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Last Flag Flying
Now a major movie starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne, directed by Richard Linklater! Darryl Ponicsan's debut novel The Last Detail was named one of the best of the year and widely acclaimed, catapulting him to fame when it was first published. The story of two career sailors assigned to escort a young seaman from Norfolk to the naval prison in Portsmouth, New Hampshire-and of the mayhem that ensues-was made into an award-winning movie starring Jack Nicholson. Last Flag Flying, set thirty-four years after the events of The Last Detail, brings together the same beloved characters-Billy Bad-Ass Buddusky, Mule Mulhall, and Meadows-to reprise the same journey but under very different circumstances. Now middle-aged, Meadows seeks out his former captors in their civilian lives to help him bury his son, a Marine killed in Iraq, in Arlington National Cemetery. When he learns that the authorities have told him a lie about the circumstances of his son's death, he decides, with the help of the two others, to transport him home to Portsmouth. And so begins the journey, centered around a solemn mission but, as in the first book, a protest against injustice and celebration of life too, at once irreverent, funny, profane, and deeply moving.
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First published July 28, 2005
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About the author
Darryl Ponicsan
28 books39 followersAka Anne Argula
Darryl Ponicsan (pronounced PAHN-i-son; born May 26, 1938) is an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1971 novel The Last Detail, which was adapted into a 1973 movie starring Jack Nicholson; and for the 1973 novel and screenplay Cinderella Liberty, starring James Caan. Ponicsan writes mystery novels under the pen name Anne Argula.
Darryl Ponicsan (pronounced PAHN-i-son; born May 26, 1938) is an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1971 novel The Last Detail, which was adapted into a 1973 movie starring Jack Nicholson; and for the 1973 novel and screenplay Cinderella Liberty, starring James Caan. Ponicsan writes mystery novels under the pen name Anne Argula.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 16, 2020
"Last Flag Flying" is a sequel to "The Last Detail," a 1970 book that became a 1973 movie starring Nicholson. It was a story about two Navy men escorting a third from Norfolk to the military prison in New Hampshire and the adventures they had along the way when they realize that poor Larry Meadows was to serve 8 yrs for pilfering $40 from the PX. They give him apparently a last few days that includes drinking and a whorehouse and a wild three days. I haven't read book one or seen the 1973 movie. So, while that context would certainly have added to reading Last Flag Flying, it was not a prerequisite.
Fast forward to "Last Flag Flying" (originally published in 2005) and It's now thirty plus years later and these three young seamen are middle-aged and Meadows' son is coming home from Baghdad in a box and Meadows decides he wants Bad Ass Billy and now Reverend Mule to accompany him to pick up the body and escort the body home - to Portsmouth, NH - kind of a re-enactment of their journey decades earlier. Along the way, they face questions about what Meadows' son died for and whether it's fair that no one making the decisions about it had their sons (or daughters) at risk.
Three old guys, cranky, sardonic, out-of -sorts, trying to make sense of the War, of society, of what they've made of their lives. Ponicsan has a terrific ear for dialogue and he managed through that dialogue to put together a fascinating novel even without a lot of traditional action. These three characters really come alive in all their complexities.
I received this book from Skyhorse Publishing in a giveaway. This book has been re-released to coincide with the release of the movie in 2017.
Fast forward to "Last Flag Flying" (originally published in 2005) and It's now thirty plus years later and these three young seamen are middle-aged and Meadows' son is coming home from Baghdad in a box and Meadows decides he wants Bad Ass Billy and now Reverend Mule to accompany him to pick up the body and escort the body home - to Portsmouth, NH - kind of a re-enactment of their journey decades earlier. Along the way, they face questions about what Meadows' son died for and whether it's fair that no one making the decisions about it had their sons (or daughters) at risk.
Three old guys, cranky, sardonic, out-of -sorts, trying to make sense of the War, of society, of what they've made of their lives. Ponicsan has a terrific ear for dialogue and he managed through that dialogue to put together a fascinating novel even without a lot of traditional action. These three characters really come alive in all their complexities.
I received this book from Skyhorse Publishing in a giveaway. This book has been re-released to coincide with the release of the movie in 2017.
September 6, 2017
My review for this book was published by Library Journal on August 31, 2017:
Two Navy lifers and the hapless sailor they escorted to prison reunite nearly 35 years later in this sequel to the underground classic The Last Detail, first published in 2005 and now rereleased alongside a film adaptation directed by Richard Linklater. The last time Billy “Bad-Ass” Buddusky (killed in the original 1970 novel but awkwardly resurrected here) saw his old mate Mule Mulhall, they were showing their young charge Larry Meadows an unforgettable time on the government’s dime in protest of his unfairly long sentence. Now, as the pathetic figure of Saddam Hussein gets captured on television three decades later, they once again embark on a road trip of a different kind: Larry has come to Billy’s bar in Norfolk, VA, to round up Mule, a preacher, so they can help Larry bury his son, a marine killed in Iraq under dubious circumstances. Despite personality clashes played for comedic effect, the irascible Billy and the sanctified Mule band together in their old age and mutual weariness of the war machine to complete their final mission. VERDICT Though more autumnal than The Last Detail, its countercultural spirit and rollicking humor shine through in this worthy sequel, a thematic cousin to Tim O’Brien’s later novels.
Copyright ©2017 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Two Navy lifers and the hapless sailor they escorted to prison reunite nearly 35 years later in this sequel to the underground classic The Last Detail, first published in 2005 and now rereleased alongside a film adaptation directed by Richard Linklater. The last time Billy “Bad-Ass” Buddusky (killed in the original 1970 novel but awkwardly resurrected here) saw his old mate Mule Mulhall, they were showing their young charge Larry Meadows an unforgettable time on the government’s dime in protest of his unfairly long sentence. Now, as the pathetic figure of Saddam Hussein gets captured on television three decades later, they once again embark on a road trip of a different kind: Larry has come to Billy’s bar in Norfolk, VA, to round up Mule, a preacher, so they can help Larry bury his son, a marine killed in Iraq under dubious circumstances. Despite personality clashes played for comedic effect, the irascible Billy and the sanctified Mule band together in their old age and mutual weariness of the war machine to complete their final mission. VERDICT Though more autumnal than The Last Detail, its countercultural spirit and rollicking humor shine through in this worthy sequel, a thematic cousin to Tim O’Brien’s later novels.
Copyright ©2017 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
October 14, 2019
I read Ponicsan’s earlier book, “The Last Detail”, a few years ago, but I can’t say I recalled the details. This is the sequel to that book, taking place a few decades down the road. Prior to reading this, I read some of the reviews, many of which complained about the re-animating of one of the characters killed in the first book. It was handled, albeit clumsily, but in a way that helped explain the characters’ history, and it didn’t impact the story line beyond the first few mentions. I enjoyed this book of aging veterans on a road trip, rethinking their place in the world, and rethinking how being veterans has changed their lives. And they also reflect at length about the events in the first book, how that detail changed each of their lives. An interesting read – now to see the movie.
February 12, 2019
This is not a very good book. The movie looks to be completely different in tone and substance. This is just depressing and pointless. I can't really recommend it to anyone but it is not the worst book I've read recently.
May 4, 2018
Despite the clumsiness with which Ponicsan revives Buddusky, who was supposedly killed in "The Last Detail, "Last Flag Flying" is a great reunion of these three classic characters.
Since "The Last Detail" was his first novel, and this was written over 40 years later, Ponicsan's writing is more finely crafted, making this the more enjoyable read of the two.
Dealing with grief and mortality, the author still manages to bring humor and humanity to another great road trip with old friends.
Since "The Last Detail" was his first novel, and this was written over 40 years later, Ponicsan's writing is more finely crafted, making this the more enjoyable read of the two.
Dealing with grief and mortality, the author still manages to bring humor and humanity to another great road trip with old friends.
May 29, 2021
Not as grand as Book 1, but a solidly good listen… UNLESS you think W.Bush/D.Cheney are American heroes… in which case, steer waaaaay clear !
My Full Review →
My Full Review →
March 2, 2012
Billy "Bad-Ass" Buddusky is back! The time is December 2003. He's sixty-something now and is packing a metal plate in his head and an extra thirty pounds, but none of these things have softened his stance on stupidity or damaged his bullsh-- detector.
The tone of the book is set early on. Instead of becoming excited when he hears that Saddam Hussein has just been found, cowering and filthy in a spider hole, Billy simply snorts, saying, "The dude's a punk. Everybody else is supposed to fight to the death. If it was reversed, our guy'd be the same way, hidin' in some hole. ... The risk always goes to somebody else. the sacrifice is always somebody else's, and somebody else's child."
If you're a film buff or a reader, and of a certain age, you will remember Buddusky as the irrepressible anti-hero of the Vietnam era film, The Last Detail, which was adapted from Darryl Ponicsan's 1970 novel of the same name. Since its 1973 release, the gritty anti-war film has assumed the status of cult classic and become a regular part of the curriculum at many film schools.
Detail was Ponicsan's first novel, and he turned out seven more excellent books over the next ten years, and then seemed to just vanish - at least from the literary landscape. This was an enormous disappointment to me. I was teaching college English in the seventies and incorporated Detail into my Intro to Lit courses, to be studied in tandem with Melville's Billy Budd. Invariably, my students preferred Ponicsan to Melville, which came as no surprise - or disappointment - to me. At least they were reading - and enjoying it.
I read all eight of Ponicsan's novels and for years I kept looking for a new one, but there just weren't any, until now.
Last Flag Flying is the totally unexpected sequel to The Last Detail. "Unexpected" for reasons obvious to anyone who read the book or saw the film, but I won't try to explain that here. The fact is, however, this book is every bit as relevant today as Detail was in its own time. In the first story, Buddusky and "Mule" Mulhall were career-type Navy Petty Officers between ships who were detailed as "chasers" to escort Meadows, a young kleptomaniac sailor, from Norfolk to the Naval prison in Portsmouth. New Hampshire, where he'd been sentenced to eight years hard time for stealing forty bucks from a polio fund collection can in the PX. Knowing the kid had been shafted, the two men take pity on their prisoner and try to show him a good time en route to his jail cell. In the process, the lives of all three men are irrevocably changed.
Last Flag Flying brings the same three men together again, 34 years later. Billy now owns a seedy Norfolk bar-and-grill, Mule is a crippled country preacher, and Meadows has a menial job in, of all places, the Portsmouth PX. They are faced this time with a task as grim and tragic as their first. Meadows' son has been killed in Iraq, and he enlists the other two men's aid in bringing the body home. In doing so, the three aging men retrace their path from three decades before - by car, rental truck, taxi and train. Nearly all things shameful, ridiculous and controversial about today's society are skewered along the way: the dishonesty of the current administration, the ineptness of Homeland Security officials, CEO greed and corporate "bottom lines," those elusive weapons of mass destruction, the continued commercialization of Christmas, and even the ubiquitous cell phone culture. Prostate problems, old bowels and diminished sexual powers are also bemoaned and cursed.
There are a number of passages here that will move the reader from chuckles to tears to outright guffaws, sometimes all on the same page.
One of Darryl Ponicsan's greatest assets as a writer has always been his uncanny ear for dialogue. Last Flag Flying is proof that he still has it. I wasn't really too surprised then, when I learned that Ponicsan has been writing film scripts for the past twenty-five years, and making a good living at it too. I am very pleased, however, to find him back between book covers again, and I sincerely hope he keeps on writing.
But here's a tantalizing possibility for you film afficianados. Wouldn't it be great if Hollywood noticed the new book and someone persuaded Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid to reprise their Detail roles of Billy and Meadows? Sadly, Otis Young, who played Mule, is deceased now, but maybe Morgan Freeman, or Danny Glover, say, could be drafted for that part. Pay attention, Tinseltown. Here are some "grumpy old men" who have something important to say. How about a film for adults for a change?
The tone of the book is set early on. Instead of becoming excited when he hears that Saddam Hussein has just been found, cowering and filthy in a spider hole, Billy simply snorts, saying, "The dude's a punk. Everybody else is supposed to fight to the death. If it was reversed, our guy'd be the same way, hidin' in some hole. ... The risk always goes to somebody else. the sacrifice is always somebody else's, and somebody else's child."
If you're a film buff or a reader, and of a certain age, you will remember Buddusky as the irrepressible anti-hero of the Vietnam era film, The Last Detail, which was adapted from Darryl Ponicsan's 1970 novel of the same name. Since its 1973 release, the gritty anti-war film has assumed the status of cult classic and become a regular part of the curriculum at many film schools.
Detail was Ponicsan's first novel, and he turned out seven more excellent books over the next ten years, and then seemed to just vanish - at least from the literary landscape. This was an enormous disappointment to me. I was teaching college English in the seventies and incorporated Detail into my Intro to Lit courses, to be studied in tandem with Melville's Billy Budd. Invariably, my students preferred Ponicsan to Melville, which came as no surprise - or disappointment - to me. At least they were reading - and enjoying it.
I read all eight of Ponicsan's novels and for years I kept looking for a new one, but there just weren't any, until now.
Last Flag Flying is the totally unexpected sequel to The Last Detail. "Unexpected" for reasons obvious to anyone who read the book or saw the film, but I won't try to explain that here. The fact is, however, this book is every bit as relevant today as Detail was in its own time. In the first story, Buddusky and "Mule" Mulhall were career-type Navy Petty Officers between ships who were detailed as "chasers" to escort Meadows, a young kleptomaniac sailor, from Norfolk to the Naval prison in Portsmouth. New Hampshire, where he'd been sentenced to eight years hard time for stealing forty bucks from a polio fund collection can in the PX. Knowing the kid had been shafted, the two men take pity on their prisoner and try to show him a good time en route to his jail cell. In the process, the lives of all three men are irrevocably changed.
Last Flag Flying brings the same three men together again, 34 years later. Billy now owns a seedy Norfolk bar-and-grill, Mule is a crippled country preacher, and Meadows has a menial job in, of all places, the Portsmouth PX. They are faced this time with a task as grim and tragic as their first. Meadows' son has been killed in Iraq, and he enlists the other two men's aid in bringing the body home. In doing so, the three aging men retrace their path from three decades before - by car, rental truck, taxi and train. Nearly all things shameful, ridiculous and controversial about today's society are skewered along the way: the dishonesty of the current administration, the ineptness of Homeland Security officials, CEO greed and corporate "bottom lines," those elusive weapons of mass destruction, the continued commercialization of Christmas, and even the ubiquitous cell phone culture. Prostate problems, old bowels and diminished sexual powers are also bemoaned and cursed.
There are a number of passages here that will move the reader from chuckles to tears to outright guffaws, sometimes all on the same page.
One of Darryl Ponicsan's greatest assets as a writer has always been his uncanny ear for dialogue. Last Flag Flying is proof that he still has it. I wasn't really too surprised then, when I learned that Ponicsan has been writing film scripts for the past twenty-five years, and making a good living at it too. I am very pleased, however, to find him back between book covers again, and I sincerely hope he keeps on writing.
But here's a tantalizing possibility for you film afficianados. Wouldn't it be great if Hollywood noticed the new book and someone persuaded Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid to reprise their Detail roles of Billy and Meadows? Sadly, Otis Young, who played Mule, is deceased now, but maybe Morgan Freeman, or Danny Glover, say, could be drafted for that part. Pay attention, Tinseltown. Here are some "grumpy old men" who have something important to say. How about a film for adults for a change?
April 1, 2019
This isn't written like a real book. It's more like a screenplay with the stage instructions removed. The majority consists of conversations between three characters (simultaneously) without attribution to indicate who is speaking. The author is averse to using "he said" or any combination of noun/pronoun + verb after spoken lines. I constantly had to re-read pages, looking for personality cues to figure out who was speaking. In addition to this repeated poor writing technique, he frequently switches to first-person point-of-view perspective (usually as Billy but sometimes as other characters, even secondary ones) without italicizing or using paragraph changes to indicate ownership. As such, he pontificates as a particular character (in philosophical thought) or as omniscient narrative by the author (possibly). These kinds of errors could have been easily corrected by the editors. I haven't read anything else by this author, but if all of his books are written like this one, I can only assume that the editors found his style of writing charming or authentic, but I found it tiresome.
That said, the author relied on character development to differentiate between the three protagonists. The main one, Billy, was a clever ruffian. The second one, Mule, was an upright preacher. The third one, Meadows, was an honest simpleton. And that brings up my next criticism: Why did his choice have to consist of opposites, and cliches too? This book screams "make me into a corny mainstream movie." The characterizations would have been greatly improved by subtlety. I decided not to go see the movie because I can't stand thinking about people laughing at the rude drunk who gets his friends into trouble because he is the classic "I'll do it my way" American cowboy stereotype. Of course, he gets the preacher to cuss. Of course everything turns out fine in the end.
What did I like about the book? The insider military lingo, the forthright criticism of selling foreign wars as patriotism and death as heroism, the attempt at portraying old people as courageous. So, the author gets the values right, but I wish he would have adhered to writing conventions, added more description to slow the pace from time to time, and flesh out the characters in a more realistic manner.
That said, the author relied on character development to differentiate between the three protagonists. The main one, Billy, was a clever ruffian. The second one, Mule, was an upright preacher. The third one, Meadows, was an honest simpleton. And that brings up my next criticism: Why did his choice have to consist of opposites, and cliches too? This book screams "make me into a corny mainstream movie." The characterizations would have been greatly improved by subtlety. I decided not to go see the movie because I can't stand thinking about people laughing at the rude drunk who gets his friends into trouble because he is the classic "I'll do it my way" American cowboy stereotype. Of course, he gets the preacher to cuss. Of course everything turns out fine in the end.
What did I like about the book? The insider military lingo, the forthright criticism of selling foreign wars as patriotism and death as heroism, the attempt at portraying old people as courageous. So, the author gets the values right, but I wish he would have adhered to writing conventions, added more description to slow the pace from time to time, and flesh out the characters in a more realistic manner.
December 27, 2014
Have you ever hoped and prayed for a sequel to a book or a movie? And then when it comes finally comes out you experience a severe sense of frustration and disappointment? That's what this book is like. I wish I could give it negative stars. It went nowhere and bored me with it's self-rigtheous tone about the war. Ponicsan would've been better rattling his anti-war saber in an essay or blog. If you have any love for "The Last Detail" then cherish that book and avoid this one like the plague. I've been waterboarded (I'm not kidding) and I'd rather subject myself to that again than reread this book. I will also add that I've read several of Ponicsan's book, all because of "The Last Detail." None of them have come close to the power of that novel and this one falls even shorter. He is a one hit wonder.
February 12, 2013
Now I've got to get the first book, The Last Detail! Saw the movie, of course, when it came out. I had been a "swabbie" enlisted seaman for my "two years before the mast" on a WWII liberty ship converted to a intelligence-gathering "spy" ship similar to the Pueblo. I could relate to all three of the main characters and was familiar with times!
All that said, This book makes the transition to the present, well a few years ago, an understandable leap!
Savvy and succinct, deeper than you think. Question Authority
All that said, This book makes the transition to the present, well a few years ago, an understandable leap!
Savvy and succinct, deeper than you think. Question Authority
January 1, 2018
This is a sequel to “The Last Detail” which I didn’t read. That story was about two naval officers escorting a young navy man to prison for shop lifting. This story, which was also made into a movie, takes place 30 years later. The young man’s son has died while in Iraq and he asks his 2 old escorts to accompany him to bury his son’s body. None of the 3 have seen or spoken to each other in the intervening years. The story is at times sad, funny, irreverent, ridiculous, but always a clever commentary on life and justice.
December 21, 2017
This was a book.
Three sad Navy Vietnam Veterans trying to right a wrong that happened to one of their sons. Meadows son joined the Marines to do the right thing for his country. What happened he was killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the story of his dad and his two friends bringing him home to be buried.
It's a story that at times will make you mad, will make you smile, and you will hope that Meadows, Mule and Billy find a purpose.
Three sad Navy Vietnam Veterans trying to right a wrong that happened to one of their sons. Meadows son joined the Marines to do the right thing for his country. What happened he was killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the story of his dad and his two friends bringing him home to be buried.
It's a story that at times will make you mad, will make you smile, and you will hope that Meadows, Mule and Billy find a purpose.
June 13, 2022
I initially thought this was a 3 star, but after 24 hours of sitting on thinking about the book. I think its worthy of a 2 star, maybe a 1.5-2 star if I could rate it.
The short version is that this is an unintended sequel, to which the author admitted towards in the preface of a version of The Last Detail, that I read. In the end of that book one of the characters is killed off. This book brings the character back in one of the most convoluted ways possible.
This book is almost a shot for shot remake and feeling of The Last Detail, except the main characters are 30 yrs older. The main gist of the book is that the 18yr old kid is getting his dead son from OIF. Then escorting the body from Dover, DE to Portsmouth, NH. With the now three characters being in their late 50s to mid 60s and they have a USMC Lance Corporal as an escort for the trip with the body to the burial ground of Portsmouth, NH. Instead of using Arlington.
There is just all manner of issues with the narrative that throws me off and why I degraded the book from two stars is that there was just plot holes. The author introduces the Lance Corporal escort, but he is only there for what seems like three or four pages total. It would have been really interesting to compare and contrast the old vets vs new vets, the old military vs new military; but the author seemingly didn't know what to do with him after giving him what seems like a stereotypical background of a poor black kid who joined the Marines to escape the ghetto.
The author could have used one of his characters who is a priest to balance out some of the more harsh attitude from few of the characters. Instead he barely develops him beyond some stereotype of what the author assumes a preacher is and should be.
The last character which is really the author's view, spends most of the time on a rant and talks about the evil of the war in Iraq circa 2003. Everything from how its a corporate war to why the politicos don't have children in the game, to just random rants about how 9/11 occurred. Overall, these bits and that there was no growth in this character short of being an aggressive ex-veteran who is unsure of everything since the world changed, as well as making him more racist then before in the previous book. Just struck me as this was a poor development and really makes me wonder if this wasn't anything but a cheap cash in by some well meaning friends talking the author into this unneeded sequel.
The anti-war bits was all stuff that I have seen, read, or heard before from the Cold War era Vets, the Vietnam era Vets, and even some of the Korean War era veterans. All of whom were unsure of how their world changed and their children or grandchildren were now want to do something right. The worst part I think was a full page or three rant from the character to some college kid on a ride out of NYC to Boston about why airport security failed to keep the planes from flying into buildings.
The Last Detail was a decent read of a era that I grew up listening to stories about from family in the same Navy. The same sort folks with interesting feelings about the rules and how to keep your career going, the last half of the book with the morose attitude by the two lead characters and the ending destroyed the book. Last Flag Flying meanwhile seemed to start interesting with an attempt to reunite the three previous characters and redo the same trip but as old men, but it lost me with its cynicism and its just pissed off at the world views from two of the three characters, as well as the lack of using new characters introduced to provide maybe a contrast their time with the new veterans.
As a completion fan I read this book, but could have easily skipped it and now fully understand why the movie is radically different in characters background. The movie was better, IMHO, you won't miss much by reading this book.
The short version is that this is an unintended sequel, to which the author admitted towards in the preface of a version of The Last Detail, that I read. In the end of that book one of the characters is killed off. This book brings the character back in one of the most convoluted ways possible.
This book is almost a shot for shot remake and feeling of The Last Detail, except the main characters are 30 yrs older. The main gist of the book is that the 18yr old kid is getting his dead son from OIF. Then escorting the body from Dover, DE to Portsmouth, NH. With the now three characters being in their late 50s to mid 60s and they have a USMC Lance Corporal as an escort for the trip with the body to the burial ground of Portsmouth, NH. Instead of using Arlington.
There is just all manner of issues with the narrative that throws me off and why I degraded the book from two stars is that there was just plot holes. The author introduces the Lance Corporal escort, but he is only there for what seems like three or four pages total. It would have been really interesting to compare and contrast the old vets vs new vets, the old military vs new military; but the author seemingly didn't know what to do with him after giving him what seems like a stereotypical background of a poor black kid who joined the Marines to escape the ghetto.
The author could have used one of his characters who is a priest to balance out some of the more harsh attitude from few of the characters. Instead he barely develops him beyond some stereotype of what the author assumes a preacher is and should be.
The last character which is really the author's view, spends most of the time on a rant and talks about the evil of the war in Iraq circa 2003. Everything from how its a corporate war to why the politicos don't have children in the game, to just random rants about how 9/11 occurred. Overall, these bits and that there was no growth in this character short of being an aggressive ex-veteran who is unsure of everything since the world changed, as well as making him more racist then before in the previous book. Just struck me as this was a poor development and really makes me wonder if this wasn't anything but a cheap cash in by some well meaning friends talking the author into this unneeded sequel.
The anti-war bits was all stuff that I have seen, read, or heard before from the Cold War era Vets, the Vietnam era Vets, and even some of the Korean War era veterans. All of whom were unsure of how their world changed and their children or grandchildren were now want to do something right. The worst part I think was a full page or three rant from the character to some college kid on a ride out of NYC to Boston about why airport security failed to keep the planes from flying into buildings.
The Last Detail was a decent read of a era that I grew up listening to stories about from family in the same Navy. The same sort folks with interesting feelings about the rules and how to keep your career going, the last half of the book with the morose attitude by the two lead characters and the ending destroyed the book. Last Flag Flying meanwhile seemed to start interesting with an attempt to reunite the three previous characters and redo the same trip but as old men, but it lost me with its cynicism and its just pissed off at the world views from two of the three characters, as well as the lack of using new characters introduced to provide maybe a contrast their time with the new veterans.
As a completion fan I read this book, but could have easily skipped it and now fully understand why the movie is radically different in characters background. The movie was better, IMHO, you won't miss much by reading this book.
February 6, 2023
Excellent follow up to the original novel, picking up thirty years on with Buddusky, Mule, and Meadows, post 911. After the events of The Last Detail (in a plausible bit of slight revisionism, Bad-Ass is found to have survived his apparent death at the end of the previous book), Meadows turns up unannounced at Buddusky's bar and takes him to meet Mulhall, now a Reverend, so he can make the request that they both accompany him to receive the body of his Marine son, freshly martyred in the Gulf War and due to be buried with full honors and a Silver Star at Arlington. When they learn from his son's best friend that the circumstances of his death are not what's been officially presented, Meadows spurns the Arlington deal and the three of them end up escorting the coffin via train back to Portsmouth, where Meadows has lived and worked as a civilian at the Navy PX since his release from the brig. Although the three aged ex-sailors (each of them has been drummed out of the Navy in the wake of the first novel's events), in true thirty-year sequel fashion they revisit past events and locations in nostalgic fashion, but tempered with an air of aged sadness and palpable regret, not just at the direction of their lives, but also of their thirty year old choice to deliver Meadows over. Their interactions, often poignant, are peppered with moments of laugh out loud hilarity,partly spurred on by the thirty year change in each of them. Meadows is no longer a klepto, Mule is a fussy, God-fearing preacher, and Billy is a crochety old Luddite, suspicious of cellphones. Yet, pulled back into Billy's orbit, they gradually revert to shades of their old selves. The nature of patriotism and duty is both rightly lambasted and in a quiet, personal way, celebrated. Really a very beautiful book.
February 13, 2024
Much more of a book by a mature, adult author writing Literature than the from-the-hip, youthful yawp of the original The Last Detail, and therefore not as nervy and racing and thrilling to read, but still pretty fascinating for those of us around the age of the characters in this sequel, and recognizing some of their complaints about growing old and slowing down. Maybe one of the reasons The Last Detail was so fascinating to me was because it was about a world I'd never encountered and never will — the life of young Navy men out searching for sex, fights, and booze in ’60s America. Whereas this book is set in a world I recognize a lot more, an era of Homeland Security paranoia and overreach, no-fly lists, racial integration masking a deep American insecurity around race, and so forth.
Worth reading for a lot of reasons, but maybe the most indelible is the portrait of Billy "Bad-Ass" Buddusky in his 50s. It feels so rare to get this kind of thoughtful, long-form analysis of what a youthful rabble-rouser and chaos machine would look like when he gets too old to punch anyone and everyone who crosses his path.
Worth reading for a lot of reasons, but maybe the most indelible is the portrait of Billy "Bad-Ass" Buddusky in his 50s. It feels so rare to get this kind of thoughtful, long-form analysis of what a youthful rabble-rouser and chaos machine would look like when he gets too old to punch anyone and everyone who crosses his path.
October 26, 2022
Another haunting, philosophical adventure starring Billy Bad-Ass, Mule and Larry Meadows, whose reunion will be a thrill for those who enjoyed The Last Detail. The second book in this duology explores many themes, all of which can be traced back to some form of loyalty--to one's country, to one's family, to one's self. The author is at times poetic and heartfelt, hilarious and coarse, comforting and yet incisive, all delivered with an understated elegance that betrays the layered meaning lurking just beneath the surface of every scene.
Characters are authentic and fun, the plot and pacing are compelling, and the ending is much more satisfying than the abrupt conclusion of The Last Detail. Ponicsan has concluded a story that was already relevant beyond its time to include a startling breadth of perspective and consistency of heart. If you enjoyed the brilliant writing and subtle humor from the first book, or if you just saw the extremely well-adapted film version--don't leave Billy Bad-Ass hangin'--give this book a try.
Characters are authentic and fun, the plot and pacing are compelling, and the ending is much more satisfying than the abrupt conclusion of The Last Detail. Ponicsan has concluded a story that was already relevant beyond its time to include a startling breadth of perspective and consistency of heart. If you enjoyed the brilliant writing and subtle humor from the first book, or if you just saw the extremely well-adapted film version--don't leave Billy Bad-Ass hangin'--give this book a try.
May 23, 2025
It's not contradicting to care about something so much, but to also be highly critical of it. In fact, we should be most critical of the things we care about the most. This is because without critique virtually everything falls off the cliff of mundanity and "could have beens". We want the things we care about to be the best it possibly can be.
I believe this book is trying to express this idea and apply it to our beautiful and treacherous country. We can love our country enough to die for it, yet we can turn around and be completely disgusted by how things are going. Meadows' son is the example of love (especially his letter in the epilogue) while the very consistent criticism of corporate America throughout the book is obviously one of the critiques.
I loved this book. It was funny but played on a very difficult topic while also pushing an important philosophy. The characters feel real and are very well expressed.
I love my country. I know there is a lot to IMPROVE, But I'm willing to fight any day for the chance to help build a better USA
I believe this book is trying to express this idea and apply it to our beautiful and treacherous country. We can love our country enough to die for it, yet we can turn around and be completely disgusted by how things are going. Meadows' son is the example of love (especially his letter in the epilogue) while the very consistent criticism of corporate America throughout the book is obviously one of the critiques.
I loved this book. It was funny but played on a very difficult topic while also pushing an important philosophy. The characters feel real and are very well expressed.
I love my country. I know there is a lot to IMPROVE, But I'm willing to fight any day for the chance to help build a better USA
October 19, 2023
A terrible sequel to a wonderful novel, completely unnecessary and staining the fond memory of it's predecessor.
Rather than writing contemporaneously, DP simultaneously tries to place the story 15 years in the past with characters jumped 30 odd years into the future. The results are jarring, and disconcertingly political. DP constantly commentates on events that are current for his vets but a decade and a half past for his readers, so the hindsight that colors the words he puts in their mouths is just as offensive and nonsensical as the idea that all three of the Vets he described in The Last Detail would have turned hardcore lefty in the intervening years.
At the last, the tacked on final paragraphs from beyond the grave remove any complexity or interest from the central quandary faced by the father, and the parting insult to a president at the time of writing a decade out of office is petty and sad.
Avoid at all costs, other than out of morbid curiosity.
Rather than writing contemporaneously, DP simultaneously tries to place the story 15 years in the past with characters jumped 30 odd years into the future. The results are jarring, and disconcertingly political. DP constantly commentates on events that are current for his vets but a decade and a half past for his readers, so the hindsight that colors the words he puts in their mouths is just as offensive and nonsensical as the idea that all three of the Vets he described in The Last Detail would have turned hardcore lefty in the intervening years.
At the last, the tacked on final paragraphs from beyond the grave remove any complexity or interest from the central quandary faced by the father, and the parting insult to a president at the time of writing a decade out of office is petty and sad.
Avoid at all costs, other than out of morbid curiosity.
May 26, 2018
Ever wonder what happened to Billy Bad-Ass, Mule, and Meadows after the events of The Last Detail? This book is 34 years later and Meadows finds Billy and Mule to help him bring his dead son, a Marine, home from Iraq. The story is more somber than its predecessor, but Billy Bad-Ass didn't change much over the years; he just got older. A gread read and the movie was really good also except the characters were changed to fit that story...I guess Nicholson is way too old now to reprise his classic role. I highly recommend this book
October 27, 2024
Last Flag Flying is a sequel to The Last Detail, which was written back in 1970, and made into a hit film in 1973, featuring Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid and Otis Young. In this reincarnation, 30 years have passed. The three men haven't seen each other since the Nicholson and Young characters escorted Quaid to a military prison. Now they reunite for one more trip. This time they are going to bury Quaid's son who has been killed in Iraq. Well written and clever in setting up the situations they are all in. Nostalgic and quite humorous at times.
June 12, 2018
It Works Best if You Were in the Navy
Especially in the 60's and 70's! Which I was. I found "The Last Detail" in the drawer while standing watch as the Assistant Squadron Duty Officer (AS DO). Someone wrote "Required Reading" on the cover. So as to be compliant I did. When I recently found out there was a sequel I bought it and jump right into the story.
Was it just me, or did the author write Billy's lines to sound like Jack Nicholson?
Especially in the 60's and 70's! Which I was. I found "The Last Detail" in the drawer while standing watch as the Assistant Squadron Duty Officer (AS DO). Someone wrote "Required Reading" on the cover. So as to be compliant I did. When I recently found out there was a sequel I bought it and jump right into the story.
Was it just me, or did the author write Billy's lines to sound like Jack Nicholson?
May 16, 2019
Ho cominciato la lettura piena di idee preconcette perché non amo i romanzi di guerra i genere e soprattutto i romanzi di guerra americani. Nel corso del libro invece mi sono dovuta ricredere. I tre personaggi sono tratteggiato con profonda maestria a livello emotivo. Inoltre ho trovato assolutamente condivisibile tutta la discussione sulle vere o presunte tali ragioni di una guerra. Libro veramente interessante e ben scritto che consiglio
April 8, 2019
Strange Friends
This is a story not of friends but brethren, brought together under unusual circumstances & reunited because of something to often occurring in today’s world. A wonderful telling of the brotherly love between these three men. Read this book. See the movie when it’s available. I’m sure you will enjoy.
NickTheMoose
This is a story not of friends but brethren, brought together under unusual circumstances & reunited because of something to often occurring in today’s world. A wonderful telling of the brotherly love between these three men. Read this book. See the movie when it’s available. I’m sure you will enjoy.
NickTheMoose
December 30, 2024
This 2005 novel is a sequel to the author's 1970 "The Last Detail", which detailed a trip between two US Navy lifers in Norfolk who are assigned to escort a young man convicted of theft, to a military prison in New Hampshire. This followup, 35 years later, has the three men meeting up again for another road trip. Enjoyable reading, and entertaining throughout.
July 26, 2018
This was a good book, although not a truly easy read as the reader travels with three men on a journey of friendship and enlightenment. Along the way, they learn about themselves and each other things they did not know. All while retrieving the body of the son of one them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2021
I like this guy's writing style, really visual without being bogged down with lots of descriptors. That makes me happy. But not a lot happens. It's a bit sleepy in that regard. So, if you just want to sit back and have a quiet read, this is it. Or watch the movie.
January 17, 2023
Great Companion to the Movie
Last Flag Flying was not a big hit at the movies but I liked it very much... Maybe because I am old. The book and the movie aren't exactly the same (no spoilers). The book is more political. It will make you want to read more from this author
Last Flag Flying was not a big hit at the movies but I liked it very much... Maybe because I am old. The book and the movie aren't exactly the same (no spoilers). The book is more political. It will make you want to read more from this author
October 26, 2024
Creo que hace buena crítica al gobierno y a los marines, pero se me hacía difícil seguir el hilo de la historia ya que el escritor no especificaba quien decía los diálogos y a veces olvidaba mencionar que los personajes ya no estaban en un lugar y se habían movido.
May 29, 2025
I originally watched the film adaptation of Last Flag Flying a year ago and adored it. The book was just as good to me, even without reading the book that came before it. It’s such a beautiful story of three friends who get along greatly despite their differences.
July 14, 2017
A quick read but a good follow-up to The Last Detail.
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