Last Light

This is another fine effort by McNab. It moves swiftly along, laced with the kind of knowing savvy about his topic that is becoming a welcome hallmark of this writer's craft. It also lends itself quite nicely to the audio format. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the spy-war-commando action genre.

I believe this is Mr McNab's third novel but its the first I have read. I came to this book after reading his biographical accounts Bravo Two Zero and Immediate Action some years ago.

So what? The realism with which Mr McNab writes is manifest. Clearly based on his personal experiences and those of his former colleagues in the Regiment this book feels real.

The opening sequence is incredibly tense. From there the book flows well and takes the reader on a believable ride from London to South America. There are no cliches here, there is nothing predictable about where the story is going.

Mr McNab placs you right inside the main protagonists head so you can suffer his demons, understand his pride in his skills and wonder at the mind set of someone who, if necessary, will kill to complete his mission.

The narration by Clive Mantle adds to the realism. After all Nick Stone is British with a working class background. Mr Mantle's accent fits perfectly which is important because without it you would miss the laconic soldiers humour which crops up throughout to provide a little light relief in a dirty world

Based on my understanding of the author's military and combat experience, the book's story line involving jungles, weapons and hand to hand combat is nothing less than riveting. His protagonist-anti-hero is a working class bloke who found his niche in the military and now serves as a contract assasin for the English version of the CIA. The action scenes, whether he's being beaten or in a fight to the death, is so realistic that only someone intimate with these situations could write like this. His internal struggle with his conscience and "work ethic" adds to the tension. This is the type of book that ends up as a movie.

Last Lights protagonist is a familiar sort of Government undercover operative: no spring chicken, in fact, a bit long-in-the-tooth if truth be told, always at odds with his shadowy and not-so-shadowy controllers (members of the upper crust, yet sharing a draconian underbelly), plagued by gut wrenching memories of daring and dreadful deeds committed at their behest (often off the books and done under threat to the one thing he holds dear), a professional working out in the cold with little official or unofficial support, becoming painfully (and gradually) aware that the real reason behind the job was ultimately political and shrouded by nuances within nuances of underlying requisites, and always with a telescoped time-table that necessitates actions and activities that excoriate his entrenched professionalism as well as his patriotism.

If you like this genre of spy novels, you will like Last Light, I certainly did. I considered three different ratings; three. four, and five stars. The element responsible for raising the rating from three to four stars was the narrator, Mr. Clive Mantle, who does a bang up job. The reason that I settled on a four star rating was most influenced by the narrator, Mr. Clive Mantle. He infuses his narration with relentless implications of urgency, abetted by the perpetual drive to further accelerate his actions and activities. I would have wished that Mr. Mantles rendition of Last Light offered the reader a few moments where the pace slackened enough to permit a tad of attenuated relaxation.

yes - if you like action (perhaps clancy or connelly) you will love this McNab -

Brilliant - I really hope he is reading the others - so refreshing, unglossy and lending himself to imagery

I listen in the car and didn't want to get out at destinations, I dreamed about one part where I had to leave the book for a week and didn't know what would happen next. I wish I had read in order - but whatever - going back to the start now and I am very happy I gambled on downloading someone I didn't know anything off...

Overly descriptive. I wouldn't want to count the number of adjectives. Otherwise, it reminded me of a so-so John Sandford. The plot moves briskly and the characters are of the same mold. I wonder if this is Sandford under another name? Should have googled it:-)

Yes, it's worth listening to.

This book continues the story arc that begins in "Remote Control" which is now available from this vendor. "Remote Control" explains Stone's motivations and feeling of responsibility to Kelly and without understanding that, Stone comes across as a sociopath. You must know that McNab, the author, is that rare example of a warrior that can write. McNab (a fictious name) is (was) a member of the SAS. The British Special Air Service is what our Army Rangers and Delta Forces aspire to be. He and his squad were inserted into Iraq during the opening stages of Desert Shield to destroy scuds. He was captured and tortured by Sadam Hussein’s real life goon squads. When he writes about Stone being tortured he learned the hard way. These exploits are covered in his first book “Bravo Two-Zero.” Regardless, one of the other reviewers complained about the level of detail. Yes there is a great deal of detail; but detail is an important aspect of the very difficult first-person point of view the book is written in. I enjoyed the book and sincerely hope that Nick gets a chance to finish off Trainers and Sundance.

LAST LIGHT WAS NOT MY FAVORITE , BUT IT IS STILL HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST IN THIS GENRE. THE CONTINUING SAGA OF NICK STONE, HIS WARD KELLY AND THE PROBLEM OF BEING A "k".MCNAB PUTS YOU IN NICK'S HEAD WHY HE MAKES THE CHOICES HE MAKES, MY HEART ALWAYS GOES OUT FOR NICK , THIS TIME THE FIRM USES THREATS AGAINST KELLY TO MAKE NICK DO THERE BIDDING,HOW WILL HE DO THIS AND NOT LOSE A PIECE OF HIMSELF. THE DESCRIPTION AND, THE DETAIL GIVES YOU THE FEEL OF THE JUNGLE, I COULD FEEL THE SWEAT DRIPPING OFF ME, MCNAB IF YOU NEVER READ HIS BOOKS YOU MAY FEEL OVERWELMED WITH THE ACTION AND THE DESCRIPTION. MY SUGGESTION IS START SLOW READ ABOUT HIS LIFE THEN YOU CAN APPRECIATE HIS WRITINGS.

Mcnab is one of my favorite writers of all time and this is one of my favorites of his books I wish audible could get more of them. I love the gritty realism that only someone whose been there and done that can describe. To those that think that the plot is farfetched in any way remember that Mcnab probably know's more about what really happens in commando operations than anyone alive.

How can I say anthing more... McNab has turned into one of my favorite writers. His information is very detailed and in the first person. Fantastic... Listen to all his books.. I want more than the ones Audible has right now....