Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Last Ship

By: William Brinkley
Narrated by: Christopher Lane
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £33.99

Buy Now for £33.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Hailed "an extraordinary novel of men at war" (Washington Post), The Last Ship is the book that inspired the TNT mini series starring Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra, and Adam Baldwin, with Michael Bay as executive producer.

The unimaginable has happened: The world has been plunged into all-out nuclear war. Sailing near the Arctic Circle, the USS Nathan James is relatively unscathed, but the future is grim and Captain Thomas is facing mutiny from the tattered remnants of his crew. With civilization in ruins, he urges those that remain - 152 men and 26 women - to pull together in search of land. Once they reach safety, however, the men and women on board realize that they are the earth's last remaining survivors - and they've all been exposed to radiation. When none of the women seems able to conceive, fear sets in. Will this be the end of humankind?

This thrilling tale of post apocalyptic suspense is perfect for readers of Going Home by A. American, Lights Out by DavidCrawford, The End and The Long Road by G. Michael Hopf, and One Second After by William Forstchen.

©1988 William Brinkley (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Extinction Survival Series Box Set cover art
Ruins of the Earth cover art
The Spread: The Complete Infection cover art
Columbus Day cover art
Going Home cover art
These Dead Lands: Immolation cover art
End of Summer cover art
A Bright Shore cover art
Area 51 cover art
SecondWorld cover art
Invasion: The Complete Three Book Set cover art
Hyperion cover art
War and Peace cover art
Alas, Babylon cover art
Year One cover art
The Postman cover art

What listeners say about The Last Ship

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    78
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    80
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    8
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    79
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Captain's Log

Many comparisons are drawn between this book and "On the Beach" written some three decades earlier, indeed there are many similarities though there are far greater differences. The novel harks back to a time where the thought of nuclear holocaust was greater than perhaps it is today, though it is also quite a poignant note of how entirely man could destroy himself.

The book is told entirely from the perspective of the Captain of the Nathan James, who is seldom referred to by name and in fact throughout the book you never learn his full name. The Captain tells in mellifluous detail about the life aboard a Navy destroyer, his role as the Captain and what decisions he must make to keep his crew alive as the world is consumed with radiation.

The book takes you deep into the mind of the Captain, and as such spends an enormous amount of time on reflection and various ponderings. At times this can slow the progress of the story down considerably, indeed there are moments where it feels as though the good Captain has swallowed a thesaurus given the vast amount of descriptions he can apply to the various situations.

This is a long book though one that I have enjoyed greatly, and it really felt as though I was in the Captain's cabin with him throughout.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

A rare time when the book isn’t better

I got this as I had watched the series but whilst it is definitely in-depth for detail it starts some way into the story. I found it too detailed and confusing. A book that is not for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent listen!

I felt like it was written in the style of Moby Dick, very well written. narration excellent!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A good read !

Big subject tackled quite well.
could have placed lesser importance in detailed sexual practices and expressions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Last Ship

It was written and read in a most thoughtful way. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

It's long...but afterwards you will wish it was longer. There are times when the descriptive passages become close to painful and you just want to shout "just tell me what happens". But you need to persevere! There are still questions left unresolved throughout but...in reality of course those involved would also be in a position of not knowing. Highly recommended especially if you've ever served at sea.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting take on a nightmare subject.

Told from the viewpoint of a destroyer captain, the result of a nuclear exchange. Very detailed and incredibly sad in places.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoughtful deep contemplation on a possible apocal

Where does The Last Ship rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's definitely in the top audiobooks I've read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Ship?

The wistful reminiscences of the captain juxtaposing the current scenario and world with that of his memories brings into focus what has been lost.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The island

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It would be if not for the fact it's ~30 hours long!

Any additional comments?

It's not a super fast based book but it is so well worth the listen, part of the charm is the seeming peace that punctuates the moments of fear and disaster. The narration is fantastic and Christopher Lane's voice is rich and deep but also versatile enough to cover all required situations. Although the book did reach a satisfying conclusion I could have definitely listened to another 30 hours!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Long

The story was good but I felt had a lot of repetition, needlessly long and struggled to finish it. It was a slog! Well written, and a good story but could have been more exciting a real "page" turner but took me over a month to finish. The narration was excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story and narrator

Really enjoyed this novel and storyline, it was slightly repetitive in places. Great narrator also

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!