Customer Reviews

The Last Heroes: A Men at War Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This novel is just another example of the uncanny ability of W.E.B. Griffin to draw excitement and interest out of a story many times told. But beware, as with all of his other novels, reading this book may be harmful if you need to sleep and eat on a regular basis. Once started, you can't put this down!!!!!

The Last Heroes is classic W.E.B. Griffin. A good story combined with writing skills that set his stories apart from the norm. Mr. Griffin's knowledge of the military, O.S.S. and State Department in the months and days leading up to W.W.2 and the opening months of the war give this story the ring of the possible. Some of these heroes and villains and their plots may seem familiar from other Griffin books. No matter they still make a good story. Well worth the read. Problems. Large type and large type spacing to make this seem a larger book then it is. The real problem is that this book and the three others in this series were first published in 1985/1991 in paperback. Now Mr. Griffin's publisher chooses to bring them out again in hardcover as "new books". Why not have brought them out in a collected volume of the "Men at War" paper backs. Now the publisher is telling new readers of Mr. Griffin that these are new books and we must wait for the next installment book 2 "The Secret Warriors" when in fact it was first published in 1985. Despite the huckster approach of G. P. Putnam's Sons publisher this is still a good W. E. B. Griffin story. Read it in paperback if you can find it under the authorship of Alex Baldwin, one of Mr. Griffin's pen names or get this hardcover and wait for the next three or four installments of "The Men at War". What ever happened to those Marines in "The Corps"? I hope Mr. Griffin has not left them to die on some Pacific Island. Dennis Gray t. 415-922-2953 gray@sirius.com

THE LAST HEROES is the only war novel I've read since 1992 that can hold a candle to the epic WWII novel THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY. What a superlative book, it is Griffin's best by far!

I have read all of Griffins books. His "Brotherhood of war" series is still my favorite,followed by "The Corps". This series maybe a re-release,but it is still pure W.E.B.. Sure the players appear the same. Thats what makes it good. You know that you are reading Griffin. The money angle of the actors is great and different. Please another in " Badge of Honor" series. As with all of Griffins books,I can't put them down until I close the back cover.

I have read most of the WWII books by Mr. Griffin and I will have to say that this is a wonderful book full of the many things I enjoy. I love the historical accuracy of his novels. Also, as a young woman I love the way that he portrays the ladies in his novels, not as mousy stay at home women who just sit and worry, but as strong women who know what they want.

I started reading and was skeptical, then by the time I was finished I was wishing I was Canidy.. Great Job, can't wait to start on next book.

I like WEB Griffin. No other author recognizes fully the fighting man of war as this one does. I enjoyed this book. He makes characters come alive and it is the characters that kept the story moving. Suspense built toward what should have been fine action and, then....it seemed that the action portion was summed up in a paragraph and we moved back to the characters. That being said; the book is well worth reading and I, for one, will follow the series just to find out how they resolve the cover story of one of the protagonists that he was a coward who had to be thrown out of the Flying Tigers. WEB Griffin (Alex Baldwin) or whoever you are... My respects for taking care of the military members. I give this one 3 stars in comparison to most of his 4 star books.