432nd out of 7,000 books
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15,860 voters
Last Man Standing
When Web London's FBI Hostage Negotiation Team is ambushed in a dark alley, Web is the only survivor. As the FBI investigates, suspicion surrounding Web deepens. Now, he needs help from an unlikely ally in his desperate search for the killer of his friends, and finds himself up against a force intent on finishing the job that began in the alley.
Paperback, 656 pages
Published
September 1st 2002
by Vision
(first published 2001)
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Decent for escapist reading, with a hero you can empathize with, some creative ideas for criminal schemes, and engaging plot twists. I had read a recent Baldacci thriller, “The Innocent”, and liked it well enough to try this earlier one (from 2001). Ultimately I was disappointed with too many plot elements, clichés, and implausible components.
Web London is the sole survivor of an FBI hostage rescue squad’s disastrous drug raid in Washington, DC. His survival is the result of “freezing” up, which...more
Web London is the sole survivor of an FBI hostage rescue squad’s disastrous drug raid in Washington, DC. His survival is the result of “freezing” up, which...more
David Baldacci's Last Man Standing has elements of a good novel, but a couple of flaws -- and one in particular -- keep it from transcending mediocrity. Web London, a member of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, freezes during a mission and watches as his team is gunned down. While seeing a psychiatrist in an attempt to understand what made him hold back, he investigates the shooting and uncovers a conspiracy involving drug dealers, white supremacists, undercover feds and a horse ranch.
Spoilers foll...more
Spoilers foll...more
Web London est un membre de l'équipe d'action HRT du FBI. Lors d'une intervention pour démanteler un réseau de trafiquant de drogue, il se fige quelques secondes soudainement, et échappe ainsi à un piège ou tout ses coéquipiers sont massacrés. Comment un membre surentraîné de l'élite de l'élite peut ainsi sans aucune explication être tétanisé ? Aurait il trahi ?
En le lisant, j'ai vite eu l'impression que ce thriller pourrait facilement être un film hollywoodien : comme si l'auteur l'avait écrit...more
En le lisant, j'ai vite eu l'impression que ce thriller pourrait facilement être un film hollywoodien : comme si l'auteur l'avait écrit...more
I’ve read several Baldacci novels and enjoyed them, but this one disappointed me.
Cover blurbs call this book a ‘killer thriller’ and the action nearly nonstop.
I disagree. A ‘killer thriller’ should have me on the edge of my seat from page one. This one didn’t. Yes, it had sections that had my heart racing and my breath rushing. But those sections were separated by pages galore of exposition, long internal musings by the main character, and side trips into unnecessary info including a detailed to...more
Cover blurbs call this book a ‘killer thriller’ and the action nearly nonstop.
I disagree. A ‘killer thriller’ should have me on the edge of my seat from page one. This one didn’t. Yes, it had sections that had my heart racing and my breath rushing. But those sections were separated by pages galore of exposition, long internal musings by the main character, and side trips into unnecessary info including a detailed to...more
Best way to review this? Explain the 4 rating, which is 200% higher than my 2 rating of the very first Baldacci book I read.
STAR
The ending. Surprise, the ending is unexpected and its very non-typical nature made me laugh. Gutsy way to wrap up a 640 page book that points to a totally different end!
STAR
Characters--Yes, typical Baldacci, tossing characters in his books like one lavishes nonpareils or sprinkles on cupcakes. But these characters...wow!
-Seasoned special force dudes. WEB has some...more
STAR
The ending. Surprise, the ending is unexpected and its very non-typical nature made me laugh. Gutsy way to wrap up a 640 page book that points to a totally different end!
STAR
Characters--Yes, typical Baldacci, tossing characters in his books like one lavishes nonpareils or sprinkles on cupcakes. But these characters...wow!
-Seasoned special force dudes. WEB has some...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A Birthday Present that turned into a Sour Read!
I received this book as a birthday present and the gift brought a grateful smile to my face since I have enjoyed many of David Baldacci's novels, i.e., Absolute Power, A Simple Truth and others and within a few days I was reading Last Man Standing. Overall, I thought the Web London character was boring and shallow. As an FBI hostage team assaulter he seemed more like a loose cannon rather than a team player which I suspect is the SOP for the FBI....more
I received this book as a birthday present and the gift brought a grateful smile to my face since I have enjoyed many of David Baldacci's novels, i.e., Absolute Power, A Simple Truth and others and within a few days I was reading Last Man Standing. Overall, I thought the Web London character was boring and shallow. As an FBI hostage team assaulter he seemed more like a loose cannon rather than a team player which I suspect is the SOP for the FBI....more
I listened to this book driving north to New York, from Florida. I don't know if the book is as good as a visual read but, as an audio, it was great. There was no chance of falling asleep while driving, that's for sure. It was really an exciting thriller which held my interest constantly. It was just perfect for a long car trip.
It starts out with an FBI drug bust gone bad and then twists and turns with all sorts of subplots woven into the tale. There are kidnappings, unsolved murders, betrayals...more
It starts out with an FBI drug bust gone bad and then twists and turns with all sorts of subplots woven into the tale. There are kidnappings, unsolved murders, betrayals...more
last man standing is a fast, action story. This book is a crime thriller that centres on conspiracy. This novel is a nice story to follow as your daily read. It has 548 pages and was written in 2001. The print size is relatively small, making this book a long read. The joy of this book is the level of detail that David goes into. This detail gives the reader such a full and explained picture. All these extra details just add to your enjoyment of this book as you pick up all these little pieces o...more
The “Last Man Standing” written by David Baldacci. This book consists of a lot of action and conspiracy theories. Sometimes throughout reading this book it will make you wonder about what really goes on with the government. It will question yourself and think about if the government does really hide stuff from you or not. If you are interested in government then this book will fit you. So if you like a good mystery that leaves you thinking after every chapter and leads you to questions throughou...more
Potted plot: bristling with gun porn, a colorful bunch of enormous superbad cops and crooks charge around Washington DC and Virgina horse country. There are conspiracies and posturing, heavy-handed hints that perhaps X or Y is the leak within the FBI. Last Man Standing has a love interest and at one point a hottie in a swimsuit, but very little bad langauge or sex. Oh! And a brief appearance by a topless porn star with breasts so enormous they almost hide her abdomen.
Highlights include a vintag...more
Highlights include a vintag...more
Finally found this book. Not bad. Web a decorated member of HRT the Hostage Rescue Team has previously saved the lives of the men in his unit. This unit is the elite of the elite of the FBI. When Charlie company Web's unit gets called to lead an assault on a big drug operation they themselves get slaughtered and Web is the lone survivor. Who was paralized when the shooting begins. In the same alley is a ten year old who says something specifically to Web. Now Web is left to defend himself from b...more
The story begins as the seven member Charlie Team, part of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Unit, is raiding what they believe is a drug gang's operations center. They intend to capture accountants with knowledge of the drug network. But it's a trap. Instead of computers and clerks, they encounter deadly crossfire from automated Gatling guns. All but one of the team is slaughtered. Web London, the last man standing, is alive only because he inexplicably collapsed, paralyzed, just as the attack beg...more
Feb 26, 2011
Janette
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Another great read from David Baldacci. It takes an exceptional book to keep me interested through 638 pages and, although the first quarter was a little too much prep, there was plenty of action and much to be learned about how hostage rescue and the FBI work. We get the usual frustration with government intransigence. I once heard an old idea that people are raised up through the ranks until they reach their own level of incompetence and there they stay. Everyone working for them then must suf...more
Popcorn FBI book. I read the Camel Club series by Baldacci, and while the names and background has changed you could have inserted the same chars here. It was mildly entertaining, but very predictable. The rough FBI guy who each respects, but dislike become buds. And there is this vast conspiracy where it looks like one thing, then no it's not!!! Although the not wasn't really surprising as it was just like the other stories he has written. Plot = This guy did it, no this guy did it, wait these...more
I lost sleep, ignored my family, and put off a rather important deadline during the last third of this book.
On the plus side: This book makes you feel like you're right there, in action, looking over your shoulder, or maybe even at your own real neighbor or boyfriend (who ARE the bad guys anyhow?). They could be sneaking up on you right NOW! There's enough technical information, which I love, that you think you could actually handle a mission with Web and Romano and the HRT team tomorrow, fight...more
On the plus side: This book makes you feel like you're right there, in action, looking over your shoulder, or maybe even at your own real neighbor or boyfriend (who ARE the bad guys anyhow?). They could be sneaking up on you right NOW! There's enough technical information, which I love, that you think you could actually handle a mission with Web and Romano and the HRT team tomorrow, fight...more
Web London's FBI Hostage Rescue Team is lured into a trap, caught in a crossfire and slaughtered. He's the only survivor.
One witness to the team's massacre is a ten year old boy nemed Kevin Westbrook. He's the younger brother of a drug dealer named Big F. After the shooting, Kevin disappears.
Knowing that he will need help for the emotional effects of the loss of his friends, Web visits psychiatrist, Claire Daniels. As he tells her of his past, we observe the anguish and guilt that he feels that...more
One witness to the team's massacre is a ten year old boy nemed Kevin Westbrook. He's the younger brother of a drug dealer named Big F. After the shooting, Kevin disappears.
Knowing that he will need help for the emotional effects of the loss of his friends, Web visits psychiatrist, Claire Daniels. As he tells her of his past, we observe the anguish and guilt that he feels that...more
Don't miss this audiobook because you read some misleading reviews. This is Baldacci writing in some of his most evocative prose. If killing bothers you as a reader, you should never pick up a Baldacci novel - come on.
What sets this book apart from the rest of David's body of work is his ability to touch you through his most hardened protagonist - Web London. The star player in the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team - HRT breaks down. You will ride along with Jason Culp's outstanding characterizations th...more
What sets this book apart from the rest of David's body of work is his ability to touch you through his most hardened protagonist - Web London. The star player in the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team - HRT breaks down. You will ride along with Jason Culp's outstanding characterizations th...more
Its been a long time since I've read a book of this genre, and in spite of the little annoying things here and there, I enjoyed it thoroughly. This is the first time I've read David Baldacci, so I didn't really know what to expect, but rest assured, I am happy I stumbled upon the book.
Its fast, with one crazy thing or the other happening every second. Though the fact that there's the FBI, a white supremacist gang, a drug ring, a horse farm, and some serious psychiatric drama all in one book is s...more
Its fast, with one crazy thing or the other happening every second. Though the fact that there's the FBI, a white supremacist gang, a drug ring, a horse farm, and some serious psychiatric drama all in one book is s...more
I am not surprised that this book was on the Times best seller list, but that in no way should imply that it would be on the Times best written list. I gave it two stars and felt that was generous. I thought this was a book about a guy's guy doing mostly guy things and then bragging about how well he thought he did them I really considered putting it aside as it is a fairly long book, but decided I would then have wasted the time I spent up to then. As a result, I wasted more time in finishing a...more
Web London is the last man standing after his Hostage Rescue Team is betrayed and ambushed. London seems to freeze at a crucial point in the operation, an action that saves him from certain death; so his survival is problematic. Is he a coward, a traitor who had inside information, or just a victim of circumstance? London's investigation of the incident--and his own inner demons--takes him on a circuitous and complex journey that involves drug dealers, anti-government militia, internal politics...more
Awesome book.
An intelligent action thriller in a class of it's own. A page turner that I could not put down. And for once, there is no love interest thrown in for female readers - the author understands that the story alone will keep all readers captured.
What makes this different is the twist at the end that I challenge anyone to say they saw coming.
Excellent characters - I can even forgive the author the ridiculous name of the lead (Web London) and the unfortunate use of HRT as Hostage Rescue T...more
An intelligent action thriller in a class of it's own. A page turner that I could not put down. And for once, there is no love interest thrown in for female readers - the author understands that the story alone will keep all readers captured.
What makes this different is the twist at the end that I challenge anyone to say they saw coming.
Excellent characters - I can even forgive the author the ridiculous name of the lead (Web London) and the unfortunate use of HRT as Hostage Rescue T...more
The story of Web London, a member of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team. In the first scene of the book, he freezes up in a critical situation and his entire team gets killed except for him. During the rest of the book he goes on to try to figure out what happened. The story includes a ghetto drug lord, corrupt FBI bureaucrats, a loyal partner, a diabolical shrink, a white supremacist group, porn producers, a Virginia horse farm, a brave and honest (female) shrink, hypnosis and hypnotic suggest...more
I really enjoyed this story. And to be honest, I wasn't quite sure when the main character, HRT/FBI agent Web London started having mental issues from the past. But the story was well woven together.
Even contained several surprises I didn't figure out. One was such a shock, it was like, Yikes!
I did figure out 'who done it' though for the most part well before it was revealed.
The story really tugged at my emotional strings because we truly do not 'really' know how we might respond to the death of...more
Even contained several surprises I didn't figure out. One was such a shock, it was like, Yikes!
I did figure out 'who done it' though for the most part well before it was revealed.
The story really tugged at my emotional strings because we truly do not 'really' know how we might respond to the death of...more
This is the first novel that I have read by David Baldacci. Baldacci is a resident of Virginia, just as I am. The book is well written, well researched, with nicely developed characters and alot of action. I learned much about the FBI. Being a gun collector and shooter, I enjoyed reading about the weapons that the hero used in his job. A good book allows the reader to escape into the characters lives and accompany them on their adventures. I had a blast on this adventure. Afterall, I got to shoo...more
A number of interesting plot twists kept me engaged in this FBI/gang warfare thriller, though a lot of the references from the early 2000's felt a bit dated. E.g. cell phones are made to sound pretty novel, and the Branch Davidians and Waco, Texas just doesn't feel like that big of a deal post-9/11. But this book was written pre-9/11 so the bad guys are cast a bit differently than one might do now in a similarly themed book.
The book also suffers from a number of believability problems (would th...more
The book also suffers from a number of believability problems (would th...more
This book was awful. The story was totally contrived and unbelievable. There was way too much focus on killing. If I had read this as my first Baldacci book I NEVER would have read any more by him. If I find that he continues to write like this in the books I haven't read, I won't read them. Very bad, unbelievable, negative book. Also, Baldacci's method of composing dialogue by black people is terrible. It is so obvious that he is a white man and has no reliable editor to fix his pathetic attemp...more
Well, he is better than many other writers and does his research. Unfortunately, he tends to put too many technical details into his writer (exactly what type of ammo fits what type of weapon) and that irritates me. Possibly he is trying to justify to his publisher the amount of time he spends on researching his best sellers? Filled the time just fine while traveling through our fair country for three weeks, and I did learn about all kinds of fun stuff - drug addicts, hypnosis, repressed memorie...more
This author definitely can paint a picture but he fills his pages with unnecessary useless information...so much repetition of each character. So not necessary David. I tried getting through the Collectors and could not..his character development fell flat. I wont be picking up any further reads from David Baldacci. However, I could see if a talented screen writer got ahold of this book and made this into a live action film it would be good..but again it would take a talented screenwriter to sif...more
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David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he currently resides. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.
David Baldacci has published sixteen novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Win...more
More about David Baldacci...
David Baldacci has published sixteen novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Win...more
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