Sounding every bit the proper English gentleman, narrator Tim Pigott-Smith gives a delightfully entertaining, yet appropriately restrained performance in this rollicking addition to the popular Aubrey/Maturin series. Blending historical fact with fiction, author Patrick O"Brian has crafted another captivating saga based on obscure events in maritime history. "The frigates never reached the Antilles. Nothing was heard of them until they hit Mauritius, where they upset the balance of powers in those waters entirely. The news of their presence reached England a very short while ago." In less competent hands, efforts of this nature might well sink under the weight of pedantic prose and mind-numbing minutiae, but O"Brian"s impressive writing and the considerable vocal talents of Pigott-Smith help keep this adventure, and the long-lived series itself, riding high in the water. (Running time: 5 hours, 3 cassettes) --George Laney