Men at Arms

Discworld, Book 15

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy

Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's 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

Critic reviews

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

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.

Loved it!

Loved the story and voices. Looking forward to the next story. The best escape from time there is.

Hilarious and interesting for the young and for adults

Getting back to the discworld in a systematic manner after almost 20 years and loving it 100% . Hilarious and a must for every fantasy fan. The Watch series also has a police/murder mystery vibe to it and I love that too

One of the best performances

Great book. Beyond amazing performance. Will be listening to this story for years to come.

well done

it's not Stephen Briggs but it's a good performance and an excellent book. looking forward to the rest

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.

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

A Pratchett masterclass couple with amazing performance

John Culshaw manages to nail every single voice he picks for every character. Add that to a stone cold classic Discworld story and you’re in for a very good time.

the interactions between the characters

this is a story rich in personalities and interactions between them. the narration brought out each character.

One of the Best Terry Pratchett Stories I’ve Read

This was a truly excellent story and genuinely well-read. I think I saw elsewhere in the reviews an acknowledgment of the somewhat clunky way that footnotes are read, but that is probably the only thing to be criticized. If you’re looking for an engaging and classic Pratchett tale, this is a great next read/listen.