The Nautical Chart

Written by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Narrated by George Guidall

International best-selling author Arturo Perez-Reverte, a celebrated master of smart, gripping thrillers, draws favorable comparisons to such literary legends as Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, and Patrick O'Brian. Translated into 19 languages, his books have sold more than three million copies worldwide. At a maritime auction in Barcelona, Merchant Marine officer Manuel Coy sees an intense bidding war erupt over a seemingly innocuous 18th-century atlas. The auction winner is the beautiful Tanger Soto, who is obsessed with a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates in the 17th century. Joining forces, Tanger and Manuel hit the seas in search of Dei Gloria and its precious, yet unidentified, cargo. Their quest sends them not only into dangerous waters, but also into the perilous recesses of the human heart. Full of adventure and suspense, The Nautical Chart is a masterful romance of the sea. George Guidall's thrilling reading makes for an unforgettable listening experience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781470325428

Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Arturo Pérez-Reverte nació en Cartagena, España, en 1951. Fue reportero de guerra durante veintiún años y cubrió dieciocho conflictos armados para los diarios y la televisión. Con más de veintisiete millones de libros vendidos en todo el mundo, traducido a cuarenta idiomas, muchas de sus obras han sido llevadas al cine y la televisión. Hoy comparte su vida entre la literatura, el mar y la navegación. Es miembro de la Real Academia Española y de la Asociación de Escritores de Marina de Francia.

Reviews for The Nautical Chart

[erinamelia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's tautly written and compelling but in the end I felt it had a slightly misogynistic overtone. Lots of nice details about navigation and treasure hunting.

[jewelryladypam · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time getting into this book - the writer has a very elaborate, expressive way of writing and, I felt, over-described every minute detail. Once I settled into his unique style, however, I did enjoy the book. I finallly 'got into it' after about 350 of the 466 pages and I'm glad I stuck with it. There were several twists and turns and I was surprised by the final outcome. Though I felt he could've condensed this work into half of its size, I'm glad I got through to the end. It was a nice mix of history, geography, romance, adventure, and maritime journey.

[thorold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A curious mixture of noir thriller, Tintin adventure and Moby-Dick. Perez-Reverte seems to be playing around with that most Spanish of subjects, the collision between real life and the romance of adventure stories. A heroine who can't make her mind up whether she's Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon or a boy reporter with a quiff is confronted with a hero made up of equal parts of Lord Jim, Captain Haddock and Popeye, and they go hunting for sunken treasure in 1990s Spain. It sounds absurd, and the concept isn't helped by P-R’s habitual weakness for the worst noir clichés (the fist-fights, the sip-by-sip and blow-by-blow descriptions of every drink and cigarette, the mind-numbing misogyny of it all). But I have to confess to getting a good deal of pleasure out of it. Maybe some of that came from reading it in the original and having to puzzle out all the Spanish nautical terminology, but there is also something curiously appealing about the character of the sailor who still hasn't quite fallen out of love with the sea.

[pickoftheliterate · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading Captain Alatriste earlier in the year, I felt overdue to revisit one of Perez-Reverte’s more contemporary novels. This one isn’t quite in the league of The Flanders Panel or The Club Dumas, but it was very enjoyable. The story revolves around a sailor who has been barred from his naval career due to an unfortunate incident at sea. Attending an auction, he witnesses a curious bidding war over a very old nautical chart. Soon he is entangled with a femme fatale who thinks she has the inside track to a bountiful treasure lost at sea several hundred years ago.As always, Perez-Reverte manages to weave considerable research into the story quite effortlessly. He just threads it into the action so you hardly notice how much you’re learning. Here we learn much of the nuances of a sailor’s life as well as a subtle history of mapmaking. So this is a good page-turner that will teach you a few things. But if you’re unconvinced, start with his other two books that I mentioned.

[thejohnsmith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable story but not totally engrossing and at times the writing is a little more intricate than it needs to be making it hard work in parts. Not what I'd describe as a page turner but there was no way I was going to give up on it either.

[idiotgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audio. Fun Made it to the end. Not much more to say.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Coy, a sailor down on his luck meet Tanger Soto, a mysterious scholar who needs him to help search for a shipwreck. He falls for Tanger and ends up involved in a search for the ship and a treasure that may or may not be on board. A romance develops even as Coy learns that Tanger may be using him for his ability to navigate in dangerous waters. This story is set in Spain and contains lots of Spanish history. Almost a combination of Clive Cussler and Alistair Maclean. There's a lot of detail about navigation and the Jesuits and meridians. Not so much a mystery as a thriller.

[gary10_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written suspense novel about a team of modern day ship scavengers. takes place off the Spanish coast. Well researched and exciting.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another decent one from Perez-Reverte, but not the best.

[mrs_mcgreevy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The seafarin' adventure and noir combine in this tale of a melancholy sailor, an enigmatic blonde, a 200-year-old shipwreck, and a passel of bad guys who also want to find the ship.

[johngrant1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No time for more than a brief note, alas.

Coy is a sailor confined to land for a couple of years because he accidentally ran a ship aground. He's lured by lovely museum curator Tanger into the search for a Jesuit ship that sank/was sunk in the late 18th century, and for its cargo of precious emeralds. As the tale slowly unfolds we're treated to a myriad smaller stories of Coy's earlier adventures among other men for whom, like him, the land seems a foreign territory and the sea their only possible home.

This longish text demands that you immerse yourself in it, that you invest in time in it; it's not really amenable to being read in ten-minute chunks grabbed here and there as other activities permit. If you're looking for rip-roaring, pulse-pounding action, this isn't for you (although there's some of that in it), but I found it entirely engrossing nonetheless -- it was a wrench to put it down each time I had to.

Margaret Sayers Peden's respectful translation serves the book well. Every now and then I was reminded, by an odd turn of phrase or some infelicuty, that this was a translation, but that occurred no more than a handful of times during the book; otherwise, the narrative read with great style.

[Michele swierczek · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable read. Different. Excellent writing. Recommend for those who enjoy adventure tales.

[zurilector · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A novel set in a maritime environment, about the search for a sunken ship, which, since it does not hold treasure inside, is not among the best of Don Arturo, but it is still quite entertaining. However, if you are not very fond of or knowledgeable about maritime matters, cartography, latitudes, and coordinates, it can sometimes feel a bit dry. Nonetheless, the characters, as is customary in Don Arturo's works, are very well developed, especially the femme fatale, who is very much a femme fatale Tánger Soto. There is a movie, but it doesn't do much justice to the original text, to be honest. It is always a pleasure to read Don Arturo. (Translated from Spanish)

[Jorgemagsan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great thriller, with a lot of maritime jargon as could be expected, the plot is entertaining although at times monotonous and without rhythm; in fact, it doesn't pick up pace until 60%, after which it grows into a very good ending, totally recommended. I think I have finally made my peace with this author who, on the other hand, had never called my attention enough; it must be a matter of maturity. 3/5 (Translated from Spanish)

[Caiograziano · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is my first Arturo Pérez Reverte; and I celebrate that it is with this novel. At first, I was somewhat lost due to the nautical terms. But the smells of the sea, the taverns, and the bars arrive. The skin of Tangier with its freckles, the shared fears and doubts with the protagonist, was something like a one-way trip; like falling in love again, or better yet, staying in love with the reading that awakens feelings and generates sensations... (Translated from Spanish)

[JesusFco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Being a man from Madrid far from the sea. I have smelled the sea and immersed myself in the novel. I felt like Coy and the Pilot... And above all, it reminded me of my childhood classics, Robert Stevenson, Alexandre Dumas, Emilio Salgari, and especially Jules Verne. (Translated from Spanish)

[JUAN PEDRO PABLO · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the first works I read by Arturo Pérez Reverte; the action and intrigue have the search for a sunken ship with treasures as a backdrop, the location of which is unknown. With a description of nautical terms, (Pérez Reverte is fond of sailing), what better captain than one who knows what it means to navigate. Once in the loop, the plot becomes richer with the search for maps, logs from the time when the missing ship was said to have sunk. The characters that appear provide clues, unraveling the mystery, and set out to sea in search of it.

Feeling the sea breeze caressing your face, and the sun's warmth toasting your face and shoulders, the aroma of saltwater, you truly feel at ease with the narration. Dare to feel these magical sensations, guided by a writer who enjoys sailing through the pages toward a horizon where his pen knows no limits. (Translated from Spanish)

[Ivansciutto · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my understanding, one of Reverte's best novels alongside The Fencing Master..... I always recommend them. (Translated from Spanish)

[Cabezacuadra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like it as much as other novels by this author. Too many nautical terms. (Translated from Spanish)

[GuilloHerrera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is a work written by an author who enjoys maritime themes, which means there is a lot of history and technicalities of navigation; for some, this is glory and for others, it is tedium, because it is a long book, but well-structured as a novel.
The story is good, with the aforementioned caveat that detracts from the pace of the action. In 2007, a movie was made, featuring Carmelo Gómez, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, and Enrico Lo Verso, directed by Imanol Uribe.
Since I haven't seen it yet, I can't judge.
For me, it is one of the best books by Pérez-Reverte. (Translated from Spanish)

[JonBonJovi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining and interesting if you like history and navigation. (Translated from Spanish)

[Tirso (Sweet) · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ideal literature for sailing enthusiasts. A Spanish thriller set on the coasts of Cádiz and Cartagena, places of great symbolism for the author. The work is entertaining and there are plenty of nautical references. In my opinion, the ending could be better resolved, but it is not a bad thing. There are authors who build the entire work better and their endings tend to fall a bit short. (Translated from Spanish)

[Almirante52 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am not a reader of A. Perez-Reverte. In fact, I abandoned the novel "The Captain Alatriste." I couldn't finish it. It bored me! However, this novel captured me from the very first line. I liked it a lot and found it very good, with all the ingredients of the best adventure, suspense, and intrigue novels. 2001 (Translated from Spanish)