Last Man Standing

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

It took 10 seconds for Web London to lose everything: his friends, his team, his reputation. Point man of the FBI's super-elite Hostage Rescue Team, Web roared into a blind alley toward a drug-dealer's lair only to meet a high-tech, custom-designed ambush that killed everyone around him.

Now coping with the blame-filled words of anguished widows and the suspicions of colleagues, Web tries to put his life back together with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Claire Daniels. To do so he must discover why he was the one man who lived through the ambush - and find the only other person who came out of that alley alive...a 10-year-old boy who has since disappeared.

Web's search leads him from inner-city Washington, DC, to the rolling hills of Virginia horse country - while people connected to him are violently silenced. Acting on his instincts, Web believes he knows where the killer will strike next. Only this time, he may not survive the attack.

Last Man Standing is an explosive psychological thriller about a man desperate to find answers - from the secret terrors he has kept from himself to his unbearable guilt. His fight to save himself and those he cares for will come at a high cost...and threaten everything he has grown to believe in.

©2001 Columbus Rose, Ltd., All Rights Reserved (P)2001 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Impressive...immensely interesting...Baldacci's most accomplished thriller." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Has the essential elements of a terrific novel: a tough but tender-hearted hero, dirty dealings in the nation's bureaucracy, and a roller-coaster plot." (Amazon.com)

Well Worth The Listen

Any additional comments?

Having never read the book I can not compare the two versions but I am satisfied with the narrative. Like any lengthy book there will be some parts that drag and I found that with this book in a couple of places for very short stretches. Having some knowledge of the subject matter I found it very well researched and was further delighted to find that the author had utilized a former Hostage Rescue Team member as a consultant.

This a great thriller involving some raw violence, psychological manipulation, culture of an elite team of law enforcement personnel and as with any government operation the bloody politics of the agency. The plot is well paced and laid out very well and the character development is quite good There are some great twists in the plot as well as a conclusion that I found very satisfying as a listener. Some reviewers have stated otherwise but I found it just suited the character (and in that moment of time) to very appropriate. I didn't feel I needed to know anymore.

I found the narration of Jason Culp to be well done and overall appropriate in his voice portrayals of numerous characters.

I would recommend this book to most of my friends without hesitation

Revenge is a 4 letter word.

A "Get in your head" thriller. The story line takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and darkness. Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

More twists than a six flags coaster

Very slow in the uptake, hard to follow at first. Three hours till you get a grasp on the story line, crazy ending.

Monotone

the story itself was fantastic. However; 22 hours of someone sounding like they're bored to death with her job was tough to get through.

Action thriller with psychiatric elements

Among the best novels by Baldaci, this book weaves together several seemingly disparate plot lines with nuanced characters and surprises at the end.

Must listen too!

So exciting and many twist and turns! Can wait for the next audiobook! Must listen now

His Best offering

Definately THIS authors Best offering to date. Once I started it, I did not stop for some 16 or so hours. You don't run across books this good this often. Baldacci is good, but never this good. The charachters are put together, and intertwined so well, you'd think you had a James Clavell Novel in your hands. It is definately a keeper.

Good book, but needed a good technical adviser

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have advised Baldacci to hire or at least consult a military or paramilitary technical adviser so the glaring errors would not detract from the book. First and foremost, an FBI HRT assaulter doesn't carry a high caliber, bolt action sniper rifle to kick down doors. It just isn't done. Assault teams use sub-machine guns or carbine versions of assault rifles (MP5 or an M4 for example). So from the start, this book gets off to an inauspicious start for anyone with knowledge of these things or for anyone who cares about factual accuracy. It is a pet peeve and one that unfortunately colors my enjoyment of books where authors don't exercise diligence in checking facts.

There were also story elements that were easily pegged as creative license vs. anchored in reality. The relationships and dynamics among the FBI hierarchy were way out of sorts. A field office SAC doesn't have dominion over HRT and the suggestion that a field office agent in charge could fire HRT members or the HRT commander is beyond ludicrous. The elite HRT chain of command runs completely separate from field office chains of command. HRT is part of the CIRG which is separate from the SACs and field offices. If you can get past some of these Hollywood-inspired plot lines, you can enjoy the story all the more.

My biggest pet peeve is calling a magazine a "clip." That is a sure sign of someone who doesn't know their stuff. In this particular book, Baldacci's influences and research are more in tune with Hollywood than the real world.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have eliminated some of the nonessential sub plots or woven them together a little more coherently. It seemed as if there were several disconnected stories taking place and I found myself wishing for some clue as to how they would be pulled together. When they did converge, it was a rushed weaving and juxtaposing of the various pieces to make it fit neatly in the end. Baldacci does a great job with characters, but he sort of phoned in the plot and storyline as well as the research on this one. I cared about the characters, but sometimes they seemed to float and drift through the story.

What three words best describe Jason Culp’s voice?

Culp did a fairly good job although the quality of the recording seemed to be low. I always knew from his voice when the main character was talking. His "southern" accent could use a little work. It quickly slipped into stereotype.

Did Last Man Standing inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to rethink reading more Baldacci books. I have read a half dozen or so and while this story generally was good, it could be frustrating to keep engaged as the sub plots drifted in what seemed aimless directions without cohesion.

Any additional comments?

I picked this audiobook up on a special sale and it was well worth what I spent, but I would be very upset if I spent a monthly credit or paid full price for it. It is worth a listen or a read if you can get a deal, otherwise move to something a little

Good thriller but could have been more concise

This was a very good audiobook, good character development and interesting plot twists right up to the end. I agree with the other reviewer who said it was too long but it was still very enjoyable. Web London, super-FBI guy is something of a super-hero with an incredible amount of luck. The author delves into some psychology and the bad guys in the book are not who you expect them to be. Well, are they ever? This book is not for an impatient reader as it is very lengthy but I enjoy thrillers, mysteries and others in this genre and was not disappointed.

Good story, even if it is predictable

I enjoyed listening to Last Man Standing, the reader does a very good job and the story is interesting. I was a little disapointed by how predictable the book became in the last half, but I still enjoyed the ending. This is a long book that will keep your interest.