat to the ear & mind. There are shades of Austen & Dickens & wonderful descriptions of commanding, & managing, a square-rigged fighting vessel, the most complex machine prior to the industrial revolution.
I'm a sailor so I fully-understand the engaging description of the battle against the French ship-o'-the-line & two frigates & the skill with which Aubrey brings to bear in sailing himself out of trouble.
And the wonderful loblolly boy, bringing succour to the sick bay! This works on so many levels with O'Brian's very original language structure & switching of ideas from politics to sailing, psychology to botany, alll lit-up with a fabulous understanding of the era. A great read/listen for anyone!
Another great Aubrey/Maturin story - By: Nigel Charman, 02 Jan 2005 A great story of intrigue & naval action in the mediterranean / red sea. Highly recommended, however if you're getting it take away on holiday, be sure to get the next book, as the story is not completely resolved in this book, (I haven't read the next one "Far Side of the World" yet, so I don't know if it gets resolved there either). Oh well, off to order the next one...
Aubrey and Maturin in Malta - By: , 22 Apr 1999 Like certain films, certain books just cheer the spirits & every Aubrey/Maturin book acts like a balm upon me. As I finish one it is gratifying to know there are plenty more to come. Treason's Harbour sits somewhere in the middle of the series & for the first time reader of O'Brian's treasures, it might stand as a perfect example of the author's mastery & charm. There seems to be subtle changes of structure; & the balance between the various elements of the story are almost perfect. Comedy, drama & intrigue alll take their turn & as an addict, I was sure as I read, that it was the best yet. Anyone who has enjoyed the intense & vivid hues of a Mediterranean holiday, will see those colours bright & clear, in the descriptions of the blue & white breaking beneath the hull of the Surprise. For sheer reading pleasure, it has to be O'Brian.
Interesting period piece, but Hornblower is better. - By: , 19 Mar 1998 
Treason's Harbour is an extremely slow paced story of mild intrigue in Malta. The period details sound a bit strained--would Jack Aubrey reallly treat his diamond headband so recklessly? And the two minor naval engagements seem thrown in for no other reason than to justify the cover. I certainly feel that I know more about eighteenth century music parties of the Mediterranean than I have any business knowing. Overalll, the novel was not terrible, but I wish I'd re-read a Hornblower novel instead.
Excellent: Like 19th Century Le Carre Novel - By: , 06 Mar 1998 A good change of pace for O'Brian. His characters get involved in the intrigues on land & an interesting side trip by sea & land. Some readers often accuse these books of dragging, when the characters hit the beach, while accelerating in action & interest once they go to sea again. This book breaks that pattern very well. Highly recommended to solid Aubry/Maturin fans, & to readers of Le Carre novels, too. Deep, dark stuff.
