Last Ship

by William Brinkley

Book Overview

The unimaginable horror of total nuclear war has been let loose upon the world, and only one ship, the Nathan James, with 152 men and 26 women aboard, has survived. Her captain narrates the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345359828
• ISBN13: 9780345359827
• Release Date: February 1989
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Written by a Pollywog

Disclaimer - unlike the author, who spent WWII as a public relations officer, I served as an Electricians Mate aboard the USS Lawrence DDG4 for 3 years, aboard the USS Wisconsin BB64, and then for 2 1/2 years active reserve including doing circles off the coast for 2 weeks. Also, I did NOT buy this book because of the TV show. ------------ I made it to page 104, and stopped. I just couldn't take any more of Brinkley's land lubber romanticized view of tin-can sailors, nor his tech manual style of writing to describe in painstaking detail what a destroy-man would consider minutiae. At that point I did not care about the main character, the ship, the men, the women.....JUST DIE ALREADY!! Die from the worldwide radiation, grow old and die without children because they are all sterile, die in the fashion of "On The Beach" because people chose suicide over a slow death via radiation, but Oh Dear God let page 105 have just 4 words- "And they all died."

Post-Apocalyptic Literature That's Actually Literature!

William Brinkley's stunning post-apocalyptic novel should, perhaps, become the standard by which all other P-A literature is to be evaluated. It has every stereotype, every non-stereotype, and, most important of all, it IS literature - unlike so many of pulp-style novels in this genre. Brinkley's language is a true pleasure to read, much like Nabokov's or Joyce's, and the dialogue is still realistic and believable.The story is told out of chronology, starting with landfall on an island as the crew of a United States Naval Missile Cruiser searches for habitable land. Although the apocalypse is only hinted at, we soon rewind to the moments directly leading up to the launch (in which our ship plays a role) and the crew's journey away from the shattered world in a search for life and a place to land. They must deal with Russian (Soviet) submarines, mutiny, and the usual dangers of people at sea.As the cover blurb indicates, the odd element in this book is the inclusion of women. Many post-apocalyptic books include women only as tertiary or minor characters; in The Last Ship, the captain (wisely) turns over a major decision to the women on board his ship. The book becomes as much a character study in gender as it does a delightful read or harrowing journey through a nuclear wasteland. The experiment works, and Brinkley manages to present us with something original, interesting, and accessable. I would recommend this novel over many others in the post-apocalyptic genre. The sheer pleasure I get from reading the language - and my interest in the subject matter - will keep me coming back for many future re-readings.

I loved it: A realistic scenario

I read every ''end of the world'' type of book I can get my hands on and this one was a real treat because I didnt expect to enjoy it so much. I'm a woman who doesnt ordinarily have an interest in the military side of these stories but this one hooked me and held me to the point I couldnt put it down (even though I'd checked it out from the library and it was a heavy hardcover which isnt my preference). I was especially impressed with its realism ... alot of these types of books are pretty far fetched but this sounded true to me and I loved the ending - shocking. I've also read those indicated by other reviewers here and found this one to be one of the best so I dont understand the negative opinions.

My favorite book

I am a 29 year old woman who doesn't really care for the ocean. I generally find the genre of "war novels" to be predictable and immature. That said, this book has some of the best writing, the most clearly developed characters, and the most affecting situations that I have ever read. I don't pretend to know a great deal about the navy, or warfare, or the innermost workings of the military. However, the story is impeccably written, and I literally could not put it down. The author doesn't condescend to the reader, and there is no Clancy-like jingoism or sermonizing. There are some astounding plot turns, yet they remain believeable. The first few chapters-particularly after...well, I won't spoil it...are harrowing. Brinkley's style of writing is actually more akin to Melville, than anything out today. If you like your reading intelligent, exciting and thought-provoking, this is a terrific choice.

An epic drama written in a classic style.

This story and author make my all-time favorites list. Brinkley's complex writing style, where sentences often stretch to paragraph length, is well suited to his thoughtful exploration of morality and character. He places his believable characters in unthinkable situations, then spends a great deal of time inside their heads, shedding light on the impossible decisions they make that drive the plot of the story. In the story, the captain and crew of an American destroyer launch their nuclear missiles toward a Russian city, then speed toward the south Atlantic in a frantic effort to escape the inevitable retaliation. The ship and crew survive after a hellish journey through a radiation-soaked nuclear winter, only to find themselves alone in a world that offers few, if any, places of refuge. Where they go, how they survive, and their search for a future in a shattered world, bring the story to a satisfying conclusion, but set the stage for a sequel. Mr. Brinkley, I have to believe that anyone who has read your story is eagerly awaiting your next effort, and hopeful that it will be the sequel to The Last Ship