THE WINE DARK SEA

Ostensibly, the long-running Aubury-Maturin series is an adventure story based on English navy life in the early nineteenth century. True enough, but the series is also a compendium of the period's naval lore, philosophy, etiquette, medicine, religion, politics and more. Tull's narration is superb; he reads the two main characters as if they're his alter egos and gives each supporting character a lively and convincing voice. The delivery is beyond the question of believability; it is simply, absolutely correct. This masterfully presented work will captivate those with a historical bent and anyone who enjoys a reader with an unerring command of the nuances of the spoken word. M.F.P. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 95]