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Men at Arms
- Discworld, Book 15
- Narrated by: Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
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Men at Arms
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
The audiobook of Men At Arms is narrated by impressionist and actor Jon Culshaw, best known for BBC Radio 4’s Dead Ringers, and for the Doctor Who audiobooks and dramas. BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) reads the footnotes, and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace; Shaun of the Dead) stars as the voice of Death. Featuring a new theme tune composed by James Hannigan.
'PEOPLE OUGHT TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES... THE PROBLEM IS, PEOPLE ONLY THINK FOR THEMSELVES IF YOU TELL THEM TO.'
Times are a-changing in Ankh-Morpork's Night Watch.
New recruits have been hired to reflect the city's diversity, including Corporal Carrot (technically a dwarf), Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance-constable Detritus (a troll), and Lance-constable Angua (a woman... full moons aside).
What's more, Captain Sam Vimes is getting married and retiring from the Watch. For good. Which is a shame, because no one knows the streets of Ankh-Morpork or its criminal underworld better than him.
And someone armed and dangerous has been getting ideas about power and destiny and lost kings, committing a string of seemingly random murders across the city.
The new recruits will need to learn fast...
Men At Arms is the second book in the City Watch series, but you can listen to the Discworld novels in any order.
The first book in the Discworld series - The Colour of Magic - was published in 1983. Some elements of the Discworld universe may reflect this.
Critic reviews
"Funny, wise and mock heroic.... The funniest and best crafted book I have read all year." (Sunday Express)
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What listeners love about Men at Arms
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy C
- 26-05-23
Utterly maddening narration - couldn't finish
Was so looking forward to this next batch of recordings but the narration is, unfortunately, really irritating. He leaves huge pauses in... the middle... of sentences (like that) and I found myself wanting to shout at him to just do a single sentence as a whole phrase. I also thought the accents weren't up to much either. Such a shame.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-06-23
Long time Briggs listener very happy
I've listened to the Stephen Briggs version of the watch books for years and am DELIGHTED to hear the story anew with this new reader who does a wonderful job with female voices. As far as the story goes I can never fault pratchett, this is my FAVORITE discworld series.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. R.
- 22-06-23
So glad this book was re-record
So glad this book was re-recorded and the Nigel Planer version was removed, as I had no intention of listening to him murdering another story and I would have missed a great yarn!
Very enjoyable, and listening to the books in order gives the subsequent stories added depth - although I would agree with previous reviewers that the narration in parts is a little slow.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gulliver Herbert
- 06-09-23
Slowly read disappointment
Read....so...sloooowly.... that they have managed to make an excellent story too dull to listen to. And I really tried.
In the style of this rendition: ... I ... just ... couldn't ... bear ... it. ... I ... tried ... some ... different ... chapters ... hoping ... for ... it... to ... improve ... then ... gave ... in.
... So ... disappointing, ... I ... can ... never...get ... that ... time ... back.
This is as bad as the Celia Imrie take on the 'Witches', and one of her characters was just her pinching her nose, whilst talking in her normal voice.
Sad to hear a great story being spoiled in this way.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Derek James Wynne
- 31-07-23
PTerry would be proud.
A really great reading of Men at Arms. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book even having read the book several times in the past. It really brought the characters to life and added to the experience.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Muriel
- 24-07-23
New things
New narrator and even music, my word! I started with Tony Robinson and the abridged versions and have seen other narrators come and go. Each has brought their own nuances to TP’s brilliant stories and Jon Culshaw has carried on with this tradition. The use of Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz adds to the atmosphere. Long live Ankh-Morpork.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-07-23
Great book
I really enjoyed the book, but this narration takes it to another level. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 13-07-23
Just perfect!
A GIFT ! …. The re-recording of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld is a gift to those of us who have read and reread his books over the years. It almost feels like I am experiencing the stories for the first time.. again! Brilliantly narrated with integrity and flare. Thank you.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Caemlyn Louise Boddy
- 30-06-23
Absolutely amazing
I love it. Slowly working my way through the new narrations, definitely like them. This is one of my favourites so far x
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr James Furlong
- 27-06-23
A performance that matches the story.
The second watch book keeps all the greatness of the first and and expands and deepens it. But that’s a given, Pratchett had long shorn any initial rough edges with the discworld books and was pumping out classic after classic after this point.
The real point of the review is for this new Audiobook. I’ve listened to a smattering of these new DW audiobooks, but for me John Culshaw’s narration tops the lot (of a very good bunch). His characters are varied, and sound EXACTLY as they should. Particularly his Nobby which captures the greasy, sly, but not unintelligent or evil nature of Cpl. Nobbs perfectly. Also Culshaw’s comedic timing is just amazing. Just the right emphasis and emotion in pretty much every word. A masterclass in Audiobook narration.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- danielle w.
- 27-05-23
The older ones are far better.
This has no soul no heart. The old narrator is so far superior it’s almost sad. Like, why even try. It’s so dry and lifeless. NONE of the jokes hit. This is trash.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pauline Trout
- 17-09-23
Loved it!
Loved the story and voices. Looking forward to the next story. The best escape from time there is.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ana
- 27-08-23
Great Story, Unbearable Performance
Like all of Terry Pratchett's books, "Men at Arms" is an absolute delight. It is the sort of book that makes you happy. Read it. You're going to love. Just don't listen to this version of the audiobook. The performance is truly unbearable. It is as if the readers do not know the characters. This is book 15 in the Discworld series. By this time the characters are very well established and there is no way in the Discworld that they sound as these readers (I don't want to call them performers, sorry) make them sound. Vetinari for instance is notably tall, thin and smart as a whip. He is described as a predatory flamingo (haha!), but to hear him speak in this audiobook you would think he's a huge, slow, barrel-chested guy, And Death! Anyone who knows anything about Death, knows that he SPEAKS IN A VOICE LIKE THE SLAMMING OF COFFIN LIDS. (Not yelling at you! Death always speaks in all caps =) But in this book Death speaks in a low, raspy voice. No. No. I just couldn't bear it, I couldn't. I tried, I promise you I did, because it's Terry Pratchett and I love absolutely all of his books, but I couldn't.
Do not listen to this book. They have another version here, but it is abridged, for crying out loud! Don't listen to it either.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen Bridge
- 24-08-23
A bit more serious Disc world novel
Still very funny, but deeper. Who will be in charge when a murderer stalks Ankh-Morpork? We learn much about the Assassins, Beggars, and Fools Guilds. The Night Watch becomes the center, with new recruits of various species, Captain Vimes faces his approaching wedding, and a new murderous weapon is invented. in some ways this is a major step forward for the series, which was already great. A bit of a quibble on the narration -- The narrator has trouble when characters are supposed to be inarticulate, making them unintelligible instead. Otherwise, good.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Sue Ann McElroy
- 16-08-23
Where’s the humor?
So disappointed. The Night Watch with neither wit nor whimsy. Seemingly impossible… but not with this narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. Tunney
- 04-08-23
Pratchett's best
My favorite of the DiscWorld series and it's high praise because tne whole series is so much fun to read. It's a little like our world but preposterous with oceans that fall off the edge into space and cameras with a demon inside to paint the pictures. This is my favorie because of the wonderful characters and how they come alive for the reader. It's amusing and absorbing, just the best.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 31-07-23
Amazing
Best watch story yet. So many new amazing characters and their development was also astounding. The recording was top notch unbelievably clear
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mellory Barnes
- 24-07-23
One of my favorite Terry Pratchett books
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars for performance is because I feel like the way they do the footnotes takes you out of the story, however, I understand that footnotes the way Terry Pratchett does them poses a challenge with an audio book. If you enjoy Terry Pratchett, give it a listen, if you’ve never read Terry Pratchett, give it a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JDSteppenzyde
- 21-07-23
One of the best performances
Great book. Beyond amazing performance. Will be listening to this story for years to come.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Szabolcs
- 26-06-23
Jon Culshaw did an amazing job performing!
This was a really enjoyable listen. The writing is top tier all around, never felt a dull moment in it. The performance was really well done! Probably the best reader in the 70-odd books i have listened through so far. Congratulation and thank you for your work! <3