Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Men at Arms

By: Terry Pratchett
Narrated by: Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

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.

©1993 Terry Pratchett (P)2023 Penguin Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
activate_samplebutton_t1

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Colour of Magic cover art
The Martian cover art
Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Only You Can Save Mankind cover art
The Colour of Magic cover art
Crimson Rose cover art
King of the Cracksmen cover art
Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes cover art
Trollslayer cover art
Parting of the Ways cover art
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cover art
Differently Morphous cover art
Project Hail Mary cover art
The Blue and the Grey cover art
Double Star cover art
The Very First Damned Thing cover art

Critic reviews

"Funny, wise and mock heroic.... The funniest and best crafted book I have read all year." (Sunday Express)

What listeners say about Men at Arms

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    370
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    332
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    356
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Struggling with the new narration

Culshaw is terrific with accents - he gets the main cast spot on - but his overall narration is painfully slow, misses the charm of Pratchett’s writing and Cruses in this one is unbearable to listen to. I itch to take the audio file and remove a lot of the lengthy pauses so the whole thing can flow better. Directorial influence could have made this really excellent. Notably the new versions are longer than the old unabridged versions, and that’s down to slow delivery.

Fantastic Pratchett as always.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Such a great listen!

With such good source material, you need a cast that are up to the challenge and this is a great example of that!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great early Pratchett

Another great audio version of one of my favourite Pratchett books. Jon Culshaw is a great pick as reader.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent - the best audiobooks I've listened to

Already knew I loved the book but the narrators voices and pace of this audiobook are exceptional. you know exactly which character is talking, none stand out as out of place.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant

John Culshaw is truly wonderful- the characters are completely convincing. ThNk you for a really excellent experience

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great author, great story, great narrator

Highlight: Jon Calshaw’s “Bloody Stupid Johnson” voice

The only thing I’d change is the noise before the footnotes. It’s intrusive and unnecessary.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Jon Culshaw’s gorgeous voice.

Couldn’t dislike a thing. Totally transported by Culshaw’s narration. Every character in my mind realistic and true to Pratchetts vision I’m sure. Long time Discworld reader. I’m going to continue through all of Pratchett’s books again, solely on the amazing narration and the bringing of the characters to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

When Vimes Took Off

If whoever at Penguin got Culshaw in just so Bloody Stupid Johnson’s few interjecfions could be done in a BoJo voice (on the day the Priveleges Committee published) that is admirable commitment to a bit. Chapeau.
This is an old fave, well delivered. No complaints.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent rendition

Well read , well voiced , nicely done , thoroughly enjoyed it . I feel The author would be satisfied with the production is the highest praise I can give

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful