Tucker's Last Stand: A Blackford Oakes Novel [Hardcover]

Jr. William F. Buckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 1992

As LBJ and Goldwater vie for the White House, Blackford Oakes plays with dynamite in the Tonkin Gulf and Major Tucker Montana, a Texan, designs a system to block the North Vietnamese's route. Reprint. NYT.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Occupied more by politics than adventure, Buckley builds his ninth Blackford Oakes tale ( Mongoose, R.I.P ) around the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress a few months prior to the 1964 U.S. presidential election. CIA operative Blackie and an Army special projects major named Tucker Montana meet in Vietnam, where Tucker's assignment is to stall the movement of troops and materiel down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Blackie must stop similar shipments in the Gulf. Tucker, a priapic engineer who worked at Los Alamos, devises a brilliant plan, while Blackie outfits junks with radar to detect hidden cargoes. Meanwhile, back home, candidates Goldwater and Johnson spar, with Johnson eager to use the conflict in Southeast Asia to his own ends--resulting in clandestine maneuvers in the Gulf that leave even the patriotic Blackie feeling dirty. As Tucker's involvement with a beautiful NVA spy leads to its inevitable end, Blackie beds some local talent and converses archly in overseas phone calls with his recently widowed true love, Sally. A few sex scenes, a remarkable scenario at sea and fascinating glimpses of such Capitol figures as Abe Fortas, the Bundys and Robert Kennedy are ingredients in a story most memorable for the questions it raises about a still-troubling episode in our political history.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

7 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 259 pages
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (December 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517090252
• ISBN-13: 978-0517090251
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,370,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting tale about a tragic era, January 12, 2012

By 

CarmenLuz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tucker's Last Stand (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

Apparently one of Buckley's more (for Buckley, at least) ambivalent takes on the Cold War. I read this after being introduced to Buckley's Blackford Oakes series by way of the novel Saving the Queen. I also recently watched (and reviewed on Amazon.com) the movie The Quiet American. Tucker's Last Stand dovetails nicely with The Quiet American, as both stories are espionage-thrillers set in Vietnam during the murky years between WWII and America's full-scale war in that country. If you enjoy Buckley's erudite yet breezy writing, and you enjoy historical fiction -- particular of this era -- then count this book as a "recommend."

3.0 out of 5 stars Read it for the vibrant history, not the story, June 23, 2008

By 

Frank Catalano (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tucker's Last Stand (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

A workmanlike later novel in the Blackford Oakes series. The detail about Vietnam and the politics of the time (much of it is set in 1964) is striking and vintage Buckley. However, the fate of Oakes' colleague and titular character is obvious from early in the book. Read it for how it brings history to life in a fictional setting and to catch up on the latest in the life of the series hero -- both are worthwhile, and entertaining, reasons. But not as much for the storyline; there isn't much mystery here.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fictional Footnote to the Vietnam War, February 5, 2007

By 

zorba (Bala Cynwyd, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tucker's Last Stand (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

Buckley gives us an interesting snapshot of one aspect of the Vietnam War -- namely, a high-tech attempt to interdict movement down the fabled Ho Chi Minh Trail. Although fictional, it deals with a lot of fact and brings back searing memories of those days in the early 1960s before the U.S. became so fully immersed in the Vietnam War. Though an interesting period piece, the book fails to excite the reader. In typical Buckley style, "Tucker's Last Stand" moves deliberately but lacks compelling moments. You won't stay awake reading this book. The best part of the book is the glimpse it gives of some real, historic people (LBJ, Goldwater, MacNamara). A fictional footnote it is. A thriller it aint.