The Last Ship
by William Brinkley

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Book Summary Information

• ISBN13: 9780345359827
• Condition: New
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Book Reviews of The Last Ship

Book Review: Haunting
Summary: 5 Stars

On the "techno-thriller" side, Brinkley has an excellent grasp of the operations of a US Navy vessel, but he doesn't beat the reader over the head with his knowledge. Rather, he weaves the procedures and activities into a suspenseful account of the opening shots of a nuclear war. He deftly balances the need for detail and realism, with the overarching need to drive the story forward and succeeds admirably. An interesting side note to this realism is the ignorance in which the survivors live; unlike many end of the world novels, Brinkley recognizes that we live in an age where situations might escalate beyond the ability to distribute information about them. This ignorance adds another level to the novel, as the survivors are left asking the ultimate question in the shattered world they inherit: "Why?"

On the literary side, Brinkley does a superb job of exploring the human drive for survival. In the face of an almost completely futile effort (to survive after a global nuclear war), the reader sees mankind at its most human and at its most animalistic. In both instances, this can be good or bad. On the good side, we see a small band of survivors using the breadth of human ingenuity and knowledge to achieve the most basic goal of passing on their genes. On the flip side, we see humans giving full vent to their cunning and viciousness as they place their survival above all else.

Furthermore, Brinkley is an excellent writer. His characterizations and descriptive writing are superb and he does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of earlier writings about the sea. In particular, I found myself thinking of Joseph Conrad after reading many of his passages.

"The Last Ship" is an exciting adventure, but it is also a thoughtful consideration of both the futility of the nuclear arms race, and, more importantly, of the remarkable range of response that humans can display when faced with great adversity. This novel will not only entertain you, but it will also leave you thinking long after you are done reading it.

Enjoy!

Summary of The Last Ship

Historical Books

• Books > Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction
• Men's Adventure
• War
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue