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.

Officers and Gentlemen

By: Evelyn Waugh
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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

Undergoing training on the Isle of Mugg, Guy Crouchback is now attached to a commando unit where the ministry whisky flows freely and HM Forces have to show proper respect to the Laird. But the comedy of Mugg is followed by the bitterness of Crete: the indignity of withdrawal or surrender.

©1955 Evelyn Waugh (P)2015 Hachette Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Evelyn Waugh BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Sword of Bone cover art
A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement cover art
Escape from Stalag Luft III cover art
The Great Fortune cover art
Brothers in War cover art
Justine cover art
The Best of Jeeves and Wooster cover art
Staying On cover art
Across the River and Into the Trees cover art
On the Beach cover art
Hannay: His 5 Adventures cover art
We Will Remember Them cover art
The Life of Samuel Johnson cover art
Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Volume 1) cover art

What listeners say about Officers and Gentlemen

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    80
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    82
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    70
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 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
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story, well read

I have loved this trilogy for many years and this audio version does it credit. However, it should have been advertised as abridged. It was less noticeable in this volume, much more so in Men at Arms.

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

Officers and Few Gentlemen - Rewarding Read

This novel is more fun than this ‘review’ might reflect. After ‘Men at Arms’ I was quickly into ‘Officers and Gentlemen’ - a busier and eventful sequel. ‘O&G’ is rich in great humour – whatever the setting. Irony and judgemental reflections on the real events come more to the fore. I had not appreciated until well into this second volume that so much of what Waugh wrote about has a basis in actual events. Tripping over a website/reader’s companion (David Cliffe’s) it is so helpful in detail and explanation was a revelation and enriched my understanding and appreciation. Discovering that likely real-life figures are enshrined in the novels was added spice. My only niggle with the novel was, as in ‘Men at Arms’, the liberal use of abbreviations. These for many can be a mystery.) The triangle of officers, gentlemen and the notion of honour hurtle through the novel constantly questioning. Many of the characters measure short. The characters are well drawn and they stay well in the mind. I regret not meeting the trilogy of Waugh’s books earlier in my life; I am sure I would have returned to it to savour them. [Audible’s texts are the individual novels. When Waugh later had them republished as a single, unified volume he made numerous alterations.] Christian Rodska’s narration/performance is very creditable/engaging - and he has more opportunity for characterisation with many new and diverse characters. Looking forward to the third novel and further Waugh.

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

More pleasure

Book 2 of 3. Second installment and as good as the first. Beautifully written with memorable characters. The narrator is superb

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

Superb

Superb evocation of the absurdities and injustices of war, in particular the experience of many men in the British imperial forces in the Second World War.

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
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good performance

I was worried I might not finish this as the military jargon, ranks etc. was all a bit incomprehensible at times, but Waugh is such an accomplished story teller and the reading so engaging that I soon got drawn in. The characters are colourful and the story is at times farce and at other times sad and poignant. This isn't the war I studied at school, it seems more honest than that: the class divide, the boredom, the disorganised command structure etc.

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

Brilliant narration of a superb story.

said it all but must make fifteen words, nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

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

exceptional reading

exceptional rendition of the second book of evelyn waugh's trilogy emphasising the humour and pathos within the story.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

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

Brilliant

Brilliantly written by the complete 20th century master of the novel – and perfectly read by narrator that brings each of the characters alive

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

Book two of this marvellous trilogy.

A great book, both funny and profound and superbly read. Looking forward to moving on to the third book to complete the trilogy.

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

Were we really this hopeless?

Part of the Sword of Honour trilogy, based on some of Waugh's experiences during the Second World War. Superb storytelling with the cynical humour of an old soldier. I'm glad there's a happy ending for some.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!