What's New

• Added compatibility for iOS 5
• Miscellaneous bug fixes
• Updated user interface and experience

App Description

Expand your enjoyment of literature with H.M.S. SURPRISE by Patrick O’Brian (unabridged). This interactive mash-up experience contains a multitude of features and content to help take you beyond the words, by providing a 5-star professional reading, background extras, and more.

NOTE: This app is fully accessible, and includes support for VoiceOver.

In the third volume of Patrick O’Brian’s celebrated series, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin find themselves off the coast of India, trying to outwit an opponent with the home field advantage.

Third in the series of Aubrey-Maturin adventures, this book is set among the strange sights and smells of the Indian subcontinent and in the distant waters ploughed by the ships of the East India Company. Aubrey is on the defensive, pitting wits and seamanship against an enemy enjoying overwhelming local superiority. But somewhere in the Indian Ocean lies the prize that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams: the ships sent by Napoleon to attack the China Fleet.

Self-contained, this app is perfect for your commute, on a trip, or while relaxing. This app was built especially for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, meaning it fits your device perfectly. The audio is of higher-than-normal quality, making for a great listening experience that will not tire your ears or grate on your nerves.

This was professionally recorded at the Blackstone Audio studios by Audie® Award-winning narrator Simon Vance.

• EXPERIENCE. About 11.7 hours of narration. Created on the Folium enhancedAudio™ framework, this app includes extra functions and features not found in either e-book readers or audiobook players.

• PLAY IT YOUR WAY. Listening at home or the office? Tap into remote speakers with AirPlay.

• CONTROL IT. The audio player offers multi-speed fast forward/reverse, jump ahead/back, chapter skip, volume control, plus a one-touch chapter browser. The ‘scrub’ bar lets you point anywhere inside a chapter with just a tap, and now you can shake‘n’pause to temporarily halt playback instantly without looking at the screen.

• SLEEP TIMER. Have you ever fallen asleep watching TV or listening to a book? If so, you'll love this feature. Once set, the playback will stop, place a bookmark, and allow you to jump back to where you probably began dozing.

• OFFLINE LISTENING. You are airline-approved! Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’re free from the threat of an interrupted connection. Downloads usually take just 5-10 minutes, but depend upon your network speed.

• CLEAR & ELEGANT DESIGN. Simple, clean, intuitive, and intelligent.

• CHAPTER TIMINGS. Always know how much time it will take to finish a chapter. Plus, the progress bar at the top of the screen shows how far into the recording you’ve come.

• AUTO-BOOKMARKING. The player remembers where you stopped listening and returns to that exact spot when you open the app again.

• TELL-A-FRIEND. An easy way to recommend the book to your friends.

• FEEDBACK. Share your ideas for functions, and features. We are very responsive to our listeners and appreciate all feedback and ideas.

• GET MORE. Other titles that you might enjoy are updated over time, helping you find that next great experience to enjoy.

RATING: Suitable for adults who enjoy literary works of historical fiction or O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series.
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“Few, very few, books have made my heart thud with excitement. H.M.S. Surprise managed it…. Patrick O’Brian’s erudition is phenomenal, as is his capacity for creating another completely believable world. He convinces with his total accuracy even in tiny details.” (Irish Press)

“O’Brian is astonishingly good.” (Times (London))

“[The Aubrey-Maturin books are] the best historical novels ever written.” (New York Times Book Review)

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 1 H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 2 H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 3 H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 4 H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 5

iPad Screenshots

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H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 6 H.M.S. Surprise (by Patrick O’Brian) screenshot 7

App Changes

  • July 21, 2011 Initial release
  • November 27, 2011 New version 2.4.2