The Last Heroes: A Men at War Novel [Paperback]

W.E.B. Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Men at War | Publication Date: September 1, 1998

June, 1941. Determined that the United States will be prepared for war, Franklin D. Roosevelt and "Wild Bill" Donovan orchestrate the most complex espionage organization in history, the Office of Strategic Services. Young and daring, the OSS assemble under a thin camouflage of diplomacy and then disperse throughout the world to conduct their operations. And no operation is more critical than the one being conducted by hotshot pilot Richard Canidy and his half-German friend Eric Fulmar: to secure the rare ore that will power a top-secret weapon coveted on both sides of the Atlantic--the atomic bomb.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

First hardcover edition of a volume from a paperback series, on the OSS in WW II, that the ever-popular Griffin (Blood and Honor, 1997, etc.) published pseudonymously (in 1985) as Alex Baldwin. In mid-1941, fun-loving Richard Canidy and straight-arrow Edwin Bitter are hotshot pilot instructors at the Navy's air station in Pensacola. With minimal prompting, they soon volunteer to serve with the so-called Flying Tigers. Before heading off (on a slow boat) to China, however, these two well-connected friends find time to join the social whirl in Washington, where crafty FDR has detailed Wild Bill Donovan to create an Office of Strategic Services. Shortly after arriving in Southeast Asia, Dick becomes an ace, downing five Japanese planes in a single sortie. The very same day, he's whisked away on orders from the White House. Meantime, the US (now at war against the Axis powers) plans to build an atomic bomb but lacks a secure source of uraninite. Which is where Dick comes in. His prep-school chum Eric Fulmar (the son of an American film actress and a German industrialist) is dodging the draft boards of both nations by hiding out in North Africa. Operating under cover from the US Embassy in Morocco, Dick is to enlist the aid of Fulmar in abducting a French mining engineer with badly needed information on a vital ore cache in the Belgian Congo. To make the mission more challenging, the amateur agents must carry out their assignment on a split-second schedule (to make an offshore rendezvous with a submarine) and get their man away without arousing the suspicions of either the Nazi or Vichy forces controlling the Maghreb coast. A rousing to-the-ends-of-the-earth start for an absorbing narrative takeout on the shadow warriors who handled some decidedly odd jobs in aid of the Allied cause. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Jove (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515123293
• ISBN-13: 978-0515123296
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W.E.B. Griffin is the author of more than thirty epic novels in five series, all of which have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and other best-seller lists. More than forty million of his books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian. Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counter-intelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary. In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White. On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, and the Armor Association. He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City. He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation's first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association; the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association; the Marine Raiders Association; and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. He is the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D'Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. Mr. Griffin's novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their "fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes." "Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books," Mr. Griffin says. Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable action adventure., March 19, 2001

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Heroes: A Men at War Novel (Paperback)

A friend tipped me off to WEB Griffin and I started off with his "Men At War" series, but out of order. This being the kickoff to the series, it came up as my second read.

Therefore, it was most interesting to get the complete back-story on the principle fictional characters. It certainly puts a more proper perspective on chapter two ("Secret Warriorts").

I particularly enjoyed the mixing of actual events and real people from the WWII era with the fictional characters. It gives a greater feeling of reality and you feel part of the action.

The series revolves around the founding and early days of the OSS...and our quest to beat the Axis powers in the race to develop the Atomic Bomb. Here we experience the setup to covertly attain the uranium necessary to complete the task.

The primary fictional characters are remarkably portrayed in a way that would make Errol Flynn, John Wayne and Tyrone Power proud. The action and plot flow smoothly and the book is great fun.

The characters are truly well developed and you feel an intimacy with many of them. You want them to show up in the next book in the series. Mr. Griffin does a good job of getting you to care about the players and to cheer for them all the way.

I am thankful to my friend for this recommendation and plan to read plenty more WEB Griffin.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, but . . ., December 21, 1999

By 

David Wright (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Heroes: A Men at War Novel (Hardcover)

Griffin has been one of my favorite authors for over ten years, and I've read other books of the same genre. One thing to note about this particular series is that the books were all written over a decade ago (under a psuedonym), but the publisher is promoting the books as "new" now that Griffin is revealed as the author. Still, an enjoyable window into the formation of the OSS/CIA -- before it was corrupted in its mission in the Fifties.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars W.E.B Griffin is still the insomniac's dream, February 19, 1999

By 

Mike Piellusch ([e-mail]) (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Heroes: A Men at War Novel (Paperback)

If you are looking for non-fiction or classical literature, walk down another aisle. If you enjoyed the Hardy Boys (or Nancy Drew) as a kid, you will probably love "The Last Heroes" as another intriguing episode in the Griffin web.

If you want a historical picture of World War II, read a history book. If you want a feel for the war and want someone with imagination to connect the illogical dots surrounding FDR, MacArthur, and Corregidor, then read this novel.

Richard Canidy and Eddie Bitter bring the "Flying Tigers" close to home and Richard Canidy gets swept off on a James Bond-type adventure. From aerdahls to "bubbleheads" (submariners), W.E.B. puts the likely military psyche into an unlikely but entertaining romantic adventure of another lifetime.